Jan McNulty

No they aren't. Here are the tour dates (is it a smaller tour than last year?) https://www.brb.org.uk/shows/brb2-carlos-acostas-classical-selection

But it might also entice people who have already booked to book a second performance... (I know ... I did that with another company some years ago!) (Although possible not ... I saw Different Drummer once and I never want to see it again so I'm not even going to the cinema.)

Links - Tuesday 05 March, 2024 Reviews - New York City Ballet, Solitude, Concerto for Two Pianos, New York: Jennifer Homans, New Yorker Staff, BNN Breaking Review - Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sleeping Beauty, Birmingham: Vikki Jane Vile, Dance for You Magazine Review - Bayerisches Staatsballett, La Bayadere, Munich: Jeanette Anderson, Seeing Dance Reviews - Ballet National de Marseille, Roommates, London: Siobhan Murphy, Stage Debra Craine, Times (share token) Franco Milazzo, Broadway World Review - Adelaide: Nicholas Routley, Australian Stage Stephen Page, Balleen Moondjan Jacob Boehme, Guuranda Review - Restless Dance Theatre, Private View, Adelaide: Jansson J Antmann, Limelight Reviews - Extended Play, How to build a universe, London: Matthew Paluch, Broadway World Donald Hutera, Stage Review - Grupo Corpo, mixed bill, Aspen: Saboor Bayat, BNN Breaking Review - 7 Portland dancers, Rejigged, desperately seeking Dorinda, Portland: Hannah Krafcik, Oregon Arts Watch Preview Feature - After the flood: Northern Ballet breathes new life into Romeo and Juliet: Siobhan Murphy, Stage Preview Feature - Marc Brew Dance Company, An Accident / A Life, Glasgow: Lorna Irvine, Fjord Review Preview - Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Coppel-i.A, Berkeley: Bourbiza Mohamed, Tech-Gate Preview - Alberta Ballet, Hansel and Gretel, Calgary: Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald Preview - Ballet Jorgen, Anne of Green Gables, St Albert: Anna Borowiecki, St Albert Gazette Video Preview - Deos Ballet, EMBER Series 24 (quad bill), Grand Rapids: Chris Bovine, Fox 17 Preview - Opus Ballet & Dance Now! share the stage in a mixed programme, Miami: AA Cristi, Broadway World Feature - When scandal hit New York City Ballet: Debra Craine, Times (share token) Feature - What’s the future for Indigenous Australian dance?: Steve Dow, Guardian Interview - Gary Avis, Royal Ballet: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Feature - Joseph Walsh, San Francisco Ballet: Lauren Harvey, Daily Californian Feature - Ukraine War: Kharkiv Opera and Ballet reopens underground: Sarah Rainsford, BBC News Feature - The costumes of Alice in Wonderland (Wheeldon): Tiffany Leigh, Forbes News - Carlos Acosta to create new version of The Nutcracker set in Havana: Lyndsey Winship, Guardian Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper News - Joffrey Ballet announces 2024-25 season: Kyle MacMillan, Chicago Sun Times News - Ballet West announces 2024-25 season: Ashley Fredde, KSL News - All-Ireland contemporary dance company ‘a new dawn’ for art form: Emmet Malone, Irish Times

Do you know if Imago will be touring the UK at all @Jamiel Devernay-Laurence? Sadly I can't make the London dates.

