Jan McNulty Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Press Release: Wednesday 17 January 2024 Sadler’s Wells announces new shows for 2024 The Flamenco Festival returns to Sadler’s Wells this summer for its 19th edition, with seven UK premieres and thrilling performances from flamenco luminaries including Rocío Molina and Eva Yerbabuena and a programme of four works from Ballet Nacional de España. London City Ballet and National Ballet of Canada perform mixed bills on the Sadler’s Wells stage. London City Ballet, a former resident company of Sadler’s Wells, makes its long-awaited return, with Alina Cojocaru appearing as a guest artist in a programme that includes pieces by Kenneth MacMillan, Ashley Page, Arielle Smith and London City Ballet’s Artistic Director, Christopher Marney. The National Ballet of Canada performs work by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Crystal Pite, alongside fellow Canadian choreographers Emma Portner and James Kudelka. Sadler’s Wells’ West End venue the Peacock Theatre welcomes music performances from The Opera Locos, presenting a comedy musical mashup for opera fans and novices; and A Night with Janis Joplin, honouring the legendary queen of rock & roll and her musical influences. STORIES – The Tap Dance Sensation is a spectacular show from France’s Got Talent finalists RB Dance Company that brings together urban jazz, tap dance and percussion. And finally, start planning this year’s festive treat, as New Adventures presents a stunning revival of Matthew Bourne's multi-award-winning Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells; and the much-loved The Snowman returns to the Peacock Theatre to delight young audiences. Tickets for newly announced events are on public sale from Friday 26 January at 10 am via www.sadlerswells.com. Booking opens to members on Wednesday 24 January. Yllana The Opera Locos PEACOCK THEATRE Wednesday 8 – Saturday 11 May Tickets from £18 Spanish company Yllana presents The Opera Locos, a musical mashup for opera fans and novices alike. Five colourful characters including Alfredo, a worn-out tenor with a glorious past and wild mezzo soprano Carmen, combine physical comedy and opera classics with pop hits - from Whitney Houston to Mika. FLAMENCO FESTIVAL 2024 Rocío Molina Al Fondo Riela SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE - UK PREMIERE Tuesday 4 June Tickets from £15 Rocío Molina opens the Flamenco Festival 2024 with her trademark subversion of flamenco traditions. Using the original flamenco trio of dance, song and guitar, Al Fondo Riela is a piece about reflection and the loss of reality. On stage, she is accompanied by two contrasting guitarists, Eduardo Trassierra with his traditional, technical skill, and Yerai Cortés with his innovative flair. Molina returns after her appearance at the Flamenco Festival in 2019, the same year she won the Critics’ Circle National Dance award for outstanding female performance. In 2022, she became the first flamenco dancer to win the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale. Vicente Amigo In Concert SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE - UK PREMIERE Wednesday 5 June Tickets from £15 Premier flamenco guitarist and Latin Grammy Award-winner Vicente Amigo comes to Sadler’s Wells with a concert bridging classical and nuevo flamenco. Dubbed one of the most accomplished guitarists of his generation, Amigo fuses jazz, folk and South American rhymes without losing the essence of flamenco. Alfonso Losa & Patricia Guerrero Alter Ego SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE - UK PREMIERE Thursday 6 June Tickets from £15 Developed from a series of improvisations in the studio, virtuoso performers Patricia Guerrero and Alfonso Losa strip flamenco bare and explore personal connection in Alter Ego. Guerrero draws geometric figures with her dance, dismantling her movements and recreating them anew. Losa develops new schemes without breaking the mould and stays true to his roots. Eva Yerbabuena Yerbagüena (bright dark) SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE - UK PREMIERE Friday 7 – Saturday 8 June Tickets from £15 Eva Yerbabuena reflects on her 20-year career in Yerbagüena, as she takes to the stage with her musical director, guitarist and husband, Paco Jarana, as well as two singers and two percussionists. Her career has included an invitation from Pina Bausch to perform at the Tanztheater Wuppertal 25th anniversary festival, choreographing Mi Niña Manuela for the Ballet Nacional de España, and working with film director Mike Figgis, for the documentary Flamenco Women. Yerbabuena is known for exploring the tension between traditional and nuevo flamenco, and most famously for her interpretations of the soleá - the dance of solitude. Israel Fernández ft. Diego del Morao In Concert - Pura Sangre SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE - UK PREMIERE Sunday 9 June Tickets from £15 Celebrated flamenco musician Israel Fernández presents his latest album Pura Sangre in collaboration with renowned Jerez guitarist Diego del Morao. In his most personal work to date, Pura Sangre is an intimate look at Fernández’s surroundings and his way of interacting with the outside world. Fernández’s album Amor won the Premio Odeón and he has also been nominated for Best Flamenco Album in the Latin Grammy Awards. David Coria & David Lagos Company ¡Fandango! SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE - UK PREMIERE Monday 10 June Tickets from £15 Choreographer David Coria and singer David Lagos converge in a contemporary interpretation of the fandango, a popular and festive musical style from Andalusia with more than 500 years of history. From flamenco to contemporary movement, traditional song to electronic music, ¡Fandango! draws on Iberian folk culture to celebrate Spanish history and tradition. Coria has collaborated with numerous Spanish dance companies including Compañía Andaluza de Danza, Ballet Nacional de España, Rafaela Carrasco and Rocío Molina. Lagos won four awards at the Biennal of Flamenco in Seville in 2020 including the award for the best performance. Ballet Nacional de España Invocación SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE - UK PREMIERE Wednesday 12 – Saturday 15 June Tickets from £15 Ballet Nacional de España’s Invocación features four works that cover the cornerstones of Spanish dance. Artistic Director Rubén Olmo curates this all-encompassing evening featuring vibrant flamenco, traditional bolero, contemporary dance and classical ballet. De lo Flamenco is a tribute to the legendary dancer and choreographer Mario Maya. Olmo choreographs two works; Jauleña, performed by a different soloist from the company each night, and the colourful, ensemble piece, Invocación Bolera. Finally, Antonio Najarro’s Eterna Iberia features the signature elements of Spanish dance – castanets, the Spanish Cape, and the Cordobes Hat. As one of the main cultural ambassadors of Spain to the world, Ballet Nacional de España highlights Spain’s rich choreographic heritage. The National Ballet, founded by the Ministry of Culture in 1978, continues to set the standard for Spanish dance. MPSI Ltd A Night with Janis Joplin PEACOCK THEATRE Tuesday 20 August – Saturday 28 September Tickets from £18 A Night with Janis Joplin is a musical journey celebrating Janis Joplin and her biggest musical influences—icons like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Odetta, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith. Exploding onto the music scene in 1967, Janis Joplin became the queen of rock & roll almost overnight. The unmistakable voice, filled with raw emotion and tinged with Southern Comfort, made her a must-see headliner from Monterey to Woodstock. Written and directed by Randy Johnson, this award-winning show honouring Joplin and her inspirations comes to the Peacock Theatre direct from Broadway. London City Ballet Resurgence SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE Wednesday 11 – Saturday 14 September Tickets from £15 London City Ballet, former resident company of Sadler’s Wells, makes its long-awaited return to the world stage. Last seen almost 30 years ago, the international company of dancers are touring the world in 2024 with a programme of acclaimed works. Internationally celebrated ballerina Alina Cojocaru appears as a guest artist in the revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1972 one-act ballet Ballade, unseen in Europe for over 50 years. Ashley Page’s Larina Waltz marks the ballet’s 30th anniversary, and Olivier Award-winner Arielle Smith premieres a new work. Eve, a full company work by Christopher Marney, which premiered at Sadler’s Wells in 2022 with Fabula Collective, will close the evening. Artistic Director Christopher Marney has spent over a year rebuilding London City Ballet and these comeback performances remember the company’s roots in the form of rarely-seen archival footage. The National Ballet of Canada Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada Pite/ Kudelka/ Portner SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE - UK PREMIERE Wednesday 2 – Sunday 6 October Tickets from £15 The National Ballet of Canada presents a triple bill with works by three leading choreographers hailing from Canada: Crystal Pite, Emma Portner and James Kudelka. Crystal Pite created Angels’ Atlas for the company in March 2020. The Dora Award-winning ballet unfolds against a morphing wall of light that carries the illusion of depth and a sense of the natural world. The dancing body becomes a sign of humanity’s limitations within a vast, unknowable world. The ballet is set to original music by Owen Belton and choral pieces by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Morten Lauridsen. Emma Portner presents islands, a sculptural duet for two women in which the dancers are joined, fusing their bodies together as one. The work is set to an eclectic compilation of music by contemporary artists as well as original music by Forest Swords, bringing together hip hop, dub, guitar loops and electronic sampling for a rhythmic, avant-garde sound. James Kudelka’s Passion is a love story set to the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Concerto for Piano in D, Op. 61a. Two couples each stylistically unique – one classical, the other contemporary – weave within the Corps de Ballet, evoking complex relationships of passion. Crystal Pite is a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist RB Dance Company STORIES – The Tap Dance Sensation PEACOCK THEATRE - UK PREMIERE Wednesday 23 October – Saturday 2 November Tickets from £15 Icarus – a young actor – is already a big hit on screen. Yet, behind the scenes, he's under the oppressive influence of his director. After an argument, Icarus finds himself trapped in the movie, unable to escape the film director’s stranglehold. This spectacular