Press Release: SADLER'S WELLS PLAYS LATITUDE FESTIVAL 2014

[Jan McNulty]

SADLER'S WELLS PLAYS LATITUDE FESTIVAL 2014

 

Since 2008 Sadler’s Wells has presented dance at Latitude Festival to audiences in excess of 40,000 people across the years. This summer the theatre returns for a seventh consecutive year, presenting a diverse programme on the Waterfront Stage from Thursday 17 – Sunday 20 July 2014.

This year’s programme features dance highlights performed by 50 dancers from the UK and abroad, including the renowned English National Ballet and the first ever performances by the National Youth Dance Company. Sadler’s Wells also presents for the first time at the festival, work by one of today’s most celebrated and critically acclaimed choreographers, Akram Khan. 

Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and Chief Executive Alistair Spalding says “We are delighted to be returning to Latitude for our seventh year, to the buzzing atmosphere and beautiful setting of the Waterfront stage. Latitude Festival continues to provide us with a platform to present dance to new audiences, many of whom are seeing the art form for the first time. This year’s programme is supported by many leading talents in the dance world and will be an exciting showcase of some of the work on offer at Sadler’s Wells.”

Opening Sadler’s Wells’ programme and the inaugural performance on the Waterfront Stage for 2014 are World Tango Champions German Cornejo & Gisela Galeassi on Thursday 17 July at 8pm and 8.50pm. German & Gisela have been World Tango Champions in 2003 and 2005 and formed their dance partnership in 2011. They have participated on top rating TV shows in Argentina and have performed at famous Tango houses & milongas in Buenos Aires. German & Gisela won Jennifer Lopez & Marc Antony's TV show Q Viva culminating in the Las Vegas stage show of the same name in May 2012. In June 2012 they were Jennifer Lopez’s special guest artists at her first ever concert in Buenos Aires. They also performed as the lead dancer’s in Sadler’s Wells Production M¡longa by Associate Artist Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and have performed at the Sadler’s Wells’ home in the West End the Peacock Theatre in Tango Fire.

On Friday one of the most prominent dance groups in Cuba, Ballet Revolución, comes to Latitude as part of its exclusive 2014 European tour, performing on both Friday 18 July at 5.30pm and Saturday 19 July at 12pm.

Ballet Revolución is an explosive fusion of ballet, contemporary dance and hip hop from a company of talented dancers performing to popular music from Shakira, Ricky Martin, Beyoncé and many more. The dancers’ versatility combined with their unique blend of Cuban, African and Spanish influences, creates an exciting show straight out of Havana. With alumni from the renowned Cuban school Escuela Nacional Cubana de Arte, Latitude will be treated to some of the world’s most talented dancers. Ballet Revolución continues its European tour at Peacock Theatre from Tuesday 7 - Saturday 25 October 2014.

Saturday 19 July’s programme includes the first of two double bills titled New Perspectives at 2.30pm, which brings to the stage a different take on dance from some of the worlds most exciting up and coming dancers and companies.

Opening the first double bill is UK based choreographer and dancer Sonia Sabri performing extracts from her work Ekalya which comes from the Sanskrit word meaning solo. Ekalya is a celebration of classical Indian music and dance, with a contemporary twist. Ekalya demonstrates the speed, precision and complex rhythms involved in kathak, the classical dance style from North India. Sabri interacts with the audience, talking through some of the key elements that make kathak such a popular form of dance. Ekalya is performed to live music on the sitar, harmonium and vocals.

Completing the first double bill is James Cousins - winner of the inaugural New Adventures Choreographer Award, originally established in celebration of the director and choreographer Matthew Bourne’s 50th birthday in 2010. Cousins presents an adaptation of his duet There We Have Been, the piece takes inspiration from the troubled relationships portrayed in Haruki Murakami's bestselling novel, Norwegian Wood. There We Have Been is an intimate glimpse into a secluded world of fragile dependency. This duet sees the two performers intensely folding, wrapping and balancing, with the female character never touching the floor.