PRESS RELEASE – 4 MARCH 2024 IMAGES CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE FULL PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED FOR LIFT 2024 6 JUNE - 27 JULY LIFT 2024 WILL FEATURE SEVEN PREMIERES THAT CHALLENGE THE WAY WE SEE AND INTERACT WITH THE WORLD AROUND US TAKING PLACE FROM 6 JUNE - 27 JULY TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW LIFT, the leading London biennial festival of international performance, today announces the full programme for LIFT 2024. The second festival presented by Artistic Director and CEO Kris Nelson. Featuring three World Premieres, two UK Premieres and one London premiere, the international festival imports work from Canada, Taiwan, Ivory Coast, France, Italy, Cape Verde, Portugal, Brazil, Iran and Palestine, to connect Londoners with global experiences, uniting audiences and artists alike across borders. LIFT will be accessible to audiences across the city, from Southbank Centre, to the Old Bailey to Brixton House. All LIFT 2024 shows have an allocation of £5 tickets available for people on low incomes. THE 2024 PROGRAMME: CLIFF CARDINAL’S ‘THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OR AS YOU LIKE IT’ UPTURNS ONE OF THE BARD’S MOST LOVED COMEDIES THROUGH AN ACERBIC CANADIAN FIRST NATIONS LENS AT THE SOUTHBANK CENTRE AN EVENING AT THE BAT NIGHT MARKET BECOMES AN EXPLORATION OF GLOBAL FOOD SHORTAGES AND CULTURAL APPROACHES TO CUISINE FROM TAIWANESE ARTIST KUANG-YI KU AND UK DESIGNER ROBERT CHARLES JOHNSON AT THE SCIENCE GALLERY NADIA BEUGRÉ’S SENSUOUS EXPLORATION OF MASCULINITY IS PRESENTED THROUGH DANCE IN L’HOMME RARE AT THE SOUTHBANK CENTRE THE HALLS OF JUSTICE ARE BROUGHT TO BRIXTON HOUSE FOR THE TRIALS AND PASSIONS OF UNFAMOUS WOMEN, CREATED BY BRAZILIAN ARTIST’S JANAINA LEITE AND LARA DUARTE, AND CLEAN BREAK BRAZILIAN FUNK, CLOWN ANTICS, POP AND RAVEL’S ‘BOLERO’ INTERMINGLE IN BACCHAE: PRELUDE TO A PURGE AT SADLER’S WELLS, CHOREOGRAPHED BY CAPE VERDEAN MARLENE MONTEIRO FREITAS CHIARA BERSANI’S BOUNDARY PUSHING PERFORMANCE ART L’ANIMALE REVISITS FOKINE’S BALLET ‘THE DYING SWAN’ IN SITE-SPECIFIC PERFORMANCES AT THE OLD BAILEY NASSIM SOLEIMANPOUR AND OMAR ELERIAN’S ECHO (EVERY COLD HEARTED OXYGEN) IS A SERIES OF COLD READS, WHERE A NEW, UNREHEARSED ACTOR TAKES TO THE ROYAL COURT STAGE EVERY EVENING EXPLORING WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE AN IMMIGRANT IN TIME. DEMOCRACY FROM WHERE I STAND IS A NIGHT OF PROVOCATIONS, POEMS AND PERFORMANCES ON AND ABOUT DEMOCRACY FROM LEADING WOMEN ACROSS LONDON AND THE WORLD, CO-PRESENTED WITH FINANCIAL TIMES AT THE DUTCH CHURCH Kris Nelson, Artistic Director and CEO of LIFT commented: “LIFT 2024 will take you on journeys that are deep and personal. It’s a festival that will catch your breath, spark your mind and rev your imagination. There’s adrenaline too. It’s international theatre for your gut. In this year’s festival, The Personal is Epic. Personal accounts of justice, exile and protest take on mythic proportions through barrier-breaking storytelling. LIFT artists will show us Play Is Not a Distraction. They’ll reveal hidden depths beneath surface-level fun and humour, whilst offering feasts for the mind and plunging you into sensation. For this edition, we’ve been focusing on creating opportunities for Londoners to work with international artists in dynamic collaborations – from building shows from the ground up to exploring Concept Touring models between here and abroad. These commissions are surrounded by some truly iconic presentations. It’s all in a climate of funding scarcity and aversion to risk. We’ve got faith though, and we couldn’t do it without the fearlessness of these artists, the shared vision of our presenting and commissioning partners and the support of our core funders Arts Council England, City of London Corporation among many others. LIFT 2024 is the result of the care, determination and expertise of a lot of incredible people, and I write this on behalf of our amazing team, crew, trustees and volunteers past and present who’ve made this edition what it is. It’s a festival full of divergent perspectives, difference and complex cultural conversations. That’s what LIFT is here to do. We invite you to come together in spaces where theatre will connect you to daring ideas and voices of our times and with each other in a place where you can share, disagree, experience together a festival rich in experiences and ideas. We’re making this festival during a complex global moment; amidst a climate crisis, a cost of living crisis and war and turmoil in a number of global regions. LIFT’s aim is and always has been to champion international perspectives, to amplify lesser heard voices, and to be a place that can hold diverse experiences and points of view. That includes internally as a team and organisation, and amongst our audiences, whilst respecting and caring for each other as a priority. In that spirit and taking all those things to heart - we wish you a powerful festival experience full of discovery and dialogue.” LIFT 2024 SHOW BY SHOW The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It - London premiere Creator and writer Cliff Cardinal Toronto Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room 5 June - 9 June The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It by cultural provocateur Cliff Cardinal, is a devastating yet laugh-out-loud examination of land acknowledgements as cultural and political practice. Cultural provocateur Cliff Cardinal revisits Shakespeare’s timeless tale of mistaken identities, gentle ruses and banishment in this show that exults in difficult subject matter. When Crow’s Theatre, one of Toronto’s most eclectic and adventurous companies, premiered this audacious new production, they said very little about it. All they revealed was that Cliff Cardinal was doing a “radical retelling of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It.” There were no further details, no cast list, nothing. How – and why – would Cardinal, a young Indigenous playwright and actor of Cree and Lakota heritage, acclaimed for his acerbic humour and willingness to deal with raw emotions and difficult subject matter, going to retell one of Shakespeare’s most accessible and whimsical plays? Dubbed "the Canadian arts surprise of the year" by The Globe and Mail, Cardinal's brilliant play, The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It, offers you the unvarnished truth of the state of the reconciliation process between Indigenous communities and colonial settlers in Canada. When the curtains rise, prepare for Shakespeare as you’ve never seen him before and likely never will again. Democracy From Where I Stand Presented by LIFT and The Financial Times The Dutch Church, City of London 8 June A night of provocations, poetry, film and performance, asking the question: what does democracy look like from where you stand? Democracy From Where I Stand promises an evening crackling with discussion and connection. Leading women from around our city and around the world sound out on the state of government, representation, rights and freedom. In a year where 62 countries vote in national elections - 49% of the world’s population - we’re reflecting on what democracy means. No better place to do it than in The City of London - the world’s longest-running municipal democracy. This live event is inspired by the Financial Times’ Democracy film series, developed in consultation with LIFT and featuring short new films by Margaret Atwood (Toronto), Aditi Mittal (Mumbai), Elif Shafak (London/Istanbul) and Lola Shoneyin (Lagos). Join us for this special night of LIFT ideas Democracy From Where I Stand and catch these films online. Presented by LIFT and The Financial Times as part of LIFT the City. Supported by the City of London Corporation in collaboration with Destination City.  Where you say the event is inspired by the 'Financial Times’ FT Standpoint’s Democracy digital film series' please could you omit the FT Standpoint mention and instead say the 'Financial Times' Democracy film series'. The wording otherwise looks great. Bat Night Market - World Premiere Kuang-Yi Ku and Robert Charles Johnson Taipei/Eindhoven and London Science Gallery London 11 June - 15 June A marketplace for the mind, an experience for the senses. Step outside your comfort zone and into a night market of the future. Today, in the face of global food shortages, humans need to re-examine our food sources. One option presenting itself as a sustainable and nutritious option is the unassuming bat. These flying mammals  have been a delicacy in some cultures for centuries, but this ancient dish is often viewed with distaste in the Western world. Yet with many bat populations in decline, is it problematic to consume bats? Should they instead be revered for their vital impact on our ecosystem? How do we navigate notions of delicacy, distaste and interspecies empathy as we radically rethink the norms of global consumption? Set in an imagined night market where bat species are extinct,  Bat Night Market intersects performance, speculative design and science. We invite visitors to celebrate these enigmatic animals in an evening of discussions, games, tastings and sensory experiences. Bat Night Market is an international collaboration between UK designer Robert Charles Johnson and Taiwanese artist Kuang-Yi Ku, commissioned by LIFT. It has been co-commissioned by LIFT and Taipei Performing Arts Center. Funded by ARTWAVE and the British Council as part of