Monthly Archives: July 2018

Young artists bring hip-hop lyrics to life

Images, News, What's on, , , ,

This weekend was the culmination of Graffical, a project run by our Breakin’ Convention team and funded by Islington Council’s Summerversity programme. For four days, participants aged between 13 and 21 had explored different aspects of hip-hop lyricism aided by three mentors: the poet and art educator Poetcurious, the rapper Reveal and the graffiti artist Mr. Dane. At a local youth facility, Soapbox Islington, they wrote their own lyrics and brought them to life via the medium of visual art; using paint, markers and POSCA pens. (Since they first entered the market in 1983, POSCA paint pens have had a formative role in the cultural history of urban art and are still revered in the graffiti community and wider visual arts today). 

On Sunday, their creations were exhibited at Sadler’s Wells. The art they produced represents their lived experiences and candidly reflects how these young people navigate their social environments. The participants had never met or worked together previously, and the result was outstanding. The Graffical project struck a chord both with members of the public and the participants themselves. Zion, 13, said of his mentors Poetcurious, Reveal and Mr. Dane, “I wish my art teachers were like you”. Brian, 17, said he would definitely use the opportunity to do take part in a similar project in the future.

Sadler’s Wells recognises that the most effective way to produce great art is to allow artists to create work on their own terms – a particular forte of the youth outreach programme run by Breakin’ Convention. When artists are given the freedom and the opportunity, their creativity can shine.

For more Breakin’ Convention youth projects, follow their Instagram @BreakinConventionYP.

Photo credit: Shay Rafati. 

BEHIND THE SCENES ON BOTIS SEVA’S NEW CHANNEL 4 DANCE FILM

Dance Films

Random Acts returns to Channel 4 this summer with a new series of short films including Reach, which will be broadcast at midnight on Tuesday 7 August.

Director Billy Boyd Cape collaborates with dancer and choreographer Botis Seva’s hip-hop theatre collective Far From The Norm to explore themes of love, abandonment and fatherhood in this emotional dance film commissioned by Sadler’s Wells.

Botis Seva, Artistic Director of Far From the Norm, said: “The film was a very different and new experience for me. I’m grateful that I got to collaborate with Billy Boyd Cape. He is an amazing director with a creative vision that complements my practice. I’m proud of the short film, it touches on something I care deeply about and I’m excited to share it.”

Take a sneaky peek behind the scenes at the making of Reach in this video:

Botis Seva was recently appointed Guest Artistic Director of National Youth Dance Company for 2019. #

His new dance work, commissioned by Sadler’s Wells as part of the 20th anniversary of  our theatre building this year, will be presented as part of Reckonings, a triple bill showcasing the work of a new generation of dance makers, on 11 – 13 October.

Our Top 5 Cuban Dance Moments on Strictly

What's on

Our sizzling new musical, Carmen La Cubana, explodes onto the Sadler’s Wells stage this August in a brand new twist on one of the most famous operas ever created. As we prepare to throw on our Cuban heels and measure out the mojitos for a spectacular evening of entertainment at the theatre this summer, we take a look back at some our favourite Cuban-inspired dance routines from BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing to get us in the mood…

1. Mark Ramprakash & Karen Hardy – Salsa

The classic Cuban dance style of Salsa translates to ‘sauce’ and Kara Tointon an Artem Chigvintsev certainly delivered some hot and spicy flavours on the dancefloor in this show-stopping performance! The pair were awarded a perfect score of 40 by the judges and went on to take the Glitter Ball Trophy for series 4.

2. Lisa Snowdon & Brendan Cole – Cha Cha Cha

Lisa and Brendan put their own spin on this fun and flirty dance style, set to the music of Amy Winehouse. They scored top marks for this sensational take on the Cha Cha Cha, a style which originates from the dance halls of Havana and is named after its triple step footwork pattern.