On Sunday 20 July Sadler’s Wells’ programme opens with English National Ballet (ENB) returning to Latitude after the success of its Swan Lake performances in 2012. ENB brings together a double bill of new work by the company’s dancers, including Van Le Ngoc’s Four Seasons performed to excerpts from the Vivaldi score of the same name and a new work by James Streeter titled In Living Memory... inspired by texts about the First World War. Led by its Artistic Director, the internationally renowned ballerina Tamara Rojo, ENB aims to perform ballet anywhere, make innovative collaborations and exciting ways of honouring yet adding to traditional ballet. 

Sunday 20 July’s New Perspectives second double bill showcases the creativity of young people and the inclusive dance talent Sadler’s Wells supports and presents.

The double bill opens with Candoco Dance Company the UK’s leading contemporary dance company made up of disabled and non-disabled dancers. Candoco works with acclaimed choreographers to create work that is accessible to all and challenges perceptions of what dance is and who can dance. For its second appearance at Latitude, the company performs the duet Two for C by award-winning choreographer Javier de Frutos. Two for C is de Frutos’ (Cabaret and The Most Incredible Thing with the Pet Shop Boys) newest work for Candoco. Inspired by Tennessee Williams’ play Camino Real the piece explores the turmoil of a couple trapped in a longstanding relationship, characterised by struggle and power games. Set to traditional Mexican ranchera music, the performances take place in an intimate domestic world where the use of Mexican wrestling masks reveals the deeper, darker forces at play.

Candoco will present Close Encounters and Curious Encounters in the Lilian Baylis Studio on Sunday 16 and Monday 17 November 2014 as part of Sadler’s Wells’ =dance season, offering audiences the opportunity to learn more about the company through interactive extract performances, workshops and conversations. =dance is new series featuring some of the most exciting and innovative work created and performed by deaf and disabled artists.

Completing the double bill and closing Sadler’s Wells’ programme on the Waterfront Stage are 11 dancers from the National Youth Dance Company (NYDC), performing a restaged excerpt of Vertical Road by the company’s current Guest Artistic Director and Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Akram Khan.

Founded in 2012 and hosted by Sadler’s Wells, the NYDC aims to create and perform innovative and influential dance, drawing together some of the brightest young talent from across the country. Each year, 30 dancers aged 16 - 19 are selected from across England to form a new cohort within the Company and can stay with NYDC for up to three years.

One of Sadler’s Wells’ internationally renowned Associate Artists or visiting company directors is appointed Guest Artistic Director for each cohort, giving the members the opportunity to learn, create, rehearse and perform new and existing work for the theatre’s main stage and a UK tour, which Latitude is part of.

For more information on NYDC and the national tour visit http://www.sadlerswells.com/national-youth-dance-company

Sadler’s Wells’ Artistic Programmer and Producer Eva Martinez says:
“Dance made by choreographers today is rich and vibrant: it is therefore a real joy to give a glimpse of this vivid world to a new audience at Latitude, making more visible the creativity of new talent as well as household names, alongside some of the youngest performers you will see at Latitude. The artists we have chosen are excited to perform in a different setting and to be part of making Latitude a special occasion in the UK's cultural calendar.”

Notes to Editor

About Sadler’s Wells

Sadler's Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London 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 80 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour the world, including Sutra, zero degrees, and PUSH. Sadler’s Wells also provides a home to 16 world class Associate Artists and 3 Resident Companies including Sylvie Guillem, Akram Khan, Hofesh Shechter, Crystal Pite, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures and ZooNation. The theatre also supports and nurtures the next generation of talent through its National Youth Dance Company, Summer University programme, Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates.

Located in Islington in 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.


About Latitude Festival

Winner of Line-Up of the Year at the UK Festival Awards, Latitude returns for its ninth edition, taking place from Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th July 2014 in the stunning grounds of Henham Park, Suffolk. Confirmed so far are headliners Two Door Cinema Club, Damon Albarn and The Black Keys, plus comedy from Dara O Briain, Simon Amstell and Kevin Bridges, Dance from Sadler’s Wells, Dirty Dancing (highlights) and Historic Royal Palaces,Theatre from Forced Entertainment, RSC, Royal Exchange Manchester and Paines Plough, Poetry and Literary from Roger McGough, Ben Okri, Gillian Clarke, Salon London, New Statesman and Vivien Westwood and appearances in the Film & Music Arena from David Bailey, Nick Broomfield, Bob and Roberta Smith. With much much more on the line-up Latitude really does have something for everyone! Tickets and line-up information at www.latitudefestival.co.uk