Press Release: Emanuel Gat's choreographic ode to the 80s receives its UK premiere at Sadler's Wells

[Jan McNulty]

Emanuel Gat Dance LOVETRAIN2020 Sadler’s Wells Theatre, EC1R 4TN  Friday 17 & Saturday 18 November 2023 Tickets: £15 - 37 Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com

Emanuel Gat’s award-winning production LOVETRAIN2020 – a choreographic ode to the sound and vibe of the 80s – receives its UK premiere in Sadler’s Wells Theatre this November. Drawing on the iconic hits of 80s British duo Tears for Fears (‘Mad world’, ‘Shout’, ‘Everybody Wants to Rule The World’, ‘Change’, ‘Sowing The Seeds Of Love’), Gat’s show embodies the music’s utopic drive and epic groove.    With adventurous costumes by Thomas Bradley and lighting by Gat himself, this performance – a story of people moving forward as they come together, drift apart, push, pull, and question each other – swings vigorously between stark silence and sing-alongs.  LOVETRAIN2020 builds on the eccentric rigor that defines Emanuel Gat Dance. The company, founded in Tel Aviv and now based in Marseille, premiered LOVETRAIN2020 at Montpellier Danse festival, and has since toured around Europe as well as dates at BAM, New York and ADF Carolina Performing Arts. Emanuel Gat said: “LOVETRAIN2020, is our invitation to you, to come and join a community of individuals, as they make their way along constantly changing landscapes; visual, mental and emotional, culminating in an exhilarating celebration of life. It’s our way, as we ride the utopic sounds and vibes of the 80s, to counterbalance the current “dark-age” unfolding upon us all. Beauty, light, hope and love, served in abundance and ready to use” Gat founded his company Emanuel Gat Dance in Tel Aviv in 2004 and has since created a diverse repetoire of productions. During his career, he has developed a rich methodological set of tools and an original pedagogical approach to dance making. Over the last 25 years, his work has been presented in many leading venues and festivals around the world and he is regularly invited to teach and collaborate with international dance schools and institution. Notable works include his take on Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Winter Voyage, which received a Bessy Award for Best Choreography when it was presented at the Lincoln Center in 2006. In 2018 he collaborated with Frankfurt’s Ensemble Modern to create Story Water, set to music by Pierre Boulez, Rebecca Saunders and himself, which premiered at the Cour D’Honneur at the Palais des Papes during the Festival d’Avignon. Gat designs the lighting for all his works and it is an integral part of his creative process.   BSL interpreted post-show talk on Saturday 18 November following the 7:30 pm performance    About Emanuel Gat Emanuel Gat was born in Israel in 1969. After his military service, he entered the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel-Aviv, with the aim of developing his musical practice. He started working as an independent choreographer in 1994, and founded his own company, Emanuel Gat Dance, at the Suzanne Dellal Centre in Tel Aviv in 2004. His original take on Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring received a Bessy Award for best choreography for their presentation at Lincoln Center Festival in New York in 2006.  In 2018, Gat was named Associate Artist to the National Theater of Chaillot in Paris. That same year he collaborated with the prestigious Ensemble Modern from Frankfurt on Story Water which was performed at the Cour d'Honneur at the Palais des Papes, one of the most iconic stages in the world during the Festival d’Avignon, gathering 12 dancers and 13 musicians, with music by Pierre Boulez, Rebecca Saunders and Gat himself. Gat is regularly invited to create work for dance companies around the world: in France, he has collaborated with Paris Opera Ballet, Ballet du Rhin, Ballet National de Marseille, Ballet de Lorraine and Ballet de l'Opéra de Lyon. He is also guest choreographer of prestigious international companies: Sydney Dance Company, Tanztheater Bremen, Candoco Dance Company, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, Los Angeles Dance Project, Czech National Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Polish National Ballet, Cedar Lake (NY), Vancouver Ballet British Columbia, Scottish Dance Theater and Staatsballett Berlin.   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 close to 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown.        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. 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 Choreographic School and Hip Hop Theatre Academy.        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.       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