3. Rachel Stevens & Vincent Simone – Rumba

This slow and seductive Rumba is beautifully executed by Rachel and Vincent in the 2008 Strictly final. Look out for the ‘Rumba drop’ at the end of the routine; a classic trope of this dance style which originates from the streets of northern Cuba, and is often considered to be a dance of courtship and passion!

4. Abbey Clancy & Aljaz Skorjanec – Salsa

It’s impossible not to groove along to Abbey and Aljaz’s disco-salsa fusion! The two styles blend seamlessly together with some impressive lifts, fast-paced footwork, plenty of hip action and some old school disco moves. Can you believe that Abbey had no formal dance training before taking part in the show?!

5. Caroline Flack & Pasha Kovalev – Cha Cha Cha

Caroline and Pasha brought fun and energy to the floor in their version of the Cha Cha Cha. The couple were awarded a perfect score by the judges in series 12. We also love how Caroline’s fringed frock adds a layer of extra movement and sparkle to the routine!

Carmen La Cubana comes to Sadler’s Wells from 1 – 18 August. Tickets are available priced from £15 by calling the Ticket Office on 020 7863 8000 or book online.

Our all-time favourite Carmens

News

Ruthless, seductive and free-spirited – the character of Carmen continues to enthral audiences worldwide. As we prepare to bring a new interpretation of the famous femme fatale to Sadler’s Wells, we take a look at some of the most memorable Carmens on the stage and screen.

Georges Bizet’s Carmen

The character of Carmen was originally created by French writer Prosper Mérimée in his 1845 novella. Ruled by nature, demanding, attractive, licentious, full of abandon, this ‘strange and wild beauty’ is determined not to show any vulnerability. But it was Georges Bizet’s operatic adaptation thirty years later that became the most famous representation. Breaking both musical and moral traditions, Carmen flopped at its Paris premiere. Today, it’s one of the most widely performed operas in the world.

Even within Bizet’s opera, countless directors and singers have interpreted Carmen in wildly different and interesting ways. Compare these two productions from the Royal Opera House – the first sees Italian soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci as the archetypal charismatic seductress, while in the second, directed by Barrie Kosky in 2018, Russian mezzo-soprano Anna Goryachova highlights Carmen’s enigmatic and ever-changing nature, marked by her series of contrasting costumes.

Carmen Jones

In 1943, American songwriter and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II brought his jazz-inspired musical adaption Carmen Jones to Broadway, where it would become one of the most successful musicals of the 1940s. His version of the story was set in an African-American community in North Carolina: Carmen is a seamstress in a parachute factory. When she attacks one of her fellow workers, the young GI Joe is sent to escort her to prison. In 1954, Hollywood director Otto Preminger picked up the story of Carmen Jones again, turning it into a multi-award winning feature film starring Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte, which became a huge global hit.

Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man

Matthew Bourne’s bold reimagining is a masterstroke in choreographic storytelling. Bourne swaps the Spanish cigarette factory for a greasy garage-diner in 1960’s America where the dreams and passions of a small town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome stranger. Loosely based on Bizet’s opera and taking inspiration from film noir, it has one of the most instantly recognisable scores in New Adventures’ repertory, arranged by Terry Davies. The multi award-wining production premiered in 2000 and has been shown in over 150 cinemas worldwide.

Carmen La Cubana

Carmen experiences another exciting transformation in this breath-taking new musical set against the simmering turmoil of the Cuban revolution – from a cigar factory in the rural south-east of the island to the teeming bars and clubs of Havana. A new orchestration of Bizet’s score by Tony Award winner Alex Lacamoire (Hamilton) mixes opera with salsa, mambo, rumba and cha-cha-cha while Roclan González Chávez’s sizzling choreography incorporates traditional Cuban styles, filling the auditorium with the intoxicating spirit of Cuba.

Played by Luna Manzanares, Carmen becomes a proud Cuban woman whose personal quest for freedom unfolds during a time of political turmoil. Sensual and beguiling, strong-willed and confident, she embodies her own rebellion. “I will laugh and drink, I will sing and dance and live life to the fullest to the last day. As long as I can fly, I will look at the sky. I will always be Carmen.”

