Smuin kicks off its 23rd season with the Bay Area tour of Dance Series 01 showcasing the diverse styles of this contemporary American ballet company. The program features Madness, Rack, and Honey, a world premiere by acclaimed choreographer Garrett Ammon. Also on the program is the West Coast's first look at Stanton Welch's critically praised Indigo, which examines the vagaries of romantic relationships as four couples come together, fall in love, fight, and exchange partners. Rounding out the bill is the timely return of Michael Smuin's Stabat Mater, a powerful response to the events of 9/11. It is presented by Smuin in observance of the 15th anniversary of this most significant event of the new century, with a message of hope in the face of challenges.
National Youth Ballet is delighted to announce that Joanna Lumley will host a special Memorial Gala performance at Sadler's Wells on Sunday 4 September, celebrating the company's inspirational Founder and Artistic Director Jill Tookey, who passed away in March this year.
An exciting new line-up of international acts is headed to Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts for Breakin' Convention, the international festival of hip hop dance theatre created by London's Sadler's Wells, returning to Blumenthal Performing Arts Sept. 30 - Oct. 1.
The Birmingham Royal Ballet's Shakespeare celebrations continue this week as they conclude their Birmingham season with a Shakespeare Triple Bill, consisting of Jessica Lang's new Wink, José Limon's The Moor's Pavane and David Bintley's The Shakespeare Suite. Three contrasting dance styles and very different interpretations of Shakespeare's work combine to emphasise his enduring broad appeal, as well as the versatility of the Birmingham Royal Ballet dancers.
In a landmark year packed with Shakespearean productions to celebrate the 400th birthday of the Bard, the Birmingham Royal Ballet perform John Cranko's The Taming of the Shrew for the very first time.
This adaptation is faithful to Shakespeare's source material; three suitors to the beautiful Bianca (Hortensio, Lucentio and Gremio) bribe Petruchio to woo and wed her elder sister, the shrew Katherina. Independent and tempestuous, Katherina finds her match in Petruchio and begrudgingly agrees to marry him.
A month ago while Jessica Lang was in Utah working with Ballet West, I rang her to interview her about her incredible year of ongoing success. Years ago I took class with Robert Battle and struck up a dance friendship with his company dancers including Jessica's husband Kanji Segawa. But I have never met Jessica herself. Of course she is the 'It Woman' of dance so I know a bit about her. With her embarrassment of accolades one would have to have their head buried in the sand not to. Besides the rapturous praise she has received for her work, she has also secured numerous commissions (American Ballet Theatre, Birmingham Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Japan at the New National Theatre Tokyo, Joffrey Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet San Jose, Richmond Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ailey II, ABT II, Hubbard Street 2, and New York City Ballet's Choreographic Institute, among many others), received many high profile awards (New York City Center Fellow for 2015, 2014 Bessie Award, 2013 Manchester Theatre Award, grants from Jerome Robbins Foundation, the NEA, the Choo San Goh Foundation, and a 2010 Joyce Theater Artist Residency supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation), is opening her own dance center in Long Island City, and is celebrating her company's 5th Anniversary Season at the Joyce. But how did she come to all of this?
East meets West in ZIK'R, the sensational new flamenco fusion show created by, and starring, Karen Ruimy and Killing Joke bassist Youth, the show traces flamenco's journey from India to Spain. The show is coming to The Peacock, Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HT, with press night slated for Today 14 June 2016.
Jessica Lang Dance, under the artistic direction of choreographer Jessica Lang, will celebrate its 5th Anniversary season with a week-long engagement at The Joyce Theater on June 14 – 19, 2016, featuring five pieces, including three New York premieres. There will be a post-performance Curtain Chat discussion with Lang and dancers from the company following the performance on June 15.
For its 2016 Season, the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain will present a special programme of performances celebrating its inspirational Founder and Artistic Director Jill Tookey, who passed away in March this year. The 2016 National Youth BalletCompany will perform at the Hawth Theatre, Crawley on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 August, with a special Memorial Gala performance at Sadler's Wells on Sunday 4 September.
In honor of the 400th Anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, Jessica Lang Dance will present the NY premiere of Sweet Silent Thought, inspired by five of the Master's sonnets. The work features readings of Sonnets 30, 40, 64, 71 and 105, by actors Chris Myers (Obie Award, Octoroon), Chukwudi Iwuji (Shakespeare Festival's King Lear) and Nilanjana Bose-Ciupinska, as part of the company's week-long season at The Joyce, running June 14 – 19, 2016.
Birmingham Royal Ballet announces the 2016/2017 Birmingham Hippodrome season, the 27th season at its home theatre in the Midlands. The season will celebrate the Company's varied repertory, from the spectacular new The Tempest in the autumn through to the return of The Nutcracker for Christmas and Coppelia in the summer of 2017. Over the course of the season, the Company will perform four full-length classic ballets and a programme of shorter works to include the return of Michael Corder's Le Baiser de la fee, John Cranko's Pineapple Poll and a brand new ballet from Company member Ruth Brill called Arcadia.
International Dance Festival Birmingham has always strived to open up the world of dance to new and diverse audiences, and no show tackles this mission more directly than Dance: Sampled. Curated by Sadler's Wells, Dance: Sampled is designed to introduce different audiences to dance styles they might not usually have the chance to see, with a high quality mixed bill featuring artists from all over the world.
A collective of the UK's leading dance organisations - East London Dance, English National Ballet, Sadler's Wells and Studio Wayne McGregor - has announced a new collaborative initiative to drive a shared vision for East London to become a world-leading hub for dance.
East meets West in ZIK'R, the sensational new flamenco fusion show created by, and starring, Karen Ruimy and Killing Joke bassist Youth, the show traces flamenco's journey from India to Spain. The show is coming to The Peacock, Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HT, with press night slated for Tuesday 14 June 2016.
BBC1's The Voice star Lucy O'Byrne to play Maria and Coronation Street's Andrew Lancel to play Captain Von Trapp in 'The Sound of Music' at Birmingham Hippodrome this May.
FURIOUS FOLLY, created by Mark Anderson, takes place as night falls in a no-man's land on the battle front. Audiences of up to 2,000 people per night find themselves immersed within an open-air collage of sound, light, pyrotechnics and performance. Commissioned by 14-18 NOW, the UK's arts programme for the First World War centenary, FURIOUS FOLLY is one of 27 new commissions exploring how the Great War has impacted on the society we live in now.
Jessica Lang Dance, under the artistic direction of choreographer Jessica Lang, will celebrate its 5th Anniversary season with a week-long engagement at The Joyce Theater on June 14 – 19, 2016, featuring five pieces, including three New York premieres. There will be a post-performance Curtain Chat discussion with Lang and dancers from the company following the performance on June 15.
David Tennant, who just hosted the two-hour TV special Shakespeare Live! At The RSC, was joined by a 'line of Hamlets,' including Paapa Essiedu, Tim Minchin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Harriet Walter, Rory Kinnear, Ian McKellen, and Judi Dench to debate how to perfectly deliver one of the most iconic lines in Shakespeare: 'To be, or not to be.' Watch the full skit below!
