PRESS RELEASE: Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet debut @ Sadlers Wells

[Jan McNulty]

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

 

Mixed Bill

Sadler’s Wells

UK PREMIERE

 

Thursday 11 - Saturday 13 October 2012

Tickets: £12 - £27

Ticket office: 0844 412 4300 www.sadlerswells.com

 

New York based company Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet makes its highly anticipated UK debut, presenting three UK premieres at Sadler’s Wells this autumn. Featuring a talented corps of 16 dancers led by artistic director Benoit-Swan Pouffer, the company is known for its “impressive articulation and intensity” (New York Times) and for commissioning new works from some of the world’s most highly regarded and sought-after dance makers.

 

The company will present a mixed bill including Hofesh Shechter’s Violet Kid. This is the second work created by Shechter for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and is performed by 15 company members, set to an original score created by the choreographer. In Violet Kid Schechter continues his unique examinations of man’s struggle for harmony within a complex and sometimes horrifying universe.

 

Premiered by Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet earlier this year, Alexander Ekman’s Tuplet is a swift, pulsating, eighteen-minute tour-de-force for six dancers which asks the question, what is rhythm? Utilizing a score created in collaboration with the dancers own rhythmic impulses and employing their bodies as percussion instruments, the soundscape is integrated with original electronic music composed by Mikael Karlsson. The composition bounces back and forth between the live body sounds of the dancers and the recorded score in combinations of irrational rhythms and groupings, to stunning visual and aural effect.

 

Former star of Sadler’s Wells’ Debut initiative, Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite presents another work premiered by Cedar Lake earlier in 2012, Grace Engine. The piece is an exploration of the familiar storylines that connect mankind, positioning and framing narrative elements within Pite’s choreographic language. The choreography contains flashes of recognizable narrative, as if the body itself is a cinematic device, capable of jump cuts, flashbacks and montage.

 

Founded in 2003 by Nancy Laurie, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet has established itself as one of America’s most progressive dance troupes. Under the Artistic Direction of Benoit-Swan Pouffer, Cedar Lake offers a wide-ranging repertoire by some of the world’s leading choreographic talents, including Jacopo Godani, Angelin Preljocaj, Ohad Naharin, Didy Veldman, Jo Strømgren, and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Through their daring, athletic movement and integration of ballet into contemporary and popular forms, the dancers of Cedar Lake take audiences on a journey that explores the infinite possibilities of movement and multimedia.

 

Notes to editors

Multi-award winning UK based Isreali choreographer Hofesh Shechter is one of the most inventive and exciting artists on the UK dance scene, and an Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells.

Shechter graduated from the Jerusalem Academy for Dance and Music before moving to Tel Aviv to join the world renowned Batsheva Dance Company, where he worked with Artistic Director Ohad Naharin. Shechter also began drum and percussion studies whilst in Tel Aviv and continued later in Paris at the Agostiny College of Rhythm. Subsequently, he began experimenting and developing his own music while participating in various projects in Europe involving dance, theatre and body-percussion. In 2002, Hofesh arrived in the UK and joined the Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company. In 2008 he founded Hofesh Scechter Company, which continues to tour globally to both critical and popular acclaim.

Among his impressive list of awards is the 2003 Sergei Diaghilev Choreography Award, the Audience Choice Award of the 2004 Place Prize and the Critics Circle Award for Best Modern Choreography in 2008 for In your rooms.

Born in Sweden, Alexander Ekman’s works are known for their clever ideas, fast-paced choreography and abundance of humor. He started his dance training at the age of five, began studying professionally at age 11. At the age of 16 he joined the Royal Swedish Ballet. Ekman continued his dance career with Nederlands Dans Theater between 2002-2005. In the autumn of 2005, Alexander joined Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm, Sweden.

Ekman began his career as a choreographer six years ago, and in that time he has created dance works for some of the most prestigious companies in the world including Sweden’s Cullberg Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater I and II, Gothenburg Ballet, Ballet de L’òpera du Rhin, IT-Dansa, Iceland Dance Company, Royal Swedish Ballet and Stockholm 59° North.

Vancouver-based choreographer and performer Crystal Pite has created works for Netherlands Dans Theater, Cullberg Ballet, Ballett Frankfurt, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (Resident Choreographer 2001–04), Ballet British Columbia, Alberta Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, and several independent dance artists; most recently Louise Lecavalier.

Pite is a former company member of Ballet British Columbia and Ballett Frankfurt. In 2001, she formed her own company, Kidd Pivot, and continues to create and perform in her own work. Kidd Pivot tours nationally and internationally with productions that include Dark Matters (2009), Fault (2008), Lost Action (2006), Uncollected Work (2002) and Double Story (2004), created with Richard Siegal. In 2010, Kidd Pivot became the resident company of Kunstlerhaus Mousonturm in Frankfurt, Germany and is now known as Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM.

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

Founder Nancy Laurie

Artistic Director Benoit-Swan Pouffer

Executive Director Greg Mudd

Ballet Master Alexandra Damiani

Company Manager Elizabeth Patrick

Production Manager Andrew Cappelli

Production Stage Manager Renata Braga de Almeida

Audio Video Supervisor Dave Rogge

Technical Director Kurtis Rutherford

Lighting Supervisor Jim French

Assistant Lighting Supervisor Jonathan Harper

Wardrobe Supervisor Lydia Frantz

Costume Coordinator Soule Golden

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