Carmen La Cubana runs at Sadler’s Wells from 1 – 18 August. Tickets are available now priced from £15 by calling the Ticket Office on 020 7863 8000 or book online.

A teachers’ workshop with Hofesh Shechter Company

News, , ,

Charlotte Conroy Legge teaches GCSE dance at Bohunt School in Liphook, Hampshire. She recently took part in a teachers’ workshop we delivered with the company of our Associate Artist Hofesh Shechter, who returned to our stage this month with his latest work Grand Finale. Here, Charlotte shares her thoughts about the experience.

“As a dance teacher in a secondary school, I was excited and intrigued to participate in the Hofesh Shechter dance teachers’ workshop at Sadler’s Wells in July. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was hoping to at least learn some repertoire from Hofesh’s latest piece Grand Finale. I have been teaching in schools for three years now and try and take any opportunity to improve my practice. This in turn helps me to inspire my students and have an impact on the future generation in dance – something I’m always aspiring to do. I looked upon this workshop as a chance to expand my knowledge and gain a better insight into Hofesh Shechter Company.

The workshop was run by Bruno Guilore, the company’s Associate Artistic Director, and Merel Lammers, a long-time dancer in the company. “The spine is a b****!” said Bruno as the class were improvising, attempting to move every muscle they could on all fours. The day started with a session based around how Hofesh Shechter Company dancers usually start their rehearsal. Hofesh works a lot with improvisation and this was what our first session was based around. As we went back to basics and really worked through the body, it reminded me of my training at university, back to a time when you really had to know your body. Reminiscent as it was, it prompted me to think about why I had chosen to pursue dance in the first place. As teachers, we often run out of time in our busy week to take classes for ourselves.

After our improvisation workshop, we were able to watch some of the company’s rehearsal. To our pleasant surprise, they were doing the exercise we had just finished in our first session. This was a nice touch and solidified the feeling we were really getting the full experience. Of course, the dancers were ‘nailing it’. I almost wished we could have watched them before our task, so I could have cheated – although I feel like Bruno was canny and would have known!

Back down to the studio, we got ready to learn some repertoire from Grand Finale. I’ve always enjoyed Hofesh’s style and embodying this was challenging but different. You could see the fatigue and sweat of the fellow teachers around you, but continued to push through. With its high energy and quick, dynamic changes, it was exhausting, but I felt like I was getting my money’s worth! Merel pushed us and really wanted us to keep the integrity of the movement – meaning that, although we were sweating buckets, we were still striving to improve. It wasn’t “here you go, here’s the repertoire, get on with it”; it was “if you’re leaving with this repertoire, it will be in your body and it will be performed how it should be”.

Having two company members take the sessions was fascinating, especially when they talked about the origin of the movement content and the way in which Hofesh works. Going back to primal ways of moving and creating organic, authentic movement came across vividly. Finding the groove and allowing the body to move instinctually was very much encouraged. At the end of the practical session, we took a much-needed breather and sat down. We were then shown the costumes from the show and had a Q&A session with the dancers. This was an opportunity for us all to listen to the first-hand experiences and interpretations from the company members. In another valuable part of the day, nothing was left unaddressed and we had plenty of time to get as much out of the session as what we had come for.

And it wasn’t over. After what seemed like a long but engaging day of moving and improvising, we took a break before arriving at the theatre. We were greeted by welcome drinks, when we were able to network and chat about what we had experienced so far. To top off what had already been an incredible day of learning, we got to enjoy a performance of Grand Finale. I couldn’t help but pick out the repertoire I had just learnt as I watched. What a wonderful way to bring the whole day together and come back around full circle. A truly immersive experience, which not only benefited me but will benefit my students.

The event was advertised as a teacher workshop in support of the new A-Level specification, but what I got out of the day was far greater.”

