Press Release: Say Yes To Another Excess – TWERK at Sadler's Wells on 5 & 6 March

[Jan McNulty]

UK PREMIERE

François Chaignaud & Cecilia Bengolea altered natives’

Say Yes To Another Excess – TWERK

Lilian Baylis Studio at Sadler’s Wells
Thursday 5 & Friday 6 March

Performances: Thur & Fri at 8pm

Tickets: £17

Ticket Office: 0844 412 4300 or www.sadlerswells.com

 

On Thursday 5 & Friday 6 March 2015 Sadler’s Wells’ Lilian Baylis Studio hosts the UK Premiere ofFrançois Chaignaud and Cecilia Bengolea’s brand new work Say Yes To Another Excess – TWERK.

The two artists have been provoking audiences from Paris to Tokyo with their fresh perspective on dance. Their trademark sexually-charged work springs from a wide outlook on what constitutes dance, and a desire to challenge how dance history is written.

 

In their new work, they delve into their personal history of clubbing with an unusual anthropological take, physically examining free styles such as Jamaican dancehall, 1970s voguing and today’s twerking. Together with New York voguer Alex Mugler, contemporary performers Ana Pi and Elisa Yvelin, Chaignaud and Bengolea have set themselves the challenge to trust dance and its poetic, expressive powers to create something immediate and visceral.

 

The piece is also an exploration of grime music. An electro music form born in East London in the early 2000s, the genre combines sounds from dancehall, hip hop and UK garage, bringing the urgency of its MCs to an abstract yet ferocious synthetic sound. Leaders of the new grime wave DJs Elijah and Skilliam mix live on stage in this energising performance.

 

Born in Rennes, Chaignaud graduated from Paris Dance Conservatory and has danced with numerous choreographers including Boris Chamartz, Emmanuelle Huynh, Gilles Jobin, Tiago Guedes and Alain Buffard. He has collaborated with San Francisco legendary drag queen Rumi Missabu, performer Benhamin Dukhan and cabaret artist Jérôme Marin. In 2012 he was involved in the creation of Sacre #197 by Dominique Brun. He is also a published historian.

 

Buenos Aires born Bengolea was trained as a jazz and urban dancer and studied Engenio Barba’s ancestral dances, also called anthropological dances. She studied Philosophy and Art History at Buenos Aires University before moving to Paris to focus on writing,  choreography and performing.

 

In 2008 Chaignaud and Bengolea co-founded Vlovajob Pru Dance Company and have since created a range of critically acclaimed bold contemporary works.

 

A free post-show talk with François Chaignaud and Cecilia Bengolea will take place on Thursday 5 March, on stage.

 

Contains strong language and nudity

 

 

Notes to Editors:

 

Listings information

François Chaignaud & Cecilia Bengolea altered natives’ Say Yes To Another Excess - TWERK
Lilian Baylis Studio at Sadler’s Wells
Thursday 5 & Friday 6 March 2015
Free post-show talk with François Chaignaud and Cecilia Bengolea: Thursday 5 March, on stage.
Contains strong language and nudity
Performances: Thurs & Fri at 8pm
Tickets: £17
Ticket office: 0844 412 4300 / www.sadlerswells.com

 

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 and worldwide 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 90 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour the world. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 appointed world class Associate Artists and 3 Resident Companies 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.

 

Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England.