Jan McNulty

Hello Yorkshire Pud and welcome to the Forum. Thanks for telling us about your DD's attendance at the NB Cat. I do hope you will continue to join in!

Links - Friday, March 20 2015 News – New York City Ballet 2015/16 season: News Dance Desk, Broadway World Review – Royal Ballet, Swan Lake (Obraztsova, McRae), London: GJ Dowler, Classical Source Review – English National Ballet, Modern Masters, London: GJ Dowler, Classical Source Gallery – Birmingham Royal Ballet, Carmina Burana, London: Dave Morgan, DanceTabs Review – Paul Taylor Dance Company, Sea Lark, Death and the Damsel, Beloved Renegade, Passacaglia, New York: Robert Gottlieb, NY Observer Review – Paul Taylor Dance Company, Company B, Troilus and Cressida, New York: Matt Hanosn, Broadway World Review – Akram Khan Company, iTMOi, Auckland: Bernadette Rae, NZ Herald Review – Scottish Ballet, A Streetcar Named Desire, Edinburgh: Thom Dibdin, Stage Review – Ailey II, Breakthrough, Hissy Fits, Virtues, New York: Brian Seibert, NY Times Feature – Karole Armitage, new dance work traces steps for a greener path: Gia Kourlas, NY Times Interview – Johnny Eliasen, Ballet Master Houston Ballet: Katricia Lang, Broadway World Feature – Miami City Ballet, including 2015/16 season: Isabel D Almaraz, Broadway World Review – Ballet Preljocaj, Empty Moves, Paris: Patricia Boccadoro, Culture Kiosque Review – Wim Vandekeybus Ultima Vez, What the body does not remember, Newcastle: Peter Lathan, British Theatre Guide

The 7 Fingers TRACES The Peacock Theatre, WC2 Tuesday 9 June – Sunday 12 July Performances: Tue – Sat at 7.30pm, Sat Mat at 2.30pm, Sun at 2pm & 6pm Tickets: £15 - £38, Under 16s half price Ticket Office: 0844 412 4322 or www.sadlerswells.com Hailing from Québec, renowned as the home of the modern circus discipline, The 7 Fingers (Les 7 Doigts de la Main) is one of the world’s most inventive contemporary circus companies. After success with its previous show Sequence 8, the company returns to the Peacock Theatre with the critically acclaimedTRACES from Tuesday 9 June – Sunday 12 July 2015. In TRACES, the cast combines traditional acrobatic forms with street elements, mixed with theatre and contemporary dance. The show takes place in a make-shift shelter, an unknown catastrophe waiting outside the doors of tarp and gaffer tape. In the face of an impending disaster they have determined that creation is the only antidote to destruction. Performance skills include tumbling through hoops, scaling Chinese poles and balancing seemingly effortlessly on each others’ heads, to basketball, skateboarding and playing classical piano. In a poetic, humorous and thoughtful form, and with the use of film clips, narration and a range of music from rock ‘n’ roll to blues and hip hop, TRACES redefines the art of circus. First performed in 2006, TRACES has gone on to be performed over 1700 times in 23 countries. The show has featured as a part of The Royal Variety Performance, played at the Union Square Theater in New York for a year and has won multiple awards. Founded in Montreal in 2002, The 7 Fingers began as artists on stage and soon branched out, expanding their creative talents as directors, choreographers, writers and coaches, passing on their collaborative and unique 7 Fingers process to a new generation of circus artists. The company name Les 7 Doigts de la Main, translates to the 7 Fingers of the Hand - a twist on a French idiom the five fingers of the hand used to describe distinct parts united tightly, moving in coordination towards one common goal. For the company, it refers to their 7 founding directors, Isabelle Chassé, Shana Carroll, Patrick Léonard, Faon Shane, Gypsy Snider, Sébastien Soldevila and Samuel Tétreault who, by combining their distinct talents and experiences, work towards their common artistic goals with the beautifully awkward dexterity of a 7-fingered hand. Notes to Editors: Listings information The 7 Fingers TRACES The Peacock Theatre, WC2 Tuesday 9 June – Sunday 12 July 2015 Performances: Tue – Sat at 7.30pm, Sat Mat at 2.30pm, Sun at 2pm & 6pm Tickets: £15 - £38, Under 16s half price Ticket office: 0844 412 4322 / www.sadlerswells.com About Sadler’s Wells Sadler's Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. Since 2005 it has helped to bring over 90 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour the world. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 appointed world class Associate Artists, three Resident Companies and an Associate Company and nurtures the next generation of talent through its National Youth Dance Company, Summer University programme, Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates. Located in Islington in north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells. Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England.

I got my "Friends" renewal pack yesterday!

Just a brief note. I've had a splendid day in Sheffield today. This afternoon Friends of the Company were able to watch the dress rehearsal, followed by a facilitated discussion about the novel and its translation into a ballet. It was a superb event. Tonight was the first performance of the run led by an incandescent Martha Leebolt and Toby Batley. It was a very special performance indeed and it was a privilege to be in the audience. The whole Company rose to the occasion and looked magnificent! I'm seeing the two performances tomorrow so more anon...

Sadler’s Wells announces UK Tour Dates for Sylvie Guillem’s Life in Progress. Guillem is honoured with an Olivier Award In addition to the previously announced international tour, Sadler’s Wells presents world renowned dancerSylvie Guillem’s final dance programme, Life in Progress, at the London Coliseum (Tuesday 28 July - Sunday 2 August ), Edinburgh International Festival (Festival Theatre, Saturday 8 - Monday 10 August) andBirmingham Hippodrome (Tuesday 8 & Wednesday 9 September 2015). The newly announced UK dates follow Guillem’s final performances at Sadler’s Wells, from 26 - 31 May 2015, where she has been an Associate Artist since 2006 and where she announced her retirement from the stage in November 2014. Life in Progress receives its world premiere in Modena on 31 March 2015, and the final performance is in Tokyo in December 2015. Sylvie Guillem is also today announced as the recipient of a special award at this year’s Olivier Awards, celebrating her achievements over the course of her career. The Olivier Awards with Master Card, run by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT), take place on Sunday 12 April 2015. Highlights from the awards will be broadcast on ITV. Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and CEO Alistair Spalding said: “When we announced Life in Progress as part of our spring programme last November, tickets for Sylvie’s final performances at Sadler’s Wells sold out within five days. Since then, we have seen an unprecedented demand for tickets not just in London, but throughout the country. We are so pleased now to be able to offer more opportunities for people to see her in London, Edinburgh and Birmingham. These additional dates reflect our ongoing commitment to providing access to as large an audience as possible to world-class dance, by touring productions around the UK as well as internationally.” A dancer renowned the world over with an extensive career at the Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet and Tokyo Ballet, Guillem has played many iconic roles in ballets by Kenneth MacMillan, Maurice Béjart, Frederick Ashton, William Forsythe and Mats Ek. She has also diversified as a dancer into the world of contemporary dance, performing acclaimed works such as PUSH, Sacred Monsters and 6000 miles away. Life in Progress features both existing and new works by choreographers who have influenced her contemporary career. The new works include a solo by choreographer and Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Akram Khan. Titled techne, Kahn says of the piece: “My work grows out of the questions I don't know how to answer. I ask questions and tell stories through the body. I use technology to connect with more people, more often. But are we more connected now than we used to be? Or are we connecting with the technology itself rather than with people? No computer can answer this question. But perhaps the body can...” Guillem also performs a pas de deux with Italian dancer Emanuela Montanari from La Scala, choreographed and directed by Russell Maliphant with lighting by Michael Hulls, both of whom are Associate Artists of the theatre and who choreographed and lit the award-winning PUSH. In the piece, Here & After, Maliphantacknowledges his past works and experiences with Sylvie, whilst moving on and exploring a vocabulary that shows contrast, with a female duet partnership. Existing works that feature in Life in Progress are Mats Ek’s touching and poignant solo, Bye, which was made especially for Guillem and has been performed