the International Collaboration Grants. Supported by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a donor advised fund at the London Community Foundation. Research and development supported by Science Gallery London, part of King’s College London, and the Embassy of the Netherlands in the UK. L’Homme rare - UK Premiere Choreographer Nadia Beugré Abidjan/Montpellier Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall 12 June - 13 June The issue of gender has always featured in the Ivory Coast dancer Nadia Beugré’s work, but inL’Homme rare she tackles it head-on, mischievously questioning the attention paid to bodies and the qualities attributed to their movements. Starting with a game that blurs perceptions of gender, the choreographer places the spectator in the position of a voyeur, inviting the audience to experience her research on our understanding of the naked body, particularly Black and male, in history and today. The faces of the five dancers are not visible. The choreography is executed solely using their backs, inspired by dance techniques and styles that principally utilise the pelvis. With the insistent use of buttocks, these practices are seen as being more feminine, challenging or even chipping away at a strongly built and assimilated masculinity. L’Homme rare playfully subverts the history of Europeans’ gaze on Black bodies and its persistence today. The performers are Nadim Bahsoun (Lebanon), Daouda Keita (Mali), Marius Moguiba (Ivory Coast), Lucas Nicot (France) and Eric Nebié (Burkina Faso). The Trials and Passions of Unfamous Women - World Premiere Janaina Leite, and Clean Break Sao Paolo and London Brixton House 14 June - 22 June Press night: 17 June Women who dare to transgress will face judgement. The world premiere of The Trials and Passions of Unfamous Women asks what is justice, and who has the power to decide. This bold and theatrical experience immerses us in the haze between the shared rituals of theatre and the halls of justice. A passion is what obsesses us, what we take risks for. Throughout history, driven by "passion", women have crossed the line between the legal and illegal, the moral and immoral and, because of that, faced the laws of their time. Whether in public trials or in the intimacy of homes, a visible and invisible struggle has been waged against women who are judged for their passions. Clean Break is a UK-based theatre company celebrated for its work with women with lived experience of the criminal justice system, or who are at risk of criminalisation. Its Member artists join forces with taboo-breaking Brazilian theatremakers Janaina Leite, Lara Duarte to devise an epic journey through the theatre of judgement. We encounter the voices of historic, mythic women and the personal stories and passions of the women on stage, labelled as transgressive as truth and fiction collide. Co-commissioned by LIFT and Clean Break, In Proud Association with Brixton House. Bacchae: Prelude to a Purge - UK Premiere Choreographed by Marlene Monteiro Freitas Lisbon Sadler’s Wells Theatre 18 June - 19 June A raucous and absurd carnival processes onstage to the sounds of Brazilian funk, clown antics, pop, and Ravel’s Boléro. In this wildly delirious work, Cape Verdean-born, Lisbon-based choreographer and performance artist  Marlene Monteiro Freitas dares you to explore the careful order, and wild chaos of Euripides—and ultimately, the depths of the human psyche. In 2017, Marlene was acknowledged by the government of Cape Verde for her cultural achievement. In 2018, she created Canine Jaunâtre 3 for Batsheva Dance Company and was awarded the Silver Lion award for dance at the Venice Biennale. In 2022, she was the featured artist of Festival D’Automne and was named a Chanel Next Prize Winner. Presented by LIFT and Sadler’s Wells. There will be a BSL interpreted post-show talk on Tuesday 18 June, with Kris Nelson, artistic director of LIFT and members of the creative team. L’Animale - UK Premiere Created and performed by Chiara Bersani Milan Old Bailey, City of London 22 June - 23 June If you want to meet the animal, you have to ask for permission. Set inside the majestic hall of The Old Bailey, Chiara Bersani revisits The Dying Swan (a ballet originally choreographed by Michel Fokine for Anna Pavlova in 1905), with her work, L’Animale. Motionless, she invites audiences in, to observe and study the animal and enter into its world. To contemplate what it means to be a human and to find peace in a restless world. Through evocative vocals and soundscape, Bersani creates a performance that is unique and unrepeatable each time, guided by the audience. What remains is a ghostly, poetic demonstration in one of the City's most formidable buildings. Chiara Bersani is one of the world’s leading stage artists and an influential figure in Italian performance. With a reputation of pushing the boundaries of dance, Bersani uses her body to draw on the universal themes of loneliness and mortality. As an activist, Chiara works on the accessibility of disabled artists in the performing arts scene. Presented by LIFT as part of LIFT the City. Supported by the City of London Corporation in collaboration with Destination City.  ECHO (Every Cold Hearted Oxygen) - World Premiere Written by Nassim Soleimanpour Directed by Omar Elerian Berlin/Tehran & Milan/London The Royal Court Theatre 13 July - 27 July Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (White Rabbit Red Rabbit, NASSIM) and Italian Palestinian director Omar Elerian (NASSIM, Misty, two Palestinians go dogging) push the boundaries of his signature unrehearsed cold reads to the next level. A new performer takes to the stage at every show without having a clue of what is going to be asked of them. Unrehearsed and unprepared, the script becomes their guide as they journey through the story of the playwright, connected live from his flat in Berlin? Or is he? Can we really know where or when we are? ECHO asks us to confront what it feels like to be an immigrant in time. Fusing technology with the oldest tricks in the book, ECHO is an experiment in concept touring for the age of climate crisis: an ambitious, magical and uncompromising production where no one travels yet everybody can be present. An NSP production, co-produced by LIFT (London) / The Royal Court Theatre (London), Staatstheater Mainz, Riksteatern (Sweden), Why Not Theatre (Toronto), Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles (Brussels) / Le Lieu Unique (Nantes), Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg. In association with The Shed (New York City) and Canberra Theatre Centre. A LIFT Concept Touring Commission. Supported by Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. ECHO is generously supported by the Maria Björnson Memorial Fund Affordable ticket prices are available across the programme to allow more people to access festival events whatever their circumstances. Tickets are on sale now - full details can be found on the LIFT website: www.liftfestival.com Please find all artist and company biographies here Listings The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It - London premiere Southbank Centre- Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 5 - 7 June, 8pm 8 - 9 June, 3pm Democracy From Where I Stand The Dutch Church, City of London 8 June, 7pm Bat Night Market - World Premiere Science Gallery London 11 June - 14 June, 7pm & 15 June, 2pm BSL performance 15 June L’Homme Rare - UK Premiere Southbank Centre: Queen Elizabeth Hall 12 - 13 June, 7.30pm Post show talk: 12 June Audio Description available: 13 June The Trials and Passions of Unfamous Women - World Premiere Brixton House 14 June - 22 June 19:30 19 & 22 June 2pm Press night: 17 June Bacchae: Prelude to a Purge - UK Premiere Sadler’s Wells Theatre 18 June - 19 June, 19:30 Post show talk: Tuesday 18 June L’Animale - UK Premiere Old Bailey, City of London 22 - 23 June 2pm & 4pm ECHO (Every Cold-Hearted Oxygen) - World Premiere The Royal Court Theatre 13 July - 27 July 6.30pm/7pm/7:30pm Matinee performances: Sat 20 July & 27 July, 1.30 & Thurs 25 July, 2.30 Press night: 17 July 7:00pm Post show talk: 18 July Captioned and Relaxed Performances - 18 July, 7:30pm & 27 July, 1:30pm About LIFT LIFT, London’s biennial international festival of theatre, has been bringing joyful, daring and unforgettable theatre from around the world to London for over 40 years, using the whole of the city as its stage. Every two years, LIFT presents a festival full of bold and relevant culture, international perspectives, and thought-provoking performances. Whether it’s a much-loved venue, iconic landmark or unsung corner of London, LIFT gathers Londoners around incredible art. LIFT’s mission is to create powerful, invigorating experiences that challenge artistic, political and social conventions; to champion artist advancement at home and abroad; to lead sustainable internationalism; and to celebrate and connect London to the world. We engage and create communities around ideas and projects, connect leading artists to locals, connect international artists and local artists to London, and together make incredible art happen. A charity limited by guarantee and based in Toynbee Studios in East London, LIFT has a diversified income mix and is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation with a biennial turnover in the region of £2 million. To find out about the different ways you can help LIFT celebrate their 40th anniversary year, visit www.liftfestival.com/support