Recreating Carmen: In Conversation with Director Christopher Renshaw

Interviews

Since her “birth” in 1845, Carmen has experienced a variety of transformations and conquered every possible art form such as opera, theatre and film. What makes this character so attractive?

Christopher Renshaw: Independence and lust for life are so very attractive. It is Carmen’s determination – that her inner and outer freedom will never be compromised – that makes her a force of Nature and a unique free spirit. She refuses to abide by social or sexual norms.

Carmen is a rebel without regard to consequences; she will never surrender her freedom of choice or independence of spirit. Perhaps much of her popularity is derived from audiences, who may long to live more like Carmen? What is so important to me about Carmen is she that never allows her self to be victimised. However tragic her fate, she walks towards it of her own freewill, declaring herself to be, as she always wanted, “la Reina de la Havana”

In your version, the character of Carmen is transformed again since the plot takes place in Cuba. How did this idea come up and how did it become a reality?

Christopher Renshaw: I was very inspired by the wonderful Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte film 1954 Carmen Jones, and had been wanting, for quite a while, to find a way of transposing the action, and indeed the music, to a Latin American setting. It was only when meeting Jon Lee in Havana in 2013, that finally everything clicked. As soon as I landed, and was taken to La Guarida, the extraordinary and sensually evocative building where “Fresas y Chocolate” was filmed, I knew straight away how Carmen Jones was to be reinvented.

Carmen La Cubana in rehearsal

For your artistic process, you were able to spend several months in Cuba. How was it to work with the Cuban creative and artists? Did this experience influence your concept and the way you would direct the piece?

Christopher Renshaw: The development process of Carmen la Cubana was a real privilege; not a quick ‘gringo’ trip, but a chance to live in Havana, 2 among her dancers, musicians, singers and actors and to find a way that our show could evolve from within. When we finally staged our first workshop in 2014, it felt that Carmen la Cubana had truly been claimed by the great Cuban artists that had helped create it. Those first four performances on a dilapidated wharf in the Old Port of Havana still remain at the show’s soul.

What exactly is the “Cuban flavor” of Carmen la Cubana?

Christopher Renshaw: Carmen la Cubana has more than a Cuban flavor. It breathes Cuba. Every actor, singer, musician and dancer is from Cuba, and they bring with them an authenticity that is unique. The story of a free thinking, sexually liberated women struggling to retain her independence, while her culture explodes around here, fits the ethos of Bizet’s original opera like a glove.

What attracts you so much to Cuba and its people?

Christopher Renshaw: When you go to Cuba, the force of the people’s love for life hits you like an express train. You collide with an explosion of joy, sensuality, fun and above all else, music; it wafts from squares, alleys and widows. And what is particularly amazing and humbling is that the Cuban people can access such positivity in spite of the hardships anddeprivations their Country’s political history has bought them. Another huge influence on me was the Santeria religion, which is everywhere in Havana. This Yoruban system of beliefs had come to the Island with the slave trade, and so much of Cuban dance, rhythms and music owe its uniqueness to this intriguing and powerful religion. I was very excited to weave Santeria through the stories of Carmen and her friends.

A scene from Christopher Renshaw’s production of Carmen La Cubana

Carmen la Cubana is full of vivid acting scenes, singing and dance. However, the art forms resonate in a very organic way with each other. How did you and your team achieve this fascinating synergy?

Christopher Renshaw: My team and I just relaxed and went with the flow! There is so much talent in the room at rehearsals and so much energy and 3 inspiration to be harnessed, that it is all there to be taken and enjoyed. If you just open your ears, eyes and soul to what is in front of you, the production will take its own form.

The musical arrangements of Alex Lacamoire bring a new “attractive” sound to the well known classical opera melodies. How as the working process with him? And what makes his work for Carmen La Cubana so unique?