previously as part of the 6000 miles away programme, and William Forsythe’s Duo (performed by two male dancers), which premiered in 1996. Widely recognised as one of the world’s greatest dancers, Sylvie Guillem CBE, was born in Paris. As a child, she trained in gymnastics under the instruction of her mother, a gymnastics teacher. In 1977 aged 11, she began training at the Paris Opera Ballet School, and in 1981 joined the company's corps de ballet. She was promoted to the rank of "Etoile" by Rudolf Nureyev at the age of 19. Since then she has performed all the leading roles of the classical repertoire with the world's leading companies including The Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Kirov, Tokyo Ballet, Australian Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and La Scala. Her first contemporary performances at Sadler’s Wells were in 2004 for Broken Fall - the collaboration with fellow Sadler’s Wells Associate Artists Russell Maliphant, Michael Nunn and William Trevitt. It was followed by the multi-award winning Sadler’s Wells production PUSH, which premiered at the theatre in 2005. She collaborated with celebrated dancer and choreographer, Akram Khan for Sacred Monsters, which premiered at Sadler’s Wells in 2006, the same year she became an Associate Artist there. In 2009 she collaborated with Robert Lepage and Russell Maliphant for the Sadler’s Wells productionEonnagata, with costumes by Alexander McQueen. Most recently, she devised and performed in the 2011 Sadler’s Wells / Sylvie Guillem production 6000 miles away. It featured works by three of today’s most important choreographers; Mats Ek, William Forsythe, and Jiří Kylián. All the productions have toured internationally to full houses and critical acclaim. Her awards include the Officier de la Légion d’Honneur, Commander dans l’Ordre National du Mérite, Officier des Arts et Lettres, and, in Britain, an honorary CBE. She is the only dancer to have been awarded a Leone D’Oro at Venice Biennale. Life in Progress is a Sadler’s Wells Production, co-produced with Les Nuits de Fourvière and Sylvie Guillem The Monument Trust supports co-productions and new commissions at Sadler's Wells Sylvie Guillem Circle of Support has supported the creation and touring of Life in Progress Notes to Editors: TOUR SCHEDULE 31 March 2015 Teatro Communale, Modena, Italy 2 April 2015 Equilibrio Festival, Sala Santa Cecilia, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome, Italy 15 & 16 May 2015 Lodz International Ballet Festival, Lodz, Poland 26 – 31 May 2015 Sadler’s Wells, London, UK 3 & 4 June 2015 Athens & Epidauras Festival, Athens, Greece 23 – 26 June 2015 Chekhov Festival, Moscow, Russia 29 June – 2 July 2015 Les Nuits de Fourvière, Lyon, France 5 July 2015 Genova Opera House, Genova, Italy 28 July – 2 August London Coliseum, London, UK 8 – 10 August 2015 Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh, UK 8 & 9 September 2015 Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham, UK 3 & 4 October 2015 National Theatre, Taipei 2 December 2015 Festspielhaus, St Polten, Austria 17 – 20 December 2015 NBS, Tokyo, Japan About Sadler’s Wells Sadler's Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, fromcontemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. Since 2005 it has helped to bring over 90 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour the world. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 appointed world class Associate Artists, three Resident Companiesand an Associate Company and nurtures the next generation of talent through hosting the National Youth Dance Company, its Summer University programme, Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates. Located in Islington in north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells. Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England.

Wow, what a fantastic opportunity Sim. Wish I could go...

Hello Texan and welcome to the Forum. I hope you will continue to post!

That was the one Tony. I saw them at a Saturday matinee and have never forgotten how wonderful the cast was!!!

Congratulations to your son Dancer15!

Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch Auf dem Gebirge hat man ein Geschrei gehört & Ahnen UK PREMIERE Wednesday 15 - Sunday 26 April 2015 Tickets: £12 - £60 Ticket Office: 0844 412 4300 or www.sadlerswells.com Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch returns to Sadler’s Wells from Wednesday 15 - Sunday 26 April 2015, presenting the UK premieres of Auf dem Gebirge hat man ein Geschrei gehört (On the Mountain A Cry Was Heard) and Ahnen. The two works the company performs for this visit are both from the 1980s and capture Bausch at the height of her powers.1984’s Auf dem Gebirge hat man ein Geschrei gehört (On the Mountain A Cry Was Heard) is set upon a soil-strewn stage and features music from Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Henry Purcell. Ahnen, first performed in 1987, has a similarly diverse score, and takes place in a thorny desert-scape. Peter Pabst’s incredible set designs for these productions include 40 fir trees, 20 cubic metres of potting soil, a large aquarium and real snow on stage. Pina Bausch was born in Solingen in 1940. She received her dance training at the Folkwang School in Essen under Kurt Jooss, where she achieved technical excellence. Beginning her work as a choreographer in 1968, Pina Bausch invented tanztheater as it is known today. Bausch’s initially controversial fusion of radical theatre, surreal art, drama and danced body language, gradually achieved international recognition for the company. Her original approach to theatre and dance influenced the international development of dance and inspired not only a generation of choreographers, but also theatre makers, visual artists and filmmakers. Awarded some of the greatest prizes and honours world-wide, Pina Bausch is one of the most significant choreographers of our time. During 36 years as Artistic Director of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, she nurtured an ensemble of vivid imagination and grand scale and developed an artistic canon renowned for its diverse cultural influences and rich visual style. Since her death in 2009, the company continues to tour all over the world and presents between 12 and 14 different pieces by Pina Bausch each season. Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch is now under the artistic directorship of Lutz Förster, a close colleague of Pina Bausch and long-term ensemble member who first performed with Bausch in her 1975 production Sacre du Printemps. From 1978 he became a permanent member of the ensemble and soon emerged as one of its most outstanding dancers and performers. Förster became artistic director of Tanztheater Wuppertal in April 2013. Peter Pabst is a highly respected set and costume designer who has worked in theatre, opera, dance, film and television. His first set for Pina Bausch was in 1980 (for the production 1980), and over the course of their close collaborative relationship Pabst designed and realised 25 "play-rooms" for Bausch. He was awarded the Kainz Medal of the City of Vienna, was appointed Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in France, and awarded the title of Professor by the Minister President of NRW. About Sadler’s Wells Sadler's Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, fromcontemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. Since 2005 it has helped to bring over 90 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour the world. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 appointed world class Associate Artists, three Resident Companiesand an Associate Company and nurtures the next generation of talent through its National Youth Dance Company, Summer University programme, Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates. Located in Islington in north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells. Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England.

Hello Live4ballet and welcome to the Forum! Given you age, will you please make sure that your parents are happy with you being a member of the Forum? I can't give you any advice but I am sure many of our other members can offer support. Good luck with your quest!

Northern Ballet has published a photo gallery from the gala, taken by Emma Kuldhaur (editor of Dance Europe): http://northernballet.com/?q=sapphire-gala-photo-gallery

I think it depends on the type of cactus. I've got one in a 2 inch pot that my nieces bought me about 10 years ago. From about two inches high it is now about 5 inches high and usually flowers once a year. I have never repotted it and hardly ever water it!

Hello Biscuit and welcome to the Forum. Do let us know how you get on.

I think it is just yet another money making scheme myself!

Belated Happy Saint David's Day to all out members. I'm not sure why Saint Patrick has the monopoly on patron saint celebrations!

There is one substantial piece of scenery at the back for Carmina in the final moments (the big flashing thing) otherwise IIRC not too much.

Matthew Topliss is a current NB favourite who went through the CAT scheme and Matthew Koon, another NB favourite, was a CAT associate. I don't think it is compulsory to be called Matthew!

We really need to see how this US year is made up before any assumptions can be even thought about. The daughter of a colleague was at a lower school (not WL) and soon realised she did not want to dance ballet professionally. She went to an MT US.

Posted at same time as Aileen!

ENBS is Upper School only (as is Central). NB has taken in 5 or 6 dancers from ENBS in the last couple of years and they have all been terrific and 3 whom I think are spectacular!

As I have just been booking Autumn season tickets for BRB and NB I can say that I have been truly shocked at the increased ticket prices in all theatres!!! Birmingham prices are less than those at the Coli and even more rasonae if you buy a subscription.