I was just going to say I've had emails re Mother's Day ... opera, opera, opera, opera, gift shop, gift shop, gift shop ... not a single mention of ballet!

Hello @teddy24 and welcome to the Forum!

Links - Monday 04 March, 2024 Review - Sarah Crompton, Observer Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sleeping Beauty, Birmingham Dimitris Papaioannou, Ink, London Reviews - Ballet National de Marseilles, Roommates, London: Matthew Paluch, Gramilano Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Review - Joffrey Ballet, Studies in Blue (triple bill), Chicago: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc Review - Philadelphia Ballet, Giselle, Philadelphia: Scott Serio, Broadway World Review - Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, New York: Karen Greenspan, Fjord Review Review - Footnote New Zealand Dance, IYKYK (double bill), Auckland: Jenny Stevenson, NZ Theatreview Review - Stephen Page, Baleen Moondjan, Adelaide: Jansson J Antmann, Limelight Review - San Diego Ballet, Many Loves of Don Juan, San Diego: Kyungmin Min, SD News Review - Extended Play, How to build a universe, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Preview - Spring seasons, New York: David Cote, NY Observer Preview Feature - Annapurna Indian Dance Company, A Tree in Time, Huddersfield: David Barnett, Observer Preview - Korean National Ballet & Universal Ballet both touring their productions of Swan Lake, Korea: Ayesha Mumtaz, BNN Breaking Preview - City Ballet of San Diego, triple bill, San Diego: Staff, SD News Interview - Leanne Benjamin, AD Queensland Ballet: Denise Richardson, Dance Australia Looking Back - What was best in Melbourne dance in 2023: Susan Bendall, Dance Australia News - Kim Joo-won appointed AD of Bursan Opera House Ballet: Shin Min-hee, Korea JoongAng Daily News - Li Cunxin (retired AD Queensland Ballet) pirouettes into property development: Phil Bartsch, The Urban Developer

This would apply to any company where the offer was targeted and not in the public domain.

If not everyone has received an emailed discount code then it is obviously targeted and not for sharing on a public forum. We are more than aware that the companies do keep an eye on the Forum and we would not want to be censured by them. Hence no discount sharing unless it is in the public domain eg on the likes of Travel Zoo etc.

The wonderful Trinidad Sevillano danced this with IIRC Julio Bocca at LFB/ENB. WOW!!! Sadly I can't find it on YT.

Acosta must have seen Northern Ballet's version choreographed by Didy Veldman - her matador was a rock star and I believe her production pre-dates the Acosta version. I've still got the CD single that was a give-away somewhere!

It occurred to me that members of the Doing Dance forum may not have been made aware of this news. There is an appreciation thread for Alex in Performances Seen. Alex is retiring as a principal at the Royal Ballet to take up this post. https://www.royalacademyofdance.org/rad-announces-alexander-campbell-as-its-new-artistic-director/

Hello @Beaker and welcome back out of the lurking shadows!

IIRC Miyako Yoshida was promoted to principal in Japan during a BRB tour when various injuries on tour left the company without a principal to perform Odette/Odile.

I knew a dancer who was with them for a year. No help if injured. Responsibility for keeping your costumes in order. Of course, a much more intensive touring schedule with mostly one-nighters.

I don’t believe VFB company members were as well looked after as company members in other UK based companies.

That, of course, is because Mr Campbell fully fledged during his time at BRB! He was fully fledged from day 1 at BRB and was cast in leading roles right from the start.

This duet was a comparatively recent addition and the hunting scene is shorter than it used to be. I assume the cuts are to keep the performance within 3 hour or the orchestra goes into very short expensive overtime. (IIRC the awakening duet was not praised when it was first introduced.)

Links - Friday 01 March, 2024 Obituary - Anthony Russell-Roberts CBE, Dance Administrator and Keeper of the Ashton Flame: The Times (+ share) Review - San Francisco Ballet, Swan Lake, San Francisco: Jim Munson, Broadway World Review - American Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake, New York: Oksana Khadarina, Ballet Herald Reviews - Dimitris Papaioannou, Ink, London: Matthew Paluch, Broadway World Zoe Anderson, Independent Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Nicola Claire, Seeing Dance Siobhan Murphy, Stage Sara West, Everything Theatre Reviews - Festival of New Choreography, Dark with Excessive Bright, Duets, London: Alastair Macaulay, Blog Maggie Foyer, Seeing Dance Review - Australian Ballet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Sydney: Deborah Jones, Follow Spot Review - Houston Ballet, Cinderella, Houston: Carla Escoda, Bachtrack Review - Carlos Acosta, On Before, Plymouth: Karen Bussell, British Theatre Guide Review - Wayne McGregor & London Philharmonic Orchestra, A Body for Harnasie, London: Caroline Roux, FT Review - Sankofa Danzafro, Behind the South: Dances for Manuel, New York: Marina Kennedy, Broadway World Reviews - Bhangra Nation, Birmingham: Arifa Akbar, Guardian Llina Jha & Halima Ahad, Redbrick Report - Dance Diary February 2024, Australia: Michelle Potter, ... on dancing Preview Feature - Ballet BC, NOW double bill, Vancouver: Janet Smith, Stir Preview - Ballet Ireland, Bold Moves triple bill, Dublin: Staff, The Gloss Preview - New York’s Flamenco Festival 2024: Staff, NY Latin Culture Mag News - Northern Ballet will launch second installment of Sketches: Stephi Wild, Broadway World News - Sadler’s Wells has announced 7 new Associate Artists: Graham Spicer, Gramilano News - Ballet West announces 2024-25 season: Lawrence A Johnson, Utah Arts Review News - DanceAspen to perform in Colorado Springs: Jennifer Mulson, The Gazette Feature - Mothers risking ‘injury and exhaustion’ with return to dance post-birth: Georgia Luckhurst, Stage Video Feature - Lauren Anderson, 40 years with Houston Ballet, giving young dancers new opportunities: Staff, ABC13 Feature - Dance your PhD: Sean Cummings, Science Magazine

I wish I had been there last night but at least I have the memory of last Thursday. There's been curtain call pics and videos all over IG today but only on stories so they will be gone tomorrow. Looking at the stories Cesar had a brilliant send-off with a flower shower of red roses, bouquets and a speech from Dominic Antonucci.

Press release: Thursday 29 February 2024 Sadler’s Wells announces seven new Associate Artists Sadler’s Wells today announces the appointment of seven new Associate Artists, who represent a wide range of dance styles and are among the most exciting talent working in dance today. Newly appointed Associates are Jules Cunningham, Dan Daw, Oona Doherty, Michelle Dorrance, Seeta Patel, Alesandra Seutin and Botis Seva. The appointments were made by Sadler’s Wells’ Artistic Director and Co-Chief Executive, Sir Alistair Spalding CBE, and Associate Artistic Director Rob Jones. Alistair Spalding said: "I'm so pleased we're adding to our fantastic roster of Associate Artists with these exceptional talents. While they all work in different choreographic styles, they are at the top of their game, creating bold and exciting works." Rob Jones said: “The naming of these new Associate Artists marks a new chapter in Sadler’s Wells' history. As we move into the future, growing our organisation and broadening the scope of the dance we support and present, I am so excited for us to follow and support these incredible artists and for us to be part of their journeys.” Associate Artists are at the heart of Sadler’s Wells’ artistic vision. Sadler’s Wells commissions new work from its Associate Artists, helps them develop their ideas, and provides them with resources and technical expertise. The first group of Associates Artists was appointed by Sir Alistair Spalding in 2005. This played an important role in transforming Sadler’s Wells into an organisation that makes new work, and helped it become the world-leading dance institution it is today. Jules Cunningham said: “I have benefited so much from my association with Sadler’s Wells over the last years and so this onward validation from the great team here is really heartening. I’m thankful to be supported and I acknowledge the privilege of being in this position as we have an extraordinary community of UK dance artists and it’s an ongoing struggle to keep living and working as independent artists. I will keep offering as much work as I can to collaborators and continue to make within healthcare settings as well as the big stages.” Dan Daw said: "It came as quite the surprise being invited to be an Associate Artist and it comes at the perfect time as I embark on making my first large scale piece of work. It means the absolute world to me that the work I do resonates deeply enough that Sadler’s Wells want to foster this longer-term relationship with me, as an artist, and us as a company. I’m immeasurably excited about this next chapter for all involved and what we can make possible.” Michelle Dorrance said “Some of my favourite memories performing have been at Sadler’s Wells and it is a gift to be supported by such a powerhouse of dance and culture. I am honoured and thrilled to be joining a group of creators I admire so deeply as an Associate Artist.” Seeta Patel said: “‘I am truly thrilled to be invited to be an Associate Artist at Sadler’s Wells. It’s such an incredible honour and I’m so grateful to all those who have championed and supported me over the years to reach such a milestone in my career. I look forward for the chance to grow and bring others on this journey with me.” Alesandra Seutin said “Since 2017, Sadlers Wells has been a constant source of support on my artistic path, and receiving this invitation feels like a natural and heartwarming continuation of that journey. I am deeply honored to accept it, and I am hopeful that it will lead to meaningful connections with audiences in the UK and around the world, inspiring others to pursue their creative dreams with passion and determination.” Jules Cunningham (they/them) is a National Dance Award-winning dancer based in South London and originally from Liverpool. Their teaching and performance work is informed by solo and collaborative movement exploration, queerness, lived experience of mental illness, disability and exclusion based on Jules’ working-class background and non-binary identity. Dan Daw is the Artistic Director/CEO of Dan Daw Creative Projects, a disabled-led company that works collaboratively with a growing network of companies and artists to develop and tour new performance work that blurs the divide between theatre and dance. Dan’s work explores what it means for his disabled body to occupy, and be unapologetic in, non-disabled space Oona Doherty is a choreographer who creates intense, compelling works that appeal for societal change. She has forged a wide range of artistic relationships locally and internationally. Doherty’s distinctive and visceral choreography has sparked international attention and won her numerous awards. Michelle Dorrance has pushed tap dance choreography into dialogue with the international cultural landscape. At once a composer and a choreographer, she is known for deeply musical, highly physical, and emotionally compelling work that lives at the intersection of innovation, tradition, and risk. Seeta Patel is an award-winning choreographer and dancer who has, in a career spanning two decades, transformed the South Asian dance world in the United Kingdom. Her choreographic output is deeply influenced by her roots and training in Bharatanatyam, with each production mining its rhythms, musicality and expression in a unique way. Botis Seva is a unique and seminal choreographic voice rooted in Hip Hop dance theatre but inspired by a freeform approach to choreography. His work is grounded in real life and captures his own stories, as well as those around him, whilst borrowing techniques from film, text, art and other dance languages to continuously reinvent his approach to creativity and the stage. Alesandra Seutin is an award-winning multidisciplinary performance artist and creator, whose focus is exploring movement as a foundation for theatre, media and site-specific works. As co-Artistic Director and a former student of the École des Sables, Seutin is a worldwide ambassador and teacher of the Acogny technique. Dance for Seutin is a way of expression and through her work, she intends to speak volumes. Sadler’s Wells Associate Artists in full are Balletboyz, Matthew Bourne, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jules Cunningham, Jonzi D, Dan Daw, Oona Doherty, Michelle Dorrance, Sharon Eyal, Sylvie Guillem, Michael Hulls, Michael Keegan-Dolan, Akram Khan, Russell Maliphant, Wayne McGregor, Seeta Patel, Crystal Pite, Kate Prince, Nitin Sawhney, Alesandra Seutin, Botis Seva, Hofesh Shechter, and Jasmin Vardimon. About Jules Cunningham Jules Cunningham (they/them) is from Liverpool and has worked professionally as a dancer for over twenty years, recognised for Outstanding Modern Performance by the Critics Circle National Dance Awards, 2014. After training at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London, they worked with Ballett der Stadt Theater Koblenz in Germany, Merce Cunningham Dance Company in New York, and Michael Clark Company in London, and in projects with Boris Chartmatz, Thick & Tight, Anne Carson, and Pauline Boudry / Renate Lorenz across Europe. Jules was in residence for Haroon Mirza’s exhibition at ACCA as part of Melbourne International Festival in 2019. Jules has presented work in the UK and internationally, alongside choreographic research and extensive teaching. They were one of 10 commissioned artists for Art Night 2019 in London and a recipient of the 2021 Founders Prize Award at the Bethlem Gallery for their visual art work currently exhibited at the Long Gallery, Maudsley Hospital. Jules founded Julie Cunningham & Company in 2017, to create and present work that combines clarity of form and attention to detail with an interest in gender identity, the body & its emotional states and mental health. Jules is developing a movement language that draws on their technical training, expanding and queering it collaboratively, working between sound, text and visual art. JCC was launched at the Barbican and was associate company of Rambert in 2017. Jules has created 13 works for the company which have toured in the UK and Europe. Jules made their main stage debut at Sadler’s Wells as a New Wave Associate in 2018 with m/y, commissioned as part of the theatre’s 20th anniversary celebration. Sadler’s Wells subsequently commissioned how did we get here?, a work for Jules, Harry Alexander and Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm, which was presented in Sadler’s Wells Theatre across 11 nights in January 2023. Jules has an established teaching practice, working as a guest lecturer for Trinity Laban over many years, as well as guest teaching and choreographing at Rambert School, The Place, Glasgow Clyde College, Glasgow School of Art, and ZHdK in Zurich. Jules is increasingly committed to working in healthcare settings undertaking JCC residencies at Bethlem Royal Hospital with Bethlem Gallery and also as an independent artist with Dulwich Picture Gallery and Siobhan Davies Studios at the Tessa Jowell Health Centre. About Dan Daw Dan is the Artistic Director/CEO of Dan Daw Creative Projects. Dan Daw Creative Projects is a disabled-led company that works collaboratively with a growing network of companies and artists to develop and tour new performance work that blurs the divide between theatre and dance. Dan Daw Creative Projects have presented their work at British Dance Edition (UK), Swedish Performing Arts Biennale (SWE), Sydney Festival (AUS), Sophiensaele (DE), SoHo Playhouse (USA) and Sadler’s Wells (UK). Dan’s work explores what it means for his disabled body to occupy, and be unapologetic in, non-disabled spaces. He is interested in the function access, care, consent  and interdependence has in those spaces. Dan began working as a performer with Restless Dance Theatre (AUS) in 2002, and since then has gone on to work with Australian Dance Theatre (AUS), Force Majeure (AUS), FRONTLINEdance (UK), Scottish Dance Theatre (UK), balletLORENT (UK), Candoco Dance Company (UK), Skånes Dansteater (SWE) and National Theatre Scotland (UK). Throughout his performance career, Dan has worked with Kat Worth, Garry Stewart, Kate Champion, Janet Smith, Adam Benjamin, Wendy Houstoun, Sarah Michelson, Rachid Ouramdane, Nigel Charnock, Matthias Sperling, Marc Brew, Claire Cunningham, Martin Forsberg, Carl Olof Berg, Charlotte Spencer and Javier de Frutos. Working as Internationale Tanzmesse NRW Associate Curator (2021 – 2024), Associate Artistic Director of Candoco Dance Company (2021), Sadler’s Wells Summer University Artist (2015 – 2018) and Associate Director of Murmuration (2015 – 2022), Dan continues to work at the forefront of disability-led performance making and international performance programming. About Oona Doherty Oona Doherty was born in 1986 in London. Doherty moved to Belfast when she was 10 and studied at St Louise’s comprehensive college in Belfast, The London School of Contemporary Dance, University of Ulster and LABAN London. From 2010 she performed with various companies, including: TRASH (NL), Abattoir Fermé (BE), Veronika Riz (IT), Emma Martin/United Fall (ROI), Enda Walsh & Landmark Productions (ROI). Doherty created her first solo work Hope Hunt and the Ascension into Lazarus in 2016. With this performance, she was awarded the “Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival Best Performer Award” in 2016 and the winner of the “Total Theatre Dance Award” at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and the 1st Audience place and judge’s 1st place at Reconnaissance in Grenoble in 2017, which was voted "No. 1 British dance performance of 2019" by the Guardian. In 2019 she created Lady Magma: The Birth of a Cult. That same year, her work was highlighted at the rencontres chorégraphiques de Seine Saint Denis, (FR). Doherty’s distinctive and visceral choreography has sparked international attention, earning multiple awards, amazing reviews and prestigious artistic opportunities both in Ireland, Europe and worldwide. She creates intense, compelling works that appeal for societal change. She has forged a wide range of artistic relationships locally and internationally. In August 2022, Doherty created her first major group piece, Navy Blue for 12 dancers, a ballet with music by Sergei Rachmaninov and original creation by Jamie xx. In July 2023, Doherty moved to Marseille and her company The OD Works also moved. Doherty is currently working on a new piece on the border between dance, theatre and performance: Specky Clark - A series of theatrical images. It is due to premiere at the Pavillon Noir in November 2024. Doherty will be associate artist of the CCN d'Aix-en-Provence - Pavillon Noir, for the 2024/25 season, and is Guest Artistic Director for this year’s National Youth Dance Company. Doherty was awarded the Venice Biennale Silver Lion in 2021 and was one of the Aerowaves 2017 selected artists, an Associate Artist at Maison de la Danse de Lyon (FR) in 2017/18, Doherty was Dublin Dance Festival Artist in Residence in 2020/22 and a Big Pulse Dance Alliance Artist in 2021/23. About Michelle Dorrance Michelle Dorrance is "one of the most imaginative tap choreographers working today” (The New Yorker) and has pushed tap dance choreography into dialogue with the international cultural landscape like no artist before. At once a composer and a choreographer, she is known for deeply musical, highly physical, and emotionally compelling work that lives at the intersection of innovation, tradition, and risk. Raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Dorrance was mentored by groundbreaking youth tap educator, Gene Medler and studied under many of the last hoofers of the jazz era. A New York City-based artist for over 25 years, she performed with notable tap companies and productions including Savion Glover’s ti dii and Off-Broadway