Performance Details:
Theatre Box Office: 0151 666 0000
Floral Pavilion Theatre
Marine Promenade
New Brighton
Wirral
CH45 2JS
Performance Starts at 7.30pm
LEAP 2010 Listings – January to June 2010
CANDOCO, www.candoco.co.uk, the leading contemporary dance company of disabled and non-disabled dancers, continue to tour the UK through 2009-2010 in a dramatic double bill of fierce new work by top choreographers NIGEL CHARNOCK and HOFESH SHECHTER. Featuring an outstanding company of seven performers, Candoco once again raise the bar of excellence in the two challenging works of extreme physicality and intense performance punctuated by an eclectic choice of music.
‘STILL’ by Nigel Charnock and ‘THE PERFECT HUMAN’ by Hofesh Shechter are two contrasting pieces about the human condition, the inside, the outside, the inclusive, the exclusive.
“As a performer, Charnock thrives on risky exposure and excess, qualities that Candoco’s game dancers hungrily embrace on his behalf in Still…” (The Times)
“Surprises lurk in every encounter as the atmosphere shifts from tender to tense, from jaunty to fierce…”
(Country Life)
‘STILL’ choreographer NIGEL CHARNOCK, a founder member of DV8, formed his own company – Nigel Charnock + Company in 1995. A maverick and totally captivating performer, Nigel ruptures the boundaries of performance using different disciplines and media to redefine dance as a genre. Nigel has a string of internationally acclaimed shows to his name and was Artistic Director of Helsinki Dance Company 2002-5. His is well known for his unique solo performances including Human Being, Hell Bent, Original Sin and Resurrection. Since 2003 Nigel has been touring his solo work, Frank, a fiercely comic blend of improvised monologue, song and dance; very physical and very entertaining. In 2006 Nigel created Stupid Men for an ensemble of male performers; he collaborated with Stan Won’t Dance on Revelations and continued performing Fever, a collaboration with composer, clarinet and saxophonist Michael Riessler.
‘THE PERFECT HUMAN’ choreographer HOFESH SHECHTER’s debut, Fragments, toured nationally and internationally and won first place in the 3rd Serge Diaghilