South Wales Dance Festival brings international dance talent across Cardiff, Swansea and Newport
South Wales is host to another superb programme of collective dance across five of its key venues this May and June, as Horizons Dance Festival presents an exhilarating range of international dance in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport.
This is the third year of this successful festival: a unique collaboration between five venues that brings international dance talent to the people of Wales, and a key event in showing the diverse range of cultural activity that Wales hosts, rivalling that of its European dance festival counterparts. This year’s programme is a showcase of new talent, middle-scale contemporary dance, large-scale opera/dance collaboration, cutting-edge performance theatre and much more. Home-grown dance artists perform aside internationally established choreography in a rich programme of dance sure to enlighten, delight, inspire, challenge and provoke.
The festival kicks off at the Riverfront, Newport, as the all female Cholmondeleys and all-male Featherstonehaughs perform a night of exhilarating movement sure to blast audiences firmly into the festival mood. The Riverfront also hosts EDge later as part of the festival, who presents an eclectic mix of international choreography showcasing the talents of London Contemporary Dance School postgraduates – exceptional dancers on the cusp of their careers.
The Sherman welcomes Phoenix Dance Theatre back to Cardiff with a mixed bill of inspiring dance works from international choreographers, as well as a rare revival of Jane Dudley’s 1938 masterpiece Harmonica Breakdown while Taliesin Arts Centre, presents Paco Pena Flamenco Dance Company, a dazzling representation of the Spanish art form as part of the Swansea leg of the festival.
Diversions, Dance Company of Wales, a key leader of Horizons Dance Festival, and Welsh National Opera unite forces for a visual and musical feast that is Seven Deadly Sins and Duke Bluebeard’s Castle at the Wales Millennium Centre, marking an exciting creative partnership between two of Wales’ national companies and two WMC residents. The WMC also hosts a powerful and passionate programme from one of the most revolutionary ensembles in the world of contemporary dance Netherlands Dans Theater 2 (NDT2), while Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man tells the tale of shattered dreams and passion in a tale loosely based on Bizet’s opera Carmen.
Roy Campbell-Moore, Director of Diversions and festival founder said;
“This festival is certainly the highlight of my dance year. This superb programme is proof that the festival continues to grow into an annual showcase for the very best work of this wonderful art form in Wales”.
It is not just large scale dance companies performing under the Horizons banner this year. Chapter presents a double bill from Cardiff based Cai Tomos and Annie Pui Ling Lok, and a unique collaboration between and internationally acclaimed duo from Iceland; musician Jöhann Jöhannsson and charismatic dancer and choreographer Erna Ómarsdóttir. Harnischlacey Dance Theatre present an enticing montage of dance, text , live film and music in a visually stunning work Final Cut, while one of Cardiff’s most idiosyncratic and visionary new dancers Anushiye Yarnell presents SUGAR bLOod gLOVES LUST – ‘a wonderful flight of invention’.
Diversions Dance House, home to the Dance Company of Wales and key organiser of the Festival presents its own slice of UK dance talent this year. Somerset based Mark Bruce Company perform the ‘otherworldly’ Sea of Bones; a dark journey into dreams, heightened reality and ancient and modern mythology. The show also stars two of Diversions own dancers and the company’s celebrated rehearsal director Joanne Fong. Jo returns to the festival again as part of a Triple Bill from Dance Bristol, where she performs one of three solo pieces along side the equally revered Laila Diallo and Jane Mason.
As well as this audiences are invited to enjoy ‘drop in’ free events during a creative week at the Dance House for choreographers, writers, visual artists and composers, while two prolific dance writers run a Seminar exploring the ‘Metalife’ of dance. There really is something for everyone.
This is an exciting time for dance in Wales and with a fantastic and varied programme; the Horizons Festival is fast achieving the status of its celebrated European counterparts. All the venues provide excellent facilities for both artists and audiences that make performing and watching dance a rich, rewarding pleasure.
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