sensation, STOMP. In 2011, she founded Dorrance Dance with the mission to help audiences view tap dance in a new and dynamically compelling context while honouring the Black American legacy of the art form. The company’s inaugural performance earned Dorrance a “Bessie” Award and the company has since performed over 20 of Dorrance’s original works nationally and internationally to great critical acclaim. A lover of collaboration and rebellion, Dorrance has created work with a unique range of artists including Dormeshia, Derick K. Grant, Nicholas Van Young, Bill Irwin, Lil Buck, Tiler Peck, Jillian Meyers, Ephrat Asherie, and Toshi Reagon. Michelle made her Broadway choreographic debut in James Lapine’s Flying Over Sunset in 2021. Other commissions include Martha Graham Dance Company, The Joyce Theater, New York City Center, Vail Dance Festival, American Ballet Theatre, and Works & Process at the Guggenheim. A 2018 Doris Duke Artist, 2017 Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellow, 2015 MacArthur Fellow, and 2012 Princess Grace Award winner, Dorrance has been acknowledged and supported by Jacob’s Pillow, the Alpert Awards, United States Artists, The Field, and the American Tap Dance Foundation. Dorrance holds a B.A. from New York University. About Seeta Patel The award-winning choreographer and dancer Seeta Patel was born in London and began her training under the guidance of Kiran Ratna in 1990. Over a career spanning two decades, she has transformed the face of the South Asian dance community in the UK. She has since worked with a range of Bharatanatyam and contemporary dance professionals including Mavin Khoo, Pushkala Gopal and Liz Lea. She has also performed and toured with a number of companies such as DV8 Physical Theatre, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, David Hughes Dance Company and Gandini Juggling. Seeta has presented solo and ensemble works at the Southbank Centre Purcell Room, Royal Opera House, ROH2 and Sadler’s Wells such as: Cycle of Change (2005), She Was Still (2005-6), Alter Ego (2007), Shringara (2009), Last One Standing (2010) and First Light (2014). Her solo classical London debut, Shringara: Journey of Desire, was performed to a capacity audience at The Clore Upstairs, Royal Opera House (June 2009), and then toured around the UK in 2010/11. She subsequently presented solo classical works Dancing My Siva and Something Then, Something Now to sold out audiences at Sadler’s Wells and the Purcell Room (Darbar Festival). Over the past 20 years, Patel has received numerous awards and bursaries for her creative and professional development. She was awarded the Lisa Ullmann Travel Scholarship to study in India (2005) and at the New York Film Academy (2013). In 2017, she received the Washington S&R Award for her work championing Bharatanatyam in the diaspora. Seeta worked as a choreographic collaborator with the world-renowned contemporary circus company, Gandini Juggling, for their production Sigma which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 before touring in 2020 and subsequently won the Archangel Award, Total Theatre Award, and Asian Arts Award, and in 2016 choreographed a new play at the Theatre Royal Stratford East entitled The House of In Between. Alongside her choreographic and performing work Seeta has worked in film, TV and theatre. She produced a multi award-winning short dance film, The Art of Defining Me in 2013, which gained national and international acclaim. A fervent supporter of emerging talent in dance, she was a judge, mentor and advisor for the inaugural BBC TV Young Dancer Competition and reprised her role in 2022. Seeta’s contemporary work in collaboration with the Australian choreographer and performer Lina Limosani is the one-woman show, Not Today's Yesterday which takes a dramatic look at the whitewashing of history around the world. The show was a recipient of the Adelaide Artist Fringe Fund and premiered successfully at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2018 where it won Best Dance and the Peace Foundation Award. The production toured around the UK in 2018 and 2019, including the Edinburgh Fringe as part of the British Council showcase. During the tour Seeta curated a series of lively and interesting post-show talks in association with a range of activists, historians and artists. The work went on to tour internationally including Australia, India, Italy and Egypt. Most recently, Seeta Patel’s critically acclaimed Bharatanatyam version of the iconic ballet, The Rite of Spring, toured the UK through 2019-2021, winning the 2020 Eastern Eye Arts, Culture and Theatre Award in the Dance Category and being nominated for best stage production by the Asian Media Group in 2019. The work was developed with an extended cast and full orchestra, premiering at Sadler’s Wells in 2023 to tremendous reviews from publications such as The Observer, The Financial Times, The Telegraph and the Times, before touring the UK. The projection mapped immersive version featuring Seeta Patel herself has been transforming heritage sites around the country. In 2022, Seeta Patel’s company Seeta Patel Dance became a National Portfolio Organisation with Arts Council England, and is excited to develop more exciting projects in the coming years. The constantly evolving world of South Asian Dance is developing as an integral part of the international dance landscape and Seeta Patel is a vital part of this growing business; she mentors and supports up-and-coming dancers and produces high quality work which entertains and engages an increasing audience both in the UK and abroad. About Alesandra Seutin Alesandra Seutin is an award-winning multidisciplinary performance artist and creator, whose focus is exploring movement as a foundation for theatre, media and site-specific works. The daughter of South African and Belgian parents, Alesandra was born in Harare, Zimbabwe.  An inspirational leader with a multifaceted career spanning two decades, she has reached global audiences through her work as an artistic director, choreographer, performer, mentor, teacher, movement director, dramaturg and writer for performance and music.  Alesandra Seutin is the Co-Artistic Director of École des Sables alongside Wesley Ruzibiza since 2020. Having further trained at the school herself under Germaine Acogny, Seutin is a worldwide ambassador and teacher of the Acogny technique. In collaboration, Wesley and Alesandra both direct the development of the internationally renowned training programme and performance companies, Jant-Bi Germaine Acogny and Jant-Bi II. Alesandra earned her training at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance and Middlesex University in London. The world is her muse and through her creations she comments on social, political, and economic reality with dance, song, and music. The notion of "getting or taking a place" is central to Seutin’s work, as is finding your place in major cultural institutions: the spaces that are not obviously 'yours'.  She founded her company Alesandra Seutin (formerly Vocab Dance) in 2007 and has steadily built its reputation for creating high-quality, artistic performance. Renowned for their distinctively theatrical choreography and blend of movement vocabulary, text and dance, the Company’s work is focused on the exploration of subjects which impact our society, and with this capture their audience in a journey of compelling and outspoken dance theatre. Alesandra Seutin’s repertoire is diverse with over eleven productions within its catalogue, ranging from solos to ensemble pieces for indoor stages and site specific settings.    Alesandra Seutin’s work has toured across the UK, Europe and internationally and she has received over 20 choreographic commissions including Sadler’s Wells, KVS, Merce Cunningham Company, Wellcome Collection, Channel 4, Phoenix Dance Theatre and National Youth Dance Company.  She was also guest director for the National Youth Dance Company from 2019-2021.  In addition to her work on and off stage in performance and writing, Alesandra Seutin spends much of her time mentoring and developing the careers of future generations of makers and creatives.   About Botis Seva Botis Seva is a unique and seminal choreographic voice rooted in Hip Hop dance theatre but inspired by a freeform approach to choreography. His work is grounded in real life and captures his own stories, as well as those around him, whilst borrowing techniques from film, text, art and other dance languages to continuously reinvent his approach to creativity and the stage. Botis' passion from a young age was music, he’d spend time at his local youth club making beats and MC’ing. When he was 15 years old he was introduced to dance at secondary school and it was here Botis decided to pursue a choreographic career outside of mainstream educational pathways. He founded his Hip Hop dance theatre company Far From The Norm aged 19 in Dagenham, London, with friends that shared his passion for experimenting with the Hip Hop form. In his early choreographic years, Botis honed his craft and skills through mentorship and artistic development opportunities with Breakin’ Convention at Sadler’s Wells, which gave him the confidence to apply for various platforms and slowly build up his language and portfolio.   From here, Botis’ work started to take flight across the stage, outdoor and dance film circuits. Since,he has been the recipient of numerous awards including Bonnie Bird Choreography Fund, Marion North Mentoring Award (2015), Copenhagen International Choreography Competition (2016), Choreography 30 Hannover (2016), Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production for BLKDOG (2019), nominations for Black British Theatre Award and Dance Critics National Dance Awards (2022), CHANEL Next Prize (2022) and Carmen Mateux Best Choreographer Award (2023). Botis has also worked on numerous film commissions including Inside The Blind Iris with director Douglas Bernadt (2023), a collaboration with Director Freddie Leydon and Christies on Santo (2022), BBC Arts x Space CAN’T KILL US ALL (2020) and Channel 4 Random Acts REACH (2018). His film work has won Vimeo Best of the Year Awards (2023), Kinsale Sharks (2023), San Francisco Dance Film Festival (2018) and nominations include Cannes Lion Award (2023) and Young British Arrows (2023). His other stage commissions include Scottish Dance Theatre, Rupert Goold, National Youth Dance Company, Wayne McGregor and Robin Friend, Battersea Arts Centre/Suri Krishnamma and upcoming commissions include Acosta Dance and NDT. About Sadler’s Wells Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation. We strive to make and share dance that inspires us all. Our acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. We commission, produce and present more dance than any other organisation in the world. Since 2005, we have helped to bring more than 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown. Our acclaimed productions tour the world. Since 2005 we’ve produced 64 new full-length works and performed to audiences of more than two million, touring to 51 countries. Each year, over half a million people visit our three London theatres - Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio and Peacock Theatre. Millions more attend our touring productions nationally and internationally or explore our digital platforms, including Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage. Sadler’s Wells East In 2024 we’re opening a fourth London venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler’s Wells East will house a 550-seat mid-scale theatre, as well as facilities for the new Rose Choreographic School and the hip hop theatre training centre, Academy Breakin’ Convention. Sadler’s Wells East joins the rich cultural heritage of Stratford, opening in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of the East Bank development alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL and the V&A. Sadler’s Wells East will support artist development and training, and the creation of new work. It will build the infrastructure for dance and make it accessible to more people. Sadler’s Wells East will house a flexible theatre presenting a wide variety of dance performances. Community will be at the heart of Sadler’s Wells East with a large open foyer that can be used by everyone as a meeting or performance space. There will also be dance studios and world-class dance facilities for dancemakers to train, create and rehearse productions. Supporting artists Supporting artists is at the heart of our work. We have associate artists and companies, which nurture some of the most exciting talent working in dance today. We host the National Youth Dance Company, which draws together some of the brightest young dancers from across the country. Sadler’s Wells Breakin' Convention runs professional development programmes to champion and develop the world’s best hip hop artists, as well as producing, programming and touring groundbreaking hip hop performances. Learning and community links Around 30,000 people take part in our learning and engagement programmes every year. We support schools local to our theatres in Islington and Stratford, designing experiences for children and young people to watch, explore and critically engage with the arts. We also run Company of Elders, a resident performance company of dancers aged over 60 who rehearse with renowned artists to make new work for public performances locally, nationally and internationally. Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. www.sadlerswells.com Stay up to date with everything Sadler’s Wells on social media Facebook: @SadlersWells Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells Instagram: @sadlers_wells YouTube: Sadler’s Wells Theatre