Sadler’s Wells Switches out the Lights for Earth Hour, 28 March 2015 Sadler’s Wells will take part in Earth Hour on Saturday 28 March 2015, a symbolic lights out event organised by WWF, uniting individuals, schools, businesses, landmarks and public buildings across the globe to focus attention on protecting the planet. The theatre - a world leader in contemporary dance - will switch off all external lights, including external architectural lighting of the building and signage, between 8.30pm and 9.30pm, joining forces with thousands of iconic landmarks around the world. Earth Hour has become a global event since it began in 2007, and last year 162 countries and 7000 towns and cities participated. Joining Earth Hour is one of many initiatives undertaken by Sadler’s Wells in a drive to increase the sustainability of the building and its operations. Sadler's Wells is committed to reducing its energy demand, CO2 emissions and waste consumption across all departments. Emma Wilson, Sadler’s Wells’ Director of Technical and Production and Chair of the theatre’s Sustainability Committee, said: “We are very pleased to be taking part in Earth Hour. It is an important gesture and it reflects our endeavour as an organisation to reduce our energy use and commit to sustainable working practices. We will continue to strive to make further changes in the foreseeable future.” In 2014, the theatre carried out a number of technical refurbishments, with support from Arts Council England, designed to reduce energy demand and CO2 emissions. Electricity at Sadler's Wells is now purchased from 100% renewable sources. A switch to low energy dimmable LED house lights in the main auditorium and increased use of LED units in stage production lighting is one of the venue’s largest energy saving initiatives. Sample data comparing 2013/14 and 2014/ 15 Christmas seasons shows a 19.5% reduction in electricity use year on year. Working in partnership with Islington Council, Sadler's Wells has a waste management system to monitor general and recyclable waste. Additionally, 95% of staff at Sadler’s Wells travel to and from work by public transport, and the theatre has a Cycle to Work scheme to encourage employees to cycle if possible. Later this month, photovoltaic cells will be fitted to the roof of the building to generate energy. Other works planned for Spring/ Summer 2015 include ventilation upgrades to the Lilian Baylis Studio, and replacement of boilers and the Building Management System. Notes to editors: About Earth Hour Earth Hour, organised by WWF, is a worldwide grassroots movement uniting people to protect the planet. Last year was the biggest yet, with hundreds of millions of people taking part across a record 162 countries and 7,000 towns and cities alongside world famous landmarks from the Sydney Opera House to Times Square in New York. This year Earth Hour will be held on 28 March 2015 between 8.30pm and 9.30pm. wwf.org.uk/earthhour About WWF WWF is one of the world’s largest independent conservation organisations, with more than five million supporters and a global network active in more than one hundred countries. Through engagement with the public, businesses and government, the organisation focuses on safeguarding the natural world, creating solutions to the most serious environmental issues facing our planet, so that people and nature thrive. wwf.org.uk. About Sadler’s Wells Sadler's Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. Since 2005 it has helped to bring over 90 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour the world. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 appointed world class Associate Artists, three Resident Companies and an Associate Company and nurtures the next generation of talent through its National Youth Dance Company, Summer University programme, Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates. Located in Islington in north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells. Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England.

