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Press Release: World Premiere: Agudo Dance Company, Lilian Baylis Studio, Thursday 4 & Friday 5 May 2017


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WORLD PREMIERE

Agudo Dance Company
Silk Road
Thursday 4 & Friday 5 May 2017
Lilian Baylis Studio, EC1R
Performances at 8pm
Tickets: £17
Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com

 

Performer and choreographer Jose Agudo launches Agudo Dance Company with an evening of specially commissioned works. The world premiere of Silk Road takes place at Sadler’s Wells Lilian Baylis studio on Thursday 4 & Friday 5 May 2017.

 

Using traditional references as the point of departure Silk Road explores the ancient trade and cultural network exchange routes that were central to cultural interactions through Asia, connecting the West and East with merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads, and urban dwellers from China and India to the Mediterranean Sea from ancient times to the early Renaissance period.

 

Agudo’s work explores the rituals, cycles and rhythms of different classical forms and traditions from a contemporary view point. His early dance training is rooted in flamenco with his dance career developing into contemporary forms; including kathak training with Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Akram Khan.

 

Agudo developed a performance career with key figures in the European dance scene including Ballet de Marseille, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance, Charleroi Danses and Akram Khan Company. Alongside his career as a dancer he developed a choreographic voice, creating work for Phoenix Dance Company, which was later developed as an all-male group piece for English National Ballet School. Most recently, Agudo has created work on London Contemporary Dance School, and choreographed Selah for ZfinMalta Dance Ensemble, The National Dance Company of Malta, where he is an Associate Artist.

 

Agudo is also a collaborator with Akram Khan Company, working as a rehearsal director for DESH andTOROBAKA. He was also assistant choreographer for iTMOi (in the mind of igor) and Until the Lions.

Silk Road features two solos performed by Agudo, created by guests including Spanish dancer and choreographer Rafael Amargo, a key figure in the flamenco scene, and kathak dancer and choreographer Nahid Siddiqui, an important figure of South Asian dance developments in the UK. A duet choreographed and performed by Agudo and internationally renowned Bharatanatyam and contemporary dancer Mavin Khoo completes the bill. Khoo is the Artistic Director of ZfinMalta Dance Ensemble and was one of the judges for the 2015 BBC Young Dancer final, as well as the rehearsal director on the acclaimed English National Ballet’s Giselle by Akram Khan.  

 

In the duet, Agudo explores rituals from India to Spain and how they connect with traditional concepts of the male dancer embodying masculine and feminine roles. Silk Road embodies the meeting point of dance genres that share a resonant lineage through contemporary dance, south Asian dance and flamenco.

 

Free post show talk: Thursday 4 May

Co-commissioned by Sadler's Wells London, ZfinMalta, DanceEast, Dance4, Akademi

Supported by Arts Council England, Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund, Impulstanz Vienna, Stratford Circus Arts Centre

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

Listings information
Agudo Dance Company
Silk Road
Thursday 4 & Friday 5 May 2017
Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler’s Wells, EC1R
Performances at 8pm
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 three International Associate Companies. It also nurtures the next generation of talent through its New Wave Associates and Summer University programmes, its Wild Card initiative and hosting of the National Youth Dance Company.

 

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 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England. 

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