Christopher Renshaw: Alex Lacamoire is one of the best musical brains on Broadway and he is also proud of his Cuban heritage. When I asked him if would like to develop the score of Bizet’s opera in the Cuban style, he was very keen to participate. We spent many hours together in his studio in New York before we went to Havana, where he was able to do ‘live’ arrangements with a Cuban band. It was one of the most exciting moments of my life – to witness what Alex and I had dreamed, as it burst to life in front of our eyes and ears. Carmen’s personal concept of freedom resonates in the atmosphere of the Cuban evolution.

How important were the historical aspects for your piece?

Christopher Renshaw: Personally I am completely obsessed with Cuban political history and especially about the events of 1959. But I didn’t want Carmen la Cubana to be just about politics. I wanted it to be about a woman, thrillingly ahead of her time, being trapped and confronted by the political and social turmoil in which she lived. The production tries to steer clear of taking political sides and to show a country and culture in massive upheaval, with the people, as ever in these situations, just trying to live their lives and to play them out as well as fate allows them.

Carmen La Cubana runs at Sadler’s Wells from 1 – 18 August. Tickets are available now priced from £15 by calling the Ticket Office on 020 7863 8000 or book online.

Ori Lichtik: “It’s a world to dive into”

Interviews

DJ and musician Ori Lichtik is best-known as one of the founders of the techno music scene in Israel. Together with choreographer Sharon Eyal and her husband and collaborator Gai Behar, they established dance company L-E-V, bringing rave culture and a club atmosphere to the world of contemporary dance. In this interview, we chat to Ori about the creative process behind his compositions and their latest work, Love Chapter 2, making its UK premiere at Sadler’s Wells on 13 & 14 July.

Tell us about your background as a musician and a composer.
I started as a DJ and a drummer at parties and raves. As a composer, I have worked with Sharon and Gai since 2006. That’s when we did our first piece together. Quite a complex one that included tracks of mine but also a DJ set.

What are your musical influences? What inspires your sound?
I started from techno which, for me, is a form of minimalist music. I like to take the essence of other music genres too. I used to mix a lot of modern classical music like Stravinsky, Debussy and Bartók with techno and African field recording and industrial music, that also has this minimalism but still wilderness and groove. Stravinsky and Debussy for me are groove masters. Only you need to take it out of them because if you play them as is it’s more of a Western story but if you mix it in the right way then it becomes groovy, minimal, wild music. My influences are stuff that is groovy and to find them out of places that are not necessarily obvious. Today when most of the music is original still, I use a lot of strings and classical elements inside the pattern and the format of more free and minimal music.

What is the creative process?
Usually we start from day zero together, which is quite peculiar as far as I understand in the dance world. I set up my equipment in the studio and just start playing from scratch. Sharon is shooting out forms, movements and ideas from her body and I am playing music from my equipment and my computer. Everything we do is being recorded and we have tonnes of hours of recording. We start cleaning it at some point and the distilling process begins. It is being carved until the last moment.

What does Love Chapter 2 sound like?
One of the comments we get is “What is this music? What genre is it?” That’s the best comment, I like that people don’t place it. Obviously there is techno, full of texture and groove is very crucial more than the story or the narrative in the music. On the other hand, there are lots of strings, which is different to how it comes with techno. Let’s see what people hear when they come to Sadler’s Wells.

How did your collaboration with Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar come about?
Gai has been my best buddy since we were 1 year olds. When they started dating I got to know Sharon, then later I realised she was already coming to parties I was playing, and then dancing when we really got to know each other! Sharon asked Gai to join her in the studio just to see and have inspiration. He had so much vision and ideas concerning the piece, the composition and the different elements, and then they asked me to try and make something for them. At first I was skeptical because I found it weird to make music for sitting people.

Watch the trailer for Love Chapter 2:

What is the biggest challenge of what you do?
For me the essence of deadline. Today I know I couldn’t work without it – the premiere – this dramatic title that is in your calendar. The knowledge that you have to work things up to a certain moment. To be honest it always includes a compromise at some level or the other. That is the challenge and also the beauty of it. It’s so different to playing live as a DJ although I do play live in our pieces.

