Press Release: Cecilia Lisa Eliceche - Unison, Lilian Baylis 5-6 May

[Jan McNulty]

UK PREMIERE

Cecilia Lisa Eliceche
Unison    
Lilian Baylis Studio, EC1R
Thursday 5 & Friday 6 May
Performances at 7.30pm
Tickets: £17
Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com

 

Brussels-based Argentine choreographer Cecilia Lisa Eliceche comes to London for the first time with the UK premiere of her new creation, Unison. Her noted choreographic debut in 2011, Cows Theory, launched Eliceche as a striking new voice in the Belgian emerging dance scene. This new work, Unison, investigates the socio-political possibilities of one of dance’s most compelling choreographic concepts: the simultaneous execution of the same movement by several people. Eliceche interrogates the act of moving in unison as the interweaving of individual movements, versus a particular mode of joint action. 

 

As a dancer and choreographer, Eliceche is fascinated by the endless potential of the body and movement. She conceives dance as a site to experiment and rethink notions such as 'democracy', 'community' and 'the political'. This ritualistic piece conjures up dance histories and popular traditions; weaving minimalism with complex relationships, and subtlety highlighting our physical experience of togetherness.

 

Speaking about her approach, Eliceche says: "I self-identify as a feminist, queer, postcolonial subject, drawing inspiration from seemingly disparate sources, such as Steve Paxton, the cumbia of Pablo Lescano, Trisha Brown, Merce Cunningham, tango, George Balanchine, South American folklore, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, tropical music, nature, my fantasies of Lygia Clark and the Tropicália movement, Native American craft, romantic ballets, social dances and Basque witches". Her choreographies can be read as personal, bastardized, ‘creole’ mixes of all these sources.

 

Born and educated in Argentina, Eliceche studied ballet and contemporary dance at the Bahia Blanca Conservatory and attended the University School of Agriculture and Farming at the Universidad Nacional del Sur. In 2004, she relocated to Madrid to study ballet at the RCPD (Royal Conservatory) and contemporary dance with Victor Ullate. In her last year she created and performed Play with dance music video artist, Pablo Esbert Lilienfeld. Two years later she enrolled at P.A.R.T.S. in Brussels, under the tutelage of Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. This also gave her the opportunity to spend time at Movement Research in New York as an exchange student and to collaborate on DD Dorvillier’s CPAU Get ready!

 

In 2011 she created Cow's Theory, a dance production for three female performers following one principle - always maintaining contact with each other. It won the second prize in the Prix Jardin d'Europe (the European prize for emerging choreography) ‘for its intense physical exploration of structural dynamics and social relationships'. Other recent festival commissions include Candle Solo with 2 Pianos (2013) and The Non-Massage Bastardised Cumbia Performance (2014).

 

As an alternative to the standard 'creation' process, Eliceche has developed a series of ongoing ‘Dance Concerts’, which take the form of two-week residencies, culminating in a presentation. In these performance events, she explores choreographic, political, social and process-based themes in an evolving, dynamic format. The Non-Massage Dance and Touching Sessions are another expression of her commitment to challenge typical modes of production, in search of new forms and collaborative constellations. 

 

In addition to her work as choreographer, Eliceche is a freelance dancer and an assistant to ballet master Janet Panetta. She has danced in work choreographed among others Eleanor Bauer, Heather Kravas, Claire Croizé, Etienne Guilloteau and DD Dorvillier, amongst others, sharing an interest in an expanded understanding of choreography. Currently, she is undertaking a Master of Choreography at the Amsterdam Hogeschool voor de Kunsten. She is an active member of State of the Arts and practices political activism in her daily life.

 

Post-show talk: Thursday 5 May

Notes to Editors

 

Listings information

Cecilia Lisa Eliceche
Unison    
Lilian Baylis Studio, EC1R
Thursday 5 and Friday 6 May
Performances at 7.30pm
Tickets: £17
Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com

 

ABOUT SADLER’S WELLS
Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance house, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the 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 100 new dance works to the stage and its award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour internationally. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 Associate Artists, three Resident Companies, an Associate Company and two International Associate Companies. It also nurtures the next generation of talent through research and development, running the National Youth Dance Company and a range of programmes including Wild Card, New Wave Associates, Open Art Surgery and Summer University.

 

Located in Islington, 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 10% of its revenue from Arts Council England.