For immediate release Thursday 29 February Northern Ballet announces second instalment of choreographic platform: Sketches Northern Ballet’s Sketches returns for 2024 Seven choreographers will take part in a series of choreographic workshops They will present the resulting works at Northern Ballet’s Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre on the 9 and 10 May Following the resounding success of its debut last spring, Northern Ballet proudly announces the return of Sketches, a platform that invites emerging choreographers to delve deep into the artistry of dance. Devised by Artistic Director Federico Bonelli, Sketches enters its second year with an exploration of the timeless concept of pas de deux (duet). This year’s line-up will include six choreographers hailing from within the ranks of the Company, alongside the esteemed Carlos Pons Guerra, Artistic Director of DeNada Dance Theatre. Two sharings of Sketches will take place on 9 & 10 May at Northern Ballet’s Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds. Stripping away the veneer of elaborate lighting, sets, and costumes, these performances promise an intimate and unfiltered glimpse into the creation process as the choreographers introduce each piece to the audience. “The second year of Sketches will see the choreographers explore what ‘pas de deux’ can mean, how can this staple of the ballet repertoire be pushed. What they do from that brief is up to them, as they innovate and create on their dancer colleagues. I really admire Carlos Pons Guerra and his company DeNada Dance so I’m thrilled to be able to provide him with the time, resources and space to experiment with his current ideas. It's different for us to present work in such a stripped back setting, but I think that is was makes Sketches so exciting. By providing a platform for experimentation and creative exploration, we aim to push the boundaries of our art form while fostering meaningful connections between choreographers and audiences.” - Federico Bonelli, Artistic Director Join Northern Ballet for an unforgettable evening of dance at Sketches on the 9 and 10 May. Visit northernballet.com/sketches to find out more and book. Notes to Editors Sketches Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds 9 & 10 May northernballet.com/sketches Northern Ballet Bold and innovative in its approach, Northern Ballet is one of the UK’s leading and widest touring ballet companies, dedicated to creating stories that connect. A champion for the cultural exports of the North, the Leeds-based Company is committed to bringing ballet to as many people and places as possible, under the leadership of Artistic Director Federico Bonelli. Northern Ballet’s Company of dancers performs a combination of its full-length ballets and specially created ballets for children at more than thirty venues annually. Audiences can also enjoy Northern Ballet’s work on screen through their digital dance platform. Visit northernballet.com/digital-dance to discover more. Joseph Taylor in Sketches (2023), photo Kyle Baines.

Links - Thursday 29 February, 2024 Obituary - Dan Wagoner, American dancer & choreographer: Michael Quinn, Stage Obituaries - Steve Paxton, dancer: Brian Seibert, NY Times Wendy Perron, Blog Review - New York City Ballet, Polyphonia, Barber Violin Concerto, The Times Are Racing, New York: Leigh Witchel, dancelog.nyc Review - San Francisco Ballet, Swan Lake, San Francisco: Charles Lewis lll, 48 Hills Review - San Francisco Ballet, Song of the Earth, Marguerite and Armand, San Francisco: Rachel Howard, Fjord Review Review - National Ballet of Japan, Tales of Hoffmann (Darrell), Tokyo: Naomi Mori, Bachtrack Review - Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, Edward Scissorhands, Nottingham: Ian C Douglas, Left Lion Review - Giovanni Pernice, Giovanni - Let Me Entertain You, Westcliff-on-Sea: Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International Reviews - Bhangra Nation, Birmingham: David Mead, Seeing Dance Paul Vale, Stage Skylar Mabry, Reviews Hub Preview - Wayne McGregor & London Philharmonic Orchestra, A Body for Harnasie, London: Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper Preview - Azara Ballet, LOVE between LINES (quad bill), Sarasota: Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herald Tribune Preview - Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, Meditations, Chicago: Kyle MacMillan, Chicago Sun-Times News - Tears at council meeting over cuts to Birmingham’s ‘cultural heartbeat’: Alexander Brock, Express & Star News - Children required for new Birmingham Royal Ballet ballet: Steve Orme, British Theatre Guide

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