show from France’s Got Talent finalists RB Dance Company brings together urban jazz, tap dance and percussion. After over 100 performances in Paris reaching audiences of more than 100,000 people, STORIES receives its UK premiere at the Peacock Theatre. Birmingham Rep The Snowman PEACOCK THEATRE Wednesday 23 November – Saturday 4 January 25 Tickets from £18 Winter family favourite The Snowman returns to the Peacock Theatre for its 27th year. A magical stage adaptation of the much-loved picture book by Raymond Briggs and the film directed by Dianne Jackson, The Snowman is the timeless tale of a boy and a snowman who comes to life. The Snowman is directed by Bill Alexander and features music and lyrics by Howard Blake, including the song ‘Walking in the Air’, design by Ruari Murchison, lighting by Tim Mitchell, and choreography by Robert North, all of which is accompanied by a live orchestra. New Adventures Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake The Next Generation SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE Tuesday 3 December 2024 – Sunday 26 January 2025 Tickets from £15 Matthew Bourne's audacious, rule-breaking reinvention of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece caused a sensation when it premiered almost 30 years ago. Thrilling, bold, witty and emotive, it is still best known for replacing the female corps-de-ballet with a menacing male ensemble, which shattered convention, turning tradition on its head. It has now become the most successful dance theatre production of all time, creating new audiences and inspiring generations of young dancers. In celebration of that ongoing impact, Swan Lake returns in a major new revival. First staged at Sadler’s Wells in 1995, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake has been performed across the globe, collecting over 30 international accolades including the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production and three Tony Awards for Best Director of a Musical, Best Choreography and Best Costume Design. Matthew Bourne is a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Choreographer Conversations: Join acclaimed choreographers in conversation with Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and Co-Chief Executive Sir Alistair Spalding CBE, to discover what moves the world’s most influential choreographers working in dance today. The live conversations are recorded for Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage. Wayne McGregor CBE LILIAN BAYLIS STUDIO Friday 15 March at 6.15 pm Tickets: £5 Crystal Pite & Jonathon Young LILIAN BAYLIS STUDIO Friday 22 March at 6.15 pm Tickets: £5 And on Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage: Michael Keegan-Dolan Akram Khan NOTES TO EDITORS 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 more than 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown. Our acclaimed productions tour the world. Since 2005 we’ve produced 64 new full-length works and performed to audiences of more than two million, touring to 51 countries. 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. Sadler’s Wells East 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 new Rose Choreographic School and the hip hop theatre training centre, Academy Breakin’ Convention. Sadler’s Wells East joins the rich cultural heritage of Stratford, opening in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of the East Bank development alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL and the V&A. Sadler’s Wells East will support artist development and training, and the creation of new work. It will build the infrastructure for dance and make it accessible to more people. Sadler’s Wells East will house a flexible theatre presenting a wide variety of dance performances. Community will be at the heart of Sadler’s Wells East with a large open foyer that can be used by everyone as a meeting or performance space. There will also be dance studios and world-class dance facilities for dancemakers to train, create and rehearse productions. Supporting artists 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. Learning and community links 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 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Dancer Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 The London City Ballet programme looks really exciting. I hope they bring it on tour near me because I can't do those dates in London. Also the National Ballet of Canada looks great, I'm not a massive fan of Crystal Pite but the programme looks so interesting I'm definitely making a note of the dates. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 30 minutes ago, Tango Dancer said: The London City Ballet programme looks really exciting. I hope they bring it on tour near me because I can't do those dates in London. Also the National Ballet of Canada looks great, I'm not a massive fan of Crystal Pite but the programme looks so interesting I'm definitely making a note of the dates. The LCB announcement of more tour dates should hopefully be out tomorrow... I'm hoping for some "up North" dates. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 Excited to see that National Ballet of Canada is returning, although I'll have to look up Emma Portner's work. Curious to see how London City Ballet will fare with its new programme! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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