Sadler’s Wells presents
London City Ballet Resurgence
Sadler's Wells Theatre - 11 – 14 September 2024
Alvaro Madrigal and Jimin Kim dancing Five Dances by Arielle Smith
The former resident company of Sadler’s Wells is making its long-awaited return to the world stage. London City Ballet presents the best of British ballet and contemporary dance, paying homage to the company’s early beginnings, shining a bright light on a new legacy. Last seen 30 years ago, London City Ballet’s international company of dancers are touring the world in 2024, presenting acclaimed works including the revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1972 one-act ballet Ballade, unseen in Europe for over 50 years. Internationally celebrated ballerina, Alina Cojocaru, will appear as a guest artist in this greatly anticipated revival. Ashley Page’s Larina Waltz marks the ballet’s 30th anniversary, and Olivier award-winner Arielle Smith premieres a new work. Eve, a full company work by Christopher Marney, which premiered at Sadler’s Wells in 2022 with a newly commissioned score by Jennie Muskett MBE, will close the evening. Artistic Director, Christopher Marney has spent over a year rebuilding London City Ballet and these comeback performances remembers the Company’s roots in the form of rarely-seen archival footage.
Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch + Terrain Boris Charmatz Nelken
Sadler's Wells Theatre - 14th to 22nd, February 2024
The stage blooms with 8000 silk carnations in a playground for 20 exceptional dancers
A signature work by Pina Bausch, Nelken (Carnations) is a pinnacle in Tanztheater Wuppertal’s repertoire. Amplified by a new generation of performers, this bouquet of dance is an ode to the beauty of dancing bodies. In the history of dance, few creations bear the stamp of genius. Nelken, premiered in 1982, is one of them. In a huge field of 8000 carnations, the ensemble deploys the seasons, moves from chair to chair, displays its virtuosity with a nod to classical forms. The work conveys a world view that is tragic and cruel, but also tender and overflowing with a humanity that has touched audiences all over the world. Certain passages, such as the “Nelken Line,” have become iconic. Beauty blossoms here at every moment.
São Paulo Dance Company
Sadler's Wells Theatre - 9th to 10th, February 2024
Gnawa - Iari - Davies
Brazil’s finest dance company fuse the elegance of classical ballet with the sensuality of Latin American dance.
Making their UK debut, this ‘sleek, sexy and highly technical’ (The New Yorker) company of talented dancers are set to impress. Goyo Montero(resident choreographer with Carlos Acosta’s company Acosta Danza) explores the idea of collective identities in Anthem, an epic and emotionally charged ensemble piece for 14 dancers, beautifully visualised with dramatic lighting. Gnawa, by Nacho Duato, draws on the Mediterranean colours and flavours of Valencia, powered by the hypnotic, ritualistic music of North Africa. For the finale, Brazilian choreographer Cassi Abranches’ colourful and flirtatious Agora sculpts the movement of each dancer’s body with the percussive beats and bass grooves of Afro-Brazilian fusion.
BalletBoyz England on Fire
Sadler's Wells Theatre - 8th to 11th, November 2023
Ten musicians. One rock band. Thirteen dancers. Four performances. Burning the dance floor.
BalletBoyz collaborate with over forty artists in the company’s most ambitious, audacious, and political creation to date. With stunning visuals and live music from folk to punk and everything in-between, England on Fire unites a kaleidoscopic group of the UK’s hottest talent. Video Rehearsals Under the distinctive BalletBoyz banner, choreographer Holly Blakey, choreographer and performer Edd Arnold, dance, mime, theatre and drag company Thick & Tight, multi award-winner Russell Maliphant, choreographer and performer Vidya Patel, Stopgap Dance co-Artistic Director Lucy Bennett join forces with theatre director Ola Ince and choreographer Shelley Maxwell to create a live experience like no other. With performances by singer-songwriter Kami Thompson and post-punk band Gag Salon, the extraordinary soundscape also features new creations from Charlotte Harding, Cassie Kinoshi, Mukul, Keaton Henson, Joe Zeitlin, and Gwilym Gold. Inspired by the mind-blowing book England on Fire by Stephen Ellcock and Mat Osman, this is a search for meaning amid the challenges of life in the modern and ancient worlds. Don’t miss this fleeting chance to experience a world created by these unique artists in a bold and explosive series of just four performances.
Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet
Sadler's Wells Theatre - 1 August – 2 September 2023
Romeo and Juliet - Photo: Johan Persson
Passion and heartbreak collide in Matthew Bourne’s contemporary take on the timeless tale of two star-crossed young lovers.
Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet gives Shakespeare’s timeless story of forbidden love a scintillating injection of raw passion and youthful vitality. Confined against their will by a society that seeks to divide, our two young lovers must follow their hearts as they risk everything to be together. A masterful re-telling of an ageless tale of teenage discovery and the obsession of first love, Romeo and Juliet received universal critical acclaim when it premiered in 2019. Directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, collaborating with the New Adventures Artistic team; Etta Murfitt (Associate Artistic Director), Lez Brotherston (Set and Costume design), Paule Constable (Lighting Design), Paul Groothuis (Sound Design) and Arielle Smith (Associate Choreographer) with Terry Davies’ thrillingly fresh orchestrations of Prokofiev’s dynamic score.
Rehearsal images by Johan Persson, featuring New Adventures dancers
Corps extrêmes
Chaillot – Théâtre national de la Danse / Rachid OuramdaneSadler's Wells Theatre / 23 - 24 May, 2023
Corps extrêmes is a visually stunning exploration of flight and freedom with an ensemble of athletes and artists, defying belief on a set where the mountains meet the stage. Choreographer Rachid Ouramdane focusses on ideas of flight, states of weightlessness, and suspension – all key in extreme sports. This ambitious and captivating work brings together acrobats, flyers, a slackliner and a rock-climber. In an aerial dance that that will leave you on the edge of your seat, the ensemble push the boundaries of trust within the group, and test their own physical strength and emotional barriers. Featuring stunning video projection of remarkable natural landscapes alongside graceful yet spectacular physicality, Corps extrêmes reveals what motivates these larger-than-life individuals as they seek to escape gravity.
Akram Khan Company Jungle Book reimagined
Sadler's Wells Theatre / 4 - 15 April, 2023
A magical dance-theatre retelling of Kipling’s classic set against the backdrop of the climate crisis. In a near future world, a family is torn apart as they escape their homeland ravaged by the impact of climate change. Arriving alone in a deserted modern city, and with wild animals claiming the streets as their own, the child soon discovers unlikely allies in this strange new jungle. In Akram Khan’s new dance-theatre production based on the original story of Rudyard Kipling’s much-loved family classic, Akram and his team reinvent the journey of Mowgli through the eyes of a climate refugee. Featuring an original score, ten international dancers and state-of-the-art animation and visuals, Jungle Book reimagined is a beautifully compelling and vital piece of storytelling about our intrinsic need to belong and bond with others, and placing the importance of connecting with and respecting our natural world at its heart. Jungle Book reimagined brings together a stellar creative team, with script by Tariq Jordan, dramaturgy by Sharon Clark, an original score by Jocelyn Pook, sound design comes from Gareth Fry and lighting by Michael Hulls. Transforming the stage into a magical world, diving into the myths of today, is Miriam Buether with visual stage design, whilst video design and animation comes from YeastCulture.
Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends
Sadler's Wells Theatre / 9 - 11 March, 2023
Swift Arrow - Christopher Duggan
Tiler Peck turns up the heat with this handpicked showcase of talent.
Award-winning New York City Ballet principal dancer, choreographer, actress, author, curator and designer, Tiler Peck tackles the new role of director for Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends. After its sold-out world premiere in New York, Turn It Out With Tiler Peck & Friends makes its European debut in London at Sadler’s Wells. With her personal touches on every aspect of this unique evening, Peck has assembled some of today’s most exciting dance artists for a virtuosic and innovative programme. Originally conceived for New York City Center’s Artists at the Center series, the programme begins with Peck’s own Thousandth Orange, set to live music by Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw. Peck sought out West Coast legend Alonzo King to create the electric pas de deux, Swift Arrow, and joins forces with her long-time collaborator and world class tap dance star Michelle Dorrance alongside Jillian Meyers on Time Spell. The programme closes with The Barre Project, Blake Works II, a piece originally created for film with music by James Blake that marked the first creative partnership between Peck and choreographer William Forsythe. Featuring performances by: Quinn Starner, Michelle Dorrance, Jovani Furlan, Christopher Grant, Lex Ishimoto, Lauren Lovette, Brooklyn Mack, Aaron Marcellus, Roman Mejia, Jillian Meyers, Mira Nadon, Tiler Peck, K.J. Takahashi, Byron Tittle, and Penelope Wendtlandt.
Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty