Birmingham’s much lauded DanceXchange announces its new autumn season today.
The Measures Taken
From 25th September to 29th November some of the most acclaimed choreographers will present their work at The Patrick Centre at Birmingham Hippodrome.
The season opens with Avant Garde Dance’s exceptional triple bill The Black Album on 25th-26th September. Under the artistic direction of Tony Adigun, three distinctly different hip hop choreographies are seamlessly woven together like a concept album.
In Omega five dancers and five columns of light improvise and respond to experimental DJs Jazzanova. A Classical Break presents a humorous and cheeky partnership between break dance and the music of Beethoven, Mozart and Mendelssohn. Dark Matter is abstract and visually captivating, and unleashes the inner darkness of eight powerful dancers.
Tony Adigun was awarded Best Choreographer at the BEFFTA Awards in 2011 and 2012 and is also the Artistic Director of Sky One’s Got to Dance programme.
DanceXchange is once again working in partnership with Fierce Festival (2nd-12th October), Birmingham’s annual festival of performance and live art, to present UK premieres by two international movement artists – Miguel Gutierrez’s Heavens What Have I Done (USA) on 5 October and Dana Michel’s Yellow Towel (Canada) on 10th October.
The season continues with Mark Bruce Company’s critically acclaimed, award winning production of Dracula from 15th-18th October.
Director and choreographer Mark Bruce brings Bram Stoker’s haunting, erotic tale to life in this heart wrenching and magical piece of dance theatre, starring Jonathan Goddard as the infamous Vampire Count whose sinister and ruthless ambitions challenge the very fabric of Victorian society.
Dracula won the prestigious South Bank Sky Arts Award for Dance in 2014 and features an eclectic mix of music from Bach and Mozart to Ligetti and Fred Frith.
South Bank Award nominee and Sadler’s Wells New Wave Associate, Alexander Whitley was last in Birmingham with his successful premiere of Kin (for Birmingham Royal Ballet) at International Dance Festival Birmingham 2014. Widely regarded as one of the UK’s most gifted young choreographers, Whitley returns to DanceXchange on 23-24 October, showcasing two works in his company’s inaugural tour. The Measures Taken is a visually striking and kinetically charged collaboration with digital media artists Marshmallow Laser Feast. With the choreographic process rooted in the digital collaboration, the work is both a dialogue and a duet between human movement and the digital world. The Grit in the Oyster is a new work performed at DanceXchange ahead of its world premiere at Sadler’s Wells, London as part of a celebration of the music of British contemporary composer Thomas Adès.
Following their hugely popular performances at DanceXchange in 2012 and 2013, Company Chameleon return to The Patrick Centre on 13th-14th November, to present Beauty Of The Beast.
The season concludes with celebrated director & choreographer Arthur Pita’s production of The Little Match Girl from 27th-29th November.
Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story, this touching family friendly tale of an impoverished young street girl’s hopes and dreams is beautifully told through dance and song, featuring original live music by Frank Moon. Arthur Pita was nominated for this year’s Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for his choreography for Ballet Black – A Dream Within A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House.
Paul Burns, DanceXchange’s Director of Programming, said: “DanceXchange has put together possibly our most eclectic line up ever this season. There really is something for everyone – dark gothic dance theatre, hip hop fused with contemporary dance and work that will appeal to young families. We’re also really pleased to be collaborating with Fierce Festival again.”
