Fallen Angels Dance Theatre And New Note Orchestra Present TRACES THROUGH TIME

The Royal Opera House will welcome Fallen Angels Dance Theatre to perform in the Linbury Theatre for the first time. Fallen Angels Dance Theatre is the UK's only company providing dance theatre experiences for people in recovery from addiction, and presents its latest work Traces Through Time in the Linbury Theatre on Saturday 4 November.

A unique collaboration with New Note Orchestra, the first recovery orchestra in the world, this powerful production has been devised with the dancers and musicians in recovery to bring their life experiences and stories to the stage. Fusing dance, music and spoken word, Traces through Time explores the complex journeys of recovery including mental health adversity and transformation.

Led by Artistic Director and former Soloist with Birmingham Royal Ballet, Paul Bayes Kitcher, Chester based Fallen Angels Dance Theatre has been at the forefront of recovery arts for over a decade, advocating the power the arts and creativity can have on enhancing recovery. Placing Paul and the dancers' lived experiences at the heart of its work, they have performed and delivered outreach work in community, recovery and criminal justice settings across the North West and nationally through their performances and workshops, and internationally with their digital work.

Award-winning Brighton based New Note Orchestra is the first orchestra in the world designed to support people affected by addiction. They compose their own music, and in 2019 both the musicians and the Music Director Conall Gleeson were recognised for their composition skills after being nominated for a PRS award. New Note Orchestra combines a unique blend of acoustic, electric, folk and classical instrumentation to create music that is atmospheric, beautiful and exciting.

Choreographed by Paul Bayes Kitcher in collaboration with New Note Orchestra's Music Director Conall Gleeson and writer Louise Wallwein, Traces through Time promises to be a powerful, visceral theatre experience.

To provide further insight into this unique collaboration, members from Fallen Angels Dance Theatre and New Note Orchestra will take part in Insights event at the Linbury Theatre at 12.30pm on the 5 November 2023.

Paul Bayes Kitcher, Artistic Director of Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, said:

“We at Fallen Angels feel honoured to be part of the Royal Opera House's programme this year. Having the opportunity to share our dancers' and musicians' journeys, from overcoming personal challenges to now performing those stories on such a prestigious stage, is truly awe inspiring. We can't wait to perform this new production, created with our collaborators New Note Orchestra, in November, and to share the transformational power of dance and music with audiences in Chester and London.”

Fallen Angels Dance Theatre (FADT) was founded in 2011 by professional dancers Paul Bayes Kitcher and Claire Morris. Paul has lived experience of addiction and recovery and his practice recognises the complex barriers many face, including mental health issues, disability, and neurodiversity. FADT's creative activities promote well-being and inclusion throughout the whole recovery process. FADT is Company in Residence at Storyhouse Chester and delivers recovery groups across the North West and internationally through its digital output.

Home to The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, the Royal Opera House brings together world-class performers and trailblazing creative teams to share unforgettable performances with audiences near and far. Our theatres are in the heart of London's Covent Garden, but our work is accessed and experienced across the UK and globally through ROH Stream, tours, cinema programme, radio broadcasts and TV output. Our work in schools and communities up and down the country is driven by our curriculum linked Create & Learn programmes, specially designed to inspire creativity, broaden participation and diversify the future of opera and ballet. These sit alongside industry-leading talent development projects, regional partnerships, and a raft of daytime events, family activities, tours, exhibitions and free concerts here in our iconic Covent Garden home. We are also expanding our audience through our flagship Young ROH scheme and are committed to reducing our impact on the environment, and aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2035. 

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