Sao Paulo Dance Company Will Make its UK and Ireland Premiere and Embark on Spring 2024 Tour

São Paulo Dance Company is at the forefront of the South American contemporary dance scene. The company’s virtuoso dancers pair a ferocious contemporary technique with the rhythmic physicality of Latin American dance. Next spring sees the company’s UK and Irish debut with a rich and varied programme of work from three choreographers rooted in Latin American or Spanish culture.
 
Since its founding by Brazil’s state government in 2008, São Paulo Dance Company has been under the leadership of its charismatic artistic director, Inês Bogéa.  A dancer, film-maker and writer, Bogéa is widely credited with having built a superb classically-trained company which has produced over 100 dance works, almost 50 of them original commissions, and performed to more than 900,000 people in 18 different countries.
 
For this first UK and Irish tour, the company is presenting a thrilling programme of three boldly contemporary works, two from 2019 created especially for them and a much-loved revival from 2009.
 
The epic and emotionally-charged Anthem was created in 2019 by Spain's Goyo Montero, resident choreographer with Cuba's Acosta Danza, for an ensemble of 14 dancers. Anthem reflects on life-cycles and collective identities, inspired by songs that become hymns - anthems - for an individual, a group, a generation or a nation.  Montero’s frequent collaborator Owen Belton provides a unifying and uplifting soundscore. 

Nacho Duato, artistic director of Berlin State Ballet, created the sensually harmonious Gnawa in 2005 and restaged it on São Paulo Dance Company in 2009. He draws on the Mediterranean colours and flavours of Valencia for a dancework powered by the hypnotic, ritualistic music of North Africa created by seven composers - Hassan Hakmoun, Adam Rudolph, Juan Alberto Arteche, Javier Paxariño, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Velez and Kusur e Sarkissian. Duato was inspired by the mystical Islamic fellowship of the Gnawa people, brought to North Africa by the Berber as slaves.

Brazilian choreographer Cassi Abranches’ colourful and flirtatious Agora provides an exhilarating finale. Created in 2019, this is the third commission for the company from Abranches, a former dancer with iconic Brazilian company, Grupo Corpo. Exploring time and rhythm, she sculpts the movement of each dancer’s body to the percussive beats and bass grooves of
Sebastian Piracés’ score, mixing drums and Afro-Brazilian percussion with rock music and vocals.
 
São Paulo Dance Company director Inês Bogéa says: “In 1994, I had the pleasure to tour British theatres as a dancer with Grupo Corpo. It was a very intense time, full of art and exchange of experiences.  30 years later, as São Paulo Dance Company’s artistic director, I am thrilled to be back, with the company performing in wonderful theatres around the UK and in Ireland. I thank Dance Consortium and everyone who is making this tour possible. We hope our art opens an expressive, intense, and enjoyable channel of communication with the audiences that await us”.
 
Dance Consortium’s Executive Director Joe Bates says: “Dance Consortium members are always on the lookout for companies from across the world to introduce to local audiences and so we are excited to welcome Sao Paolo Dance Company to the UK for the first time next spring. They are one of South America’s leading dance companies and we have been following their success for a while. We particularly love the energy and brilliance of interpretation that the dancers bring to the work of some of the world’s leading contemporary choreographers.”

Tour Dates

Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 February at 7.30pm
Bord Gais Energy Theatre, DUBLIN
Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2 D02 PA03
Tickets: +353 (0) 1 677 7999 / www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie
 
Friday 9 and Saturday 10 February at 7.30pm
Sadler’s Wells Theatre, LONDON
Rosebery Ave, London EC1R 4TN
Tickets: 020 7863 8000 / www.sadlerswells.com
 
Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 February at 7.30pm
Mayflower Theatre SOUTHAMPTON
22-26 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1GE
Tickets: 023 8071 1811 / www.mayflower.org.uk
 
Friday 16 and Saturday 17 February at 7.30pm
Royal Concert Hall, NOTTINGHAM
Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND
Tickets: 0115 989 5555 / https://trch.co.uk/
 
Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 February at 7.30pm
The Marlowe Theatre, CANTERBURY
The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS
Tickets: 01227 787787 / https://marlowetheatre.com/

Friday 23 and Saturday 24 February at 7.30pm
Theatre Royal PLYMOUTH
Royal Parade, Plymouth PL1 2TR
Tickets: 01752 267222 / www.theatreroyal.com
 
Tuesday 27 February and Wednesday 28 February at 7.30pm
Brighton Dome BRIGHTON
Church St, Brighton BN1 1UE
Tickets: 01273 709709 / https://brightondome.org/
 
Friday 1 and Saturday 2 March at 7.30pm
Hull New Theatre HULL
Kingston Square, Hull HU1 3HF
Tickets:  01482 300306 / https://www.hulltheatres.co.uk/

Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 March at 7.30pm
Theatre Royal NEWCASTLE
100 Grey St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6BR
Tickets: 0191 232 7010 / www.theatreroyal.co.uk
 
Friday 8 and Saturday 9 March at 7.30pm
Alhambra Theatre, BRADFORD
Morley St, Bradford BD7 1AJ
Tickets: 01274 432000 / https://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/
 
Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 March at 7.30pm
The Lowry, Salford Quays SALFORD
Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ
Tickets: 0161 876 2000 / https://thelowry.com/

Friday 15 and Saturday 16 March at 7.30pm
WOLVERHAMPTON Grand Theatre 
Lichfield St, Wolverhampton WV1 1DE
Tickets: 01902 42 92 12 / www.grandtheatre.co.uk
 
Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 March at 7.30pm
Eden Court INVERNESS
Bishops Rd, Inverness IV3 5SA
Tickets: 01463 234234 / https://eden-court.co.uk/
 
Friday 22 and Saturday 23 March at 7.30pm
Theatre Royal NORWICH
Theatre ST, Norwich NR2 1RL
Tickets: 01603 630000 / https://norwichtheatre.org/
 

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