Matthias Sperling - Do Not Be Afraid - T1010859357Matthias Sperling and Rachel Krische don superhero lycra and delve boldy into the relationship between body and mind. Both humorous and deadly serious, Do Not Be Afraid explores the notion that dancers might possess a unique superpower allowing an audience to see the mind through the body. These two gifted artists form a delightful combination and are bound to entertain with their dead-pan wit. Both Sperling and Krische are Brief Encounter veterans, having performed in 2009 and 2008 Dance Umbrella festivals respectively. Sperling's recent piece for Candoco's Turning 20 - Anniversary Bill also appears in this year's festival. Do Not Be Afraid is part of Dance Umbrella's Brief Encounters series, in which short works by talented new choreographers or established artists are performed prior to main stage shows. | |
14 Oct 11 | Southbank Centre, West End :: V423 listing details L01334982580 |
Claire Cunningham - Evolution - T01228483474This autobiographical solo traces Claire Cunningham's journey into dance and the continuing impact that dance has on her body. Evolution is an innovative piece in which Cunningham's crutches become extensions of her body, creating her own individual vocabulary. Both uplifting and moving, it tells the story of one woman's exploration of dance, celebrating its liberating possibilities. Making her festival debut, Cunningham draws audiences in with her magnetic presence and frank and feisty delivery of both movement and speech. As a birthday gift to Candoco, Dance Umbrella invited Artistic Directors Pedro Machado and Stine Nilsen to curate a Brief Encounter for the festival this year; Evolution is their choice. Evolution is part of Dance Umbrella's Brief Encounters series, in which short works by talented new choreographers or established artists are performed prior to main stage shows. | |
11 Oct 11 | Southbank Centre, West End :: V423 listing details L816238401 |
Freddie Opoku-Addaie (UK) - Mis-Thread - T01763968450Freddie Opoku-Addaie makes his festival debut with Mis-thread, a work which engages the audience through bold vision and visceral emotion. In a search to unlock the secrets of non-verbal communication, Mis-thread uses elements of folk and ritualistic forms, games, sign language, and energetic, often jagged dance. This fresh and unpredictable dance-making is set to a live electric cello and creates a mysterious environment which changes with each performance. Mis-thread is part of Dance Umbrella's Brief Encounters series, in which short works by talented new choreographers or established artists are performed prior to main stage shows. | |
19 Oct 10 to 20 Oct 10 | The Place Theatre, Inner London :: V240 listing details L2032346477 |
Ben Duke Will Duke Dario Palermo and Zoe Svendsen (UK) - T01491276555UK Premiere. Discombobulator is a fantastical solo set against evolving projections of a neglected Venetian façade. The remarkable liquid agility of Ben Duke’s performance triggers, in real-time, the live electronic composition and computer-generated imagery. This media interplay explores the ultimately insurmountable separation between the physical presence of the body and the imaginative possibilities of virtual reality. The piece was developed during a 12 day interdisciplinary residency at Venice Biennale’s International Festival of Contemporary Music (2009). Discombobulator is part of Dance Umbrella's Brief Encounters series, in which short works by talented new choreographers or established artists are performed prior to main stage shows. | |
15 Oct 10 to 16 Oct 10 | Southbank Centre, West End :: V423 listing details L2015202628 |
Alesandra Seutin and Vicki Igbokwe (UK) - T01183957792Frusted is a breathtaking and eclectic dance theatre piece performed by five powerful dancers, choreographed by Alesandra Seutin and Vicki Igbokwe under the banner of the ADiaspora Colllective. Through the stories of three engaging characters, the work focuses on the internal struggle women in society face on a daily basis. Frusted merges contemporary, urban and elements of African dance along with physical theatre and spoken word to create an irresistibly explosive and emotive performance. Frusted is part of Dance Umbrella's Brief Encounters series, in which short works by talented new choreographers or established artists are performed prior to main stage shows. | |
11 Oct 10 to 12 Oct 10 | Southbank Centre, West End :: V423 listing details L1140376251 |
Andreya Ouamba (Senegal) and matthias Sperling (UK) - Diplomacy 2 - T1802138388[Matthias Sperling], previously with [Wayne McGregor]'s Random Dance, and [Andreya Ouamba] from Cie. 1er Temps, negotiate their way through the intricacies of a physical dialogue in Diplomacy 2. Sharing a deep interest in improvisation, they create complex systems of encounters where the smallest of gestures become significant events, and generate movement ricocheting from body to body. They engage one another and the audience in elaborately shifting behaviour and, like political diplomacy, their work in imbued with a sense of formality and elegance. Diplomacy is part of Dance Umbrella's Brief Encounters series, in which short works by talented new choreographers or established artists are performed prior to main stage shows. World Premiere | |
9 Oct 09 to 10 Oct 09 | Royal Opera House, West End :: V377 listing details L01409825217 |
Ben Wright (UK) - Thought Latching to Thought and Pulling - T1988191130Thought latching to thought and pulling, a piece for four men, takes its title from a phrase coined by the poet Rimbaud to describe his writing method. Inspired by this statement, Wright’s dancers manoeuvre through moments of quiet contemplation into explosive surges of physical dexterity, driven by a kinetic stream of ideas. Caught by stark columns of light designed by Guy Hoare, the piece is performed to a haunting musical score by Tim Sutton, recorded by the all-female ensemble, London Flutes | |
6 Oct 07 | Southbank Centre, West End :: V423 listing details L1187957388 |