Transitions Dance Company - Company and Choreographers of 2011

Transitions Dance Company - the UK’s original graduate dance company - is pleased to announce its members and choreographers for 2011. Twelve dynamic young dancers from Japan, Ghana, Belgium, France and across the UK will work with acclaimed choreographers Lucy Guerin, Martin Nachbar and Melanie Teall.

Transitions dancer Emma Webster (c) Chris Nash

Each year Transitions teams the best young dance performers of their generation with some of the most engaging choreographers on the international contemporary dance scene. This year’s talented company comprises: Joseph Darby, Mark Farrant, Adam Gain, Jesse Kovarsky, Katie-Joan Lawson, Yukiko Masui, Clement Mensah, Laura Mergny, Eleanor Perry, Claire Piquemal, Rosanna Wallis and Emma Webster. Every spring the company tours new work to national and international venues.

Transitions dancer Clement Mensah (c) Chris Nash

Lucy Guerin (Australia) received this year’s Bonnie Bird Choreography Fund International Award, which provides a commission for a choreographer to work with the company. Lucy danced with Tere O'Connor Dance, the Bebe Miller Company and Sara Rudner before setting up her own award-winning company, Lucy Guerin Inc., in Melbourne. She has also created commissioned work for Chunky Move (Australia), Ricochet (UK), Dance Works Rotterdam and Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project (USA).

Martin Nachbar (Berlin) works as dancer, performer and choreographer. From 1996 to 1998 he worked with Les Ballets C de la B in Ghent, and in 1999 he co-founded Gruppe B.D.C. along with Thomas Plischke and Alice Chauchat. He has collaborated with artists including choreographer Martine Pisani, composer Benjamin Schweitzer, dramaturge Jeroen Peters and visual artist Paul Hendrikse. In 2006, Martin received the Ludwigshafen Choreography Award.

Melanie Teall is best known for performing, teaching and choreographing for Rambert Dance Company (2003-7). She has also danced with Union Dance and Phoenix Dance Company and her awards include the Cosmopolitan C&A Dance Award and the Paul Clarke Award. Melanie teaches at various institutions and she is currently involved in choreography for English National Ballet's Swanning Around project at the Royal Albert Hall.

As rehearsals develop, each week the Transitions dancers will be blogging about their experience working with Lucy, Martin and Melanie. For a unique insight into the choreographic process, follow their rehearsal diary on www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/transitions

Founded by Bonnie Bird in 1982, Transitions Dance Company aims to bridge the gap between training and a professional performance career for graduate dancers. The company is supported artistically and administratively by Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and company members have the opportunity to complete the MA Dance Performance programme as part of their year’s training. The company is also generously supported by the Leverhulme Trust. Led by Artistic Director David Waring, Transitions is based at the stunning RIBA Stirling prize-winning Laban building in Deptford, South East London.

Distinguished Transitions alumni include Brooke Smiley, Michael Clark Company (graduated 2007), Leila McMillan (graduated 2005), Tom Dale (graduated 1999), Luca Silvestrini (graduated 1997) and Matthew Bourne (graduated 1986).

For more information about the company and choreographers, please see www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/transitions

Watch out for details of the Transitions tour which starts this spring!

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C12 Dance Theatre: Enough and The Chair

Enough by C12 Dance Theatre for us is about the antagonism between the dependency and struggles of living with burden. 

This was an affective performance with a much personalised feel. Crafted to enhance distinct emotion, this abstract piece felt true.  

 
Enough is a pure illustration of how emotions we struggle to find words for can be communicated through movement. This success has heightened DanceGround’s expectations for experiencing resonant meaning through Dance Theatre.

The Chair felt less intimate than Enough, but was along the same lines of personal hardship.

The Chair tells the story of a man forced to face his past. This performance explores abuse, forgiveness, retribution and justice.

This was a performance that raised more questions than answers. Without a linear narrative, our minds were kept active continuously asking when, why, and how.  This created empathy for the characters' distress as the story unfolded.  

Confusion as to whether the protagonist is a victim or perpetrator leads to uncomfortable feelings which we expect are the director’s intention. Not knowing quite how to feel is powerful, wondering whether to sympathise or resent a prisoner whose crime remained unknown allows us to question our innermost values.

The mystery enabled reflection, unanswered questions prompted us not be distracted by the answers.  An evening of intense theatre, do not expect to be able to sit back and relax.