Boris Charmatz / Musée de la danse manger and Aatt enen tionon Sunday 17, Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 May Performances at 7.30pm Sadler’s Wells, EC1R Tickets: £15 - £20 Ticket office: 0844 412 4300 or www.sadlerswells.com In a major collaboration Sadler’s Wells and Tate Modern present Musée de la danse in London from Friday 15 – Wednesday 20 May, an unprecedented series of performances, installations and provocations by French choreographer and dancer Boris Charmatz. As part of an important new focus on the work of Charmatz, Sadler’s Wells presents two works: the London premiere of Aatt enen tionon on Sunday 17 May and the UK premiere of manger on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 May. Also part of Musée de la danse in London are Charmatz’s activities at Tate Modern on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 May. Charmatz has been director of the ground-breaking National Choreographic Centre in Rennes since 2009, which he provocatively renamed Musée de la danse, reframing the traditional dance organisation as a new kind of museum. Thisdancing museum, what Charmatz refers to as “a culture which largely remains to be invented”, opens up the boundaries of what is considered choreography and dance and looks to creating new physical spaces and situations to redefine them. Following Charmatz’s debut at Sadler’s Wells in 2014 with the thought-provoking piece enfant, the theatre now breaks its boundary between stage and spectator in order to fully showcase the nature of Charmatz’s combination of dance, installation and performance art. This re-thinking of the traditional performance space of the Sadler’s Wells theatre sees an intimate audience of approximately 200 people invited onto the main stage to be a part of Aatt enen tionon and manger. Alistair Spalding, Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and Chief Executive said: “Boris Charmatz is one of the most radical and important dance artists working today and our collaboration with Tate Modern enables him to present his work to the London audience in a truly unique way, in both theatrical and gallery settings. We have re-worked our theatre’s usual performance space in response to the artistic needs of his work and are excited to be challenging the possibilities of how dance is experienced.” Created in 1996, Aatt enen tionon (Sunday 17 May) takes place within a structure built like a tower on three levels and invites the audience to examine dance from top to bottom. These seemingly impossible conditions question the existing structure of dance as performance. One solitary half-nude dancer occupies each of the three levels as the audience moves around the structure, viewing the piece from different points, near or far. Closer to an art installation than a traditional dance piece, Aatt enen tionon explores what Charmatz terms “strict disorder”, and how one can be full of life but isolated and solitary. In his new work manger (Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 May) Charmatz examines and challenges the role that the mouth and eating play in choreography, dance and performance. The piece, performed in two manifestations between Tate Modern and Sadler’s Wells, sees dancers’ bodies set in motion with the mouth. The mouth is figured as the point where food, voices, breath and words meet, acting as a space where the self and the other engage with and ingest each other. Charmatz uses this metaphor as the vehicle for his choreography. Standing at the boundaries between a mobile installation and a performance piece, manger offers its audience what Charmatz terms a “swallowed reality”: a slow digestion of the world. Boris Charmatz said, about Musee de la danse: “I want to modify both preconceived ideas about museums and one’s ideas about dance. Dance and its actors are often defined in opposition to the arts that are said to be perennial, lasting, static, for which the museum would be the favourite place; but a museum can be alive and inhabited as much as a theatre and offer a contact with dance that can be at the same time practical, aesthetic and spectacular.” The Sadler’s Wells focus on Boris Charmatz continues with his performance in the UK premiere of Partita 2, a work by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, performed by Charmatz, De Keersmaeker and violinist Amandine Beyer on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May. This Rosas production sees De Keersmaeker depart from her usual meticulous construction of dance, embracing the improvisatory instincts and whimsical flair of Charmatz. Before Charmatz’s performances at Sadler’s Wells, Musée de la danse will take over Tate Modern for a special weekend (Friday 15-Saturday 16 May) with If Tate Modern was Musée de la danse?, a series of events and performances part of the BMW Tate Live. More than inviting dance into the museum, the weekend is a chance to consider how the museum could be transformed by dance altogether. The activities at Tate Modern include a dispersed version of Charmatz’s manger, prior to its full UK premiere at Sadler’s Wells. Pre-show Director’s Conversation with Boris Charmatz on Wednesday 20 May at 6pm in the Lilian Baylis Studio (£4) Musée de la danse in London is presented by Sadler’s Wells and Tate Modern. For more information about Musée de la danse, please visit www.museedeladanse.org Notes to editors: About Sadler’s Wells Sadler's Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. Since 2005 it has helped to bring over 90 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour the world. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 appointed world class Associate Artists, three Resident Companies and an Associate Company and nurtures the next generation of talent through its National Youth Dance Company, Summer University programme, Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates. Located in Islington in north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells. Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England. About BMW Tate Live BMW Tate Live is a long-term partnership between BMW and Tate that features innovative live performances and events including live web broadcast, in-gallery performance, seminars and workshops. BMW Tate Live aims to reach an international audience through new forms of art, addressing audiences changing needs, tastes and interests in art. The initiative creates a new space for collaboration and a programme that encompasses performance, film, sound, installation and learning – areas where artists can take greater risks and experiment freely. The programme investigates transformation in all its guises and aims to provoke debate on how art can affect intellectual, social and physical change. More information at www.tate.org.uk/bmwtatelive