Jump to content

Press Release: English National Ballet commission Cameron McMillan to create new work for Big Dance


Recommended Posts

English National Ballet commission Cameron McMillan to create new work for Big Dance

English National Ballet has commissioned award-winning choreographer, Cameron McMillan to create a new work for Big Dance in West London. The piece, Kinetic Echo – Our Dancing Selves, explores questions of online identity and self expression and will be performed at Westfield London (W12) on Saturday 12 July performed by dancers of ENBYouthCo. Shoppers will become the audience for the performance amongst the busy surroundings of the shopping centre.

Cameron McMillan said: ‘I am interested in asking questions about how we receive and engage with dance and art in the digital age, in particular social media and how that impacts on the identity of a young emerging dance artist. The internet and social media is now a primary source of communication, and for many a place to express themselves, but what happens to the artists and actual works of art through this spider web and highly filtered form of dissemination? Is it a fight to actually be heard within the constant stream, and are you being heard in the way you would like?’

English National Ballet is the West London Hub for Big Dance and the performance is part of the festival’s Big Dance Weekender (12-13 July) in which five areas of London as well as regions across the UK will see an accessible, original piece of dance performed in a public space.

Alongside the live performance, an online digital initiative will offer a way for audiences to engage with the themes of the choreography and gain an insight into the rehearsal process for this new work. English National Ballet will provide an assortment of stimulating and thought-provoking images and videos as well as encourage responses to the work via social media using #hashtag: #ENBMyEcho. We are also launching #ENBDancingSelf - the ultimate selfie challenge encouraging everyone to share their most creative dancing selfie. Perhaps in the park, on the bus, in a studio or in somewhere more unusual!

www.ballet.org.uk/echo

Big Dance launched on 2 July in an event which saw students from English National Ballet School join other dancers as well as Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and prima ballerina Darcey Bussell at City Hall, London.

Ends

Kinetic Echo – Our Dancing Selves
Saturday 12 July, 14:00 and 17:00
North Atrium at Westfield London, W12

Choreography: Cameron McMillan
Music: Hauschka
Dancers Styling: Istituto Marangoni graduate Guy Gruper

Co-commissioned by English National Ballet and the Foundation for Community Dance for the Big Dance Weekend 2014 and Westfield Presents.

Big Dance Launch
Wednesday 2 July, 14.00
City Hall, SE1 2AA

Big Dance
Big Dance is a biannual, national festival of dance, happening in 2014 from 5-13 July www.bigdance.org.uk

ENBYouthCo
ENBYouthCo is English National Ballet’s youth dance company and launched in April 2012. Dancers train in both ballet and contemporary dance technique whilst learning about the classical company repertoire.

Cameron McMillan Biography
Cameron McMillan is an award winning dancer and choreographer, based in London and described by the UK Observer as one of ‘the most compelling and intelligent dancers on the world stage’. Born and raised in New Zealand and classically trained at The Australian Ballet School, he has danced as a leading dancer in companies such as Rambert Dance Company, English National Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Bonachela Dance Company, and Sydney Dance Company. He currently works as an independent choreographer, dance artist, and rehearsal director.

With an international performance and creative career spanning large scale classical ballet to independent contemporary dance, film and fashion, Cameron is a highly versatile dance maker with a physically complex, musical and emotionally resonant creative voice. His work actively draws from and challenges his background and breadth of experience, striving for new territory, and is as diverse as the companies that commission him. He has been an Associate Artist with the UK's DanceEast from 2010-14, and in 2012 he was the first dance artist to be awarded the New Generation Artist Award by The New Zealand Arts Foundation.

Regularly commissioned, he has created work for The Royal Ballet of Flanders, Channel 4 Random Acts, Brisbane Festival (Queensland Ballet, Expressions Dance Company, and Dance North), Aldeburgh Music Festival, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, Milwaukee Ballet, Transitions Dance Company, ROH2, DanceEast, and Hungary's Ballet Pécs as part of the European Capital of Culture 2010 and has been exhibited in the Lange Nacht der Museen Art Festival, Austria.

For further information about English National Ballet and to book tickets visit www.ballet.org.uk. Please note performance details are subject to change. You can find English National Ballet on Facebook and Twitter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...