Why should audiences come to see Love Chapter 2 at Sadler’s Wells?
The most honest answer is, it’s beautiful and exciting. One of the comments I like the most about our pieces is that they’re hypnotic. It’s a world to dive into – it takes you in and makes you feel stuff.

Love Chapter 2 runs at Sadler’s Wells on 13 & 14 July. Tickets are available now priced at £20 by calling the ticket office on 020 7863 8000 or book online.

Listen to the music of Ori Lichtik here:

Inspiring Future Theatre Day: Over 400 Young Dancers Prepare to perform at Eden Project

News, ,

On Inspiring Future Theatre Day, we’re excited to announce a performance by over 400 young dancers that will take place at Eden Project in Cornwall on 17 July, in collaboration with National Youth Dance Company and Dance Republic 2.

Space Time will see 41 of the most talented young dancers in England from the National Youth Dance Company travel to Cornwall to take part in this unique dance event, joining young dancers from 10 Cornwall schools and the ‘Propeller’ young dancers training programme.

Throughout the afternoon, the Eden Project’s Mediterranean Biome will host performances by the young dancers, specially created for the space.

Each dance group will explore a particular theme related to space or time, located across chosen sites at the Eden Project such as the Lime Steps, Spiral Garden and Avenue of the Senses, culminating in a spectacular finale with 450 young people dancing on and around the bridge near the Core Building.

The finale to the piece was choreographed by dancers and artists from National Youth Dance Company during a residency at Falmouth University in May, and is now being taught to primary school children all over Cornwall in preparation for the performance next month.

Elaine Foley, Projects Manager for Learning & Engagement at Sadler’s Wells, says: “The National Youth Dance Company residency at Falmouth University in May was brilliant. We loved meeting all the dancers from Propeller and were so impressed by all the material they learned in just two days. In the spirit of Inspiring Future Theatre Day, much of the choreography was taught by NYDC dancers themselves or generated in groups using improvisation. Everyone was open-minded, hard working, and brought loads of creative ideas to the session. It was a beautiful example of artistic practice driven by young people. We couldn’t be more thankful to Propeller and AMATA at Falmouth University for the opportunity to bring everyone together in this way. It’s going to be amazing seeing it all come together at Eden Project later this month!”

Space Time begins at 1pm on 17 July, with the finale at approximately 3.30pm.

There’s also a chance to see National Youth Dance Company on tour this summer with their latest work Used To Be Blonde choreographed by Guest Artistic Director Sharon Eyal. Upcoming performances include Latitude Festival on 14 July, AMATA Falmouth on 18 July and Brighton Dome on 20 July. Find out more here.

Company Wayne McGregor: In Rehearsal

What's on

At their impeccably designed studios in Stratford, the 10 dancers of Company Wayne McGregor are hard at work rehearsing for the return of Autobiography to the Sadler’s Wells stage this July.

Take a tour of Studio Wayne McGregor on Instagram

Inspired by the human genome and devised around his own sequence of DNA, acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor CBE has created his choreographic Autobiography in collaboration with a stellar creative team.

With lighting by Lucy Carter, set by Ben Cullen Williams and costumes by Aitor Throup, the show’s striking aesthetic makes use of clean lines, geometric sculptures, sheer fabrics and light bars.

