Contemporary dance ensemble comes to Wimbledon
Richard Alston Dance Company, one of the UK’s leading contemporary dance ensembles, returns to New Wimbledon Theatre on Tuesday May 10 to finish its spring tour.
The performance will be the first chance to see Alston’s An Italian in Madrid starring the Kathak performer and BBC Young Dancer of the Year finalist Vidya Patel since its premiere at Sadler’s Wells.
The evening begins with Nomadic, Alston’s collaboration with the young hip hop choreographer Ajani Johnson-Goffe (the first time Alston has collaborated with another choreographer in his 46-year career).
Exploring the meeting point between hip hop and world music, Nomadic is set to music by Ursari Gypsy band Shukar Collective who fuse Romany and electronic music.
Burning is by the company’s Associate Choreographer Martin Lawrance (himself formerly one of the company’s star dancers). Set to Lizst’s Dante Sonata played live by pianist Jason Ridgway, Burning explores Lisztomania (the Beatlemania of its day) and the composer’s relationship with the young, married Countess Marie D’Agoult.
An Italian in Madrid is set to Scarlatti piano sonatas played live by Alston’s regular collaborator Jason Ridgway and explores how art forms and cultures absorb new influences. It loosely tells the story of Scarlatti’s move from his native Naples to Madrid with his pupil Princess Maria Barbera when she married into the Spanish Royal family.
Alston invited BBC Young Dancer grand finalist and outstanding Kathak performer Vidya Patel to perform the part of Princess Maria. She gives her first performances at the New Wimbledon Theatre since the piece’s hugely successful premiere at Sadler’s Wells at the end of March.
April 29, 2016