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Yorkshire Dance showcases New Contemporary Dance from around the UK

Live Bites

Fri 26 Nov, 7.00pm

Yorkshire Dance

3 St Peter’s Buildings, St Peter’s Square, Leeds LS9 8AH

Box Office 0113 243 9867

Or book securely online at www.yorkshiredance.com

Tickets £8.00, concessions £6.00

Dance fans in Leeds are about to glimpse some of the brightest rising stars of contemporary dance.

Yorkshire Dance is working together with dance agencies from Newcastle, Manchester and Edinburgh to showcase some of the UK’s most exciting new small-scale contemporary dance in the city.

Live Bites, on Friday 26 November, will feature dance artists from Scotland, the North West and the North East, courtesy of agencies Dance City (Newcastle), DiGM (Manchester) and Dance Base (Edinburgh) alongside several artists based in Yorkshire.

Members of the audience will have the chance to get to know them better and ask about their work in a post-show conversation over a glass of wine.

The dance artists performing at Yorkshire Dance in Leeds are

Vanessa Grasse & Riccardo Meneghini (Leeds) – La Visione
Gary Clarke (Barnsley) – Bagofti

Ultimate Dancer (Harrogate) – This is Not a Dance
Surface Area Dance Theatre (Newcastle) – The Flowering Moon

Black Swan Dance Theatre (Edinburgh) – These are the conditions, now what happens next?

Project Auske (Manchester) – Abandoning Things

Two studio performances of works-in-progress, Lucy Suggate’s Bone Dust and Ella Mesma’s Ladylike, will take place before the main programme, starting at 7.00pm, giving the audience an unusually intimate experience of watching dance as it’s created.

Wieke Eringa, Director of Yorkshire Dance, explains, “We’re delighted to be launching this collaboration between four dance agencies here in Yorkshire, and we’re looking forward to staging similar events in Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh in spring 2011.

“The artists performing at Yorkshire Dance are presenting an amazing variety of work – some of it very funny, some of it very moving, some of it wonderfully odd – but what they’ve got in common is real creativity. It’s an exciting time for contemporary dance in the UK, and we can’t wait to see what audiences make of these new works.”

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Dance Video: A World Stage - Lauren Cuthbertson

A World Stage - Lauren Cuthbertson

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Russell Maliphant to Perform Live at Laban Theatre

Experience the critically-acclaimed work of dancer and choreographer Russell Maliphant in a unique showcase at Laban Theatre on November 24 & 25 at 7.30pm. The programme includes a coveted live performance from Maliphant himself, and two other works that span his career as one of the leading choreographers of his generation – the recent AfterLight (Part One) performed by award-winning dancer Daniel Proietto, and a film screening of Maliphant’s early duet, Critical Mass.

 Daniel Proietto in AfterLight Part 1 (c) Hugo Glendinning

The film Critical Mass is a duet choreographed by Maliphant in 1998 and performed with Jordi Cortés Molina. A mesmerising cross between a wrestling match and a tango, this is a tale of two bodies so close that they seem to be driven by telepathic communication. Played out in three movements, Critical Mass features music by Richard English and Andy Cowton with lighting design by Maliphant’s long-term collaborator, Michael Hulls.

Maliphant will then perform his popular solo work Shift created in 1996 in collaboration with Michael Hulls with music by Shirley Thompson. This subtle and hypnotic piece epitomises Maliphant’s exploration of light and movement. The dance is fractured and multiplied into multiple facets by the light, revealing delicate glimpses of radiance and darkness.

The final performance of the evening is Maliphant’s recent work, AfterLight (Part One), performed by Daniel Proietto and inspired by the photographs and geometric drawings of Vaslav Nijinsky. Smooth curves and fluid lines are articulated by Proietto as Hull’s lighting opulently flows and ebbs throughout. The piece was originally commissioned as part of In the Spirit of Diaghilev at Sadler’s Wells in 2009 for which Proietto won Dance Europe’s ‘Outstanding Performance of the Year’ award.

“Proietto’s dancing is extraordinary, everything ripples and flows, taut and soft in the same instant” THE INDEPENDENT

This engaging and varied program is a rare opportunity to witness Maliphant’s signature work in an intimate setting. Tickets are £15 (£12 concessions) and can be booked by calling the box office on 020 8469 9500 or online via www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/labantheatre

Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances, this new programme will replace the full-length AfterLight programme originally advertised at Laban Theatre.