Custom designed by architects We Not I, we visited the impressive studios that are home to Company Wayne McGregor to catch a glimpse of the production in rehearsal. Here’s a sneaky peek…

We also invited some special guests to take a tour of the Studios and get an exclusive preview of the show in rehearsal. Take a look at this photo gallery from @LondonLivingDoll…

A really brilliant afternoon spent having a tour of Studio @waynemcgregor with @sadlers_wells in advance of the revival of McGregor’s “Autobiography” 26-28 July at Sadler’s Wells. The studio is located @hereeast in Stratford, the company being one of the first arts organisations to move to the area, to be followed by @sadlers_wells and @vamuseum among others, creating an arts hub in East London. The studio was thoughtfully designed by @wenoti_work and includes a series of spaces for use by the company and its collaborators. Also featured throughout the space are artworks by artists such as Hiroon Mirza (third picture) and Tatsuo Miyajima (fifth picture) with whom McGregor has collaborated (for @zabludowicz_collection and “Limen” for @royaloperahouse, respectively) on loan from @lisson_gallery. . Meanwhile, “Autobiography”, with a set by @bencullenwilliams and lighting by @lucycarterld, is a set of 23 pieces which are danced in a different order every night, determined by an algorithm based on McGregor’s own genetic code. Thank you to the dancers, @waynemcgregor and @sadlers_wells for a brilliant afternoon. Can’t wait to see the show later this month! . #designingfordance #waynemcgregor #studiowaynemcgregor #wenoti #autobiography #dance #architecture #art #tetsuomiyajima #haroonmirza #lissongallery #contemporaryart #contemporarydance

A post shared by Dolly Brown (@londonlivingdoll) on

Autobiography runs at Sadler’s Wells from 26 – 28 July. Tickets are available now priced at £12 by calling our ticket office on 020 7863 8000 or book online.

The Ageless Quality of Dance

Interviews, News, ,

Sadler’s Wells’ pioneering Company of Elders – whose dancers range from 60 to 89 years old – has been pushing the boundaries of dance for over 20 years. The dancers’ powerful performances in the UK and internationally have inspired similar companies to be created around the country, offering more and more people in later life a chance to dance. In this interview with The Elder, Sadler’s Wells’ Director of Learning and Engagement Joce Giles talks about the ageless quality of dance, the power of performance and the importance of challenging perceptions of what people can achieve and do in later life.

When and why was the Company of Elders set up?

The Company of Elders dates back to 1989. Back then, Sadler’s Wells started an arts club for older adults, and through that programme, workshops were held with visiting companies. Out of that, some ad hoc performances were organised for anyone in that group who was interested. That just snowballed, and by 1992 the Company of Elders was formed as a proper group.

The Company of Elders actually predates the current building at Sadler’s Wells, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and really it’s at the heart of how the organisation has grown over the last three decades.

I’ve been in my role at Sadler’s Wells for just over a year and a half, but I had been aware of Company of Elders for many years before that. I have always worked in dance, and the company really captured people’s imagination in the dance sector. When its dancers first performed they were pioneers – nothing else existed like that. Now groups inspired by the company have sprung up around the UK and internationally.

Is the Company of Elders made up of former professional dancers?

There are no professional dancers in the group. They come from a range of different backgrounds; some may have danced when they were younger, and this is a chance to reconnect with that. For others, dance is something they have taken up since retiring. The age range is people over 60 – but within that, there are dancers in their late 80s.

At Sadler’s Wells, we want to present dance in all its different styles, and for that to be reflected in the work that we do with programmes such as Company of Elders. So along with contemporary choreographers, the dancers have worked with hip-hop choreographers and people who work in South Asian dance styles, for example – they are very versatile.

Is there anything different about dance in later life?

Obviously there are some physical considerations, but actually, we ask the choreographers to come in and give a true sense of their work – and not to hold back. Company members are always clear to say if anything needs to be adapted for them – they want to be challenged.

I think one of the main considerations though is communication; speaking up if people have difficulty hearing, repeating information and maybe taking a bit more time to go through the movements.

In dance, we are used to seeing young performers at the height of their physical capability – and that’s fantastic to witness. But I think there’s something that an older performer, non-professional or professional, brings to the stage, that only they can – and that has a different quality. The presence that they bring to the stage is something that audiences find very powerful.

Read the full interview on The Elder website.

Company of Elders perform in the Lilian Baylis Studio on Friday 6 July (sold out).

Photos: Company of Elders in rehearsal (c) Johan Persson