For more information on all Laban Theatre performances please see www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/labantheatre

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Tempered Body Dance Company and Antique Dances present 'RAPTURE'

Celebrating the artistry and technical excellence of high calibre contemporary dance in London, at the beautiful Actor’s Church in Covent Garden, NOVEMBER 26th and 27th 2010, 8:00pm

Following on from the success of Entangled, a showcase of cutting edge dance in the heart of Covent Garden in August 2010, Rapture brings together Tempered Body Dance Company, Antique Dances, MOHOdance Company, and Guerrilla Dance Project for two nights of inspiring and innovative contemporary dance.

“The DIY philosophy has moved into dance” Libby Costello, London Dance

The 4 companies will be performing new and existing works embracing the ethos of cutting edge dance presented in a stunning and unique space, which enjoyed rave reviews and sell out shows in Entangled this summer.

“The whole evening is a commendable display of skill in choreography, music and dance. Art is painted on the stage and the beauty of what the body can do is revealed.” – Chantal Pierre-Packer, the Fringe Report

Tickets will be available through www.temperedbody.com from from £10 - £15.

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Yorkshire Dance - Bipolar Ringmaster - the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad in Leeds...

In March this year, London 2012 and Arts Council England announced that they had funded 10 commissions for Unlimited, the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad project. Unlimited will celebrate disability, arts, culture and sport on an unprecedented scale – it is set to transform the disability arts movement in the UK.

One of those ten commissions is to be performed at Yorkshire Dance in Leeds next week.

Bipolar Ringmaster (without a circus) has been created by Hebden Bridge’s Mish Weaver, director of Stumble danceCircus, and herself a sufferer of bipolar disorder.

Bipolar Ringmaster (without a circus) is a one-man show performed by actor Eric MacLennan. Our ringmaster, Ennui L’Estrange, shares his all-consuming love of circus and the sophisticated hopelessness of his obsession.

The solitary ringmaster plays with perceptions of mental ill health and performance. Ennui conjures up vivid circus performances, on film and in his imagination.  We share his knowledge that no matter what, ‘the show must go on.’ There is no middle ground as the glitz of circus and the monochrome of depression meet head on.

Bipolar Ringmaster is a developmental precursor for a group show in 2012 in which the character will find himself the pivotal figure of a fully fledged Bipolar Circus, presented by Stumble.

Fri 12 Nov, 7.30pm
Yorkshire Dance, Leeds

3 St Peter’s Buildings, St Peter’s Square, LS9 8AH

Box Office 0113 243 8765

Or book securely online, www.yorkshiredance.com

Tickets £9.00, concessions £7.00

The project is principally funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, and is delivered in partnership between London 2012, Arts Council England, the Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the British Council.

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Dance Video: boxcuttuhz performance @ club EGGMAN (japan)

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Red Bull Reporter Wanted for the Red Bull BC One

 On 27^th November, the Red Bull BC One will touch down on Japanese soil for the biggest one-on-one B-boy event of the year.

Red Bull Reporter wants to take a talented, outgoing and adventurous photographer to Tokyo to capture the magic of this unique event. 

This is the biggest assignment of the year for the programme that sends aspiring writers, photographers, filmmakers and presenters to cover incredible events all over the UK and internationally, and showcases their stories afterwards.

The Red Bull BC One is in it’s seventh year, the world’s most prestigious one-on-one battle is coming to Tokyo where 16 of the best breakdancers from across the globe will compete across a number of heats to be crowned “The One”.

If this is an opportunity that you can’t miss then make sure you submit your best photography by no later than 12pm on Friday 5^th November and tag it with “Red Bull BC One.”

As this assignment is overseas, you must ensure that you have a valid passport and that you’re free from Wednesday 24^th November – Sunday 28^th November.

Visit the assignment page http://www.redbullreporter.com/2010/10/red-bull-bc-one-5/ to find out how to get involved. 

Good luck!

www.redbullreporter.com

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Breaking Cycles Announce Process 2010

Process 2010 is an intensive theatre laboratory offering young artists a rare opportunity to work with world-renowned performers and theatre experts.

This year Process is taking place in both Birmingham and Manchester.

Process is an excellent opportunity for artists, actors and dancers to get involved, connect with like-minded people and gain great experience. Since the first workshop in 2006 Process has become an essential step in the development of hot new performers and several previous participants are back to showcase their work at this years events.

If you’re a writer, actor, designer, MC, b-boy/b-girl or popper with a couple of year’s experience, or if you’ve recently graduated from a performing arts course, then this could be the master-class for you. You’ll discover new approaches to story telling and learn how to combine your talents with those of others to create cutting edge physical theatre.

See www.breakingcycles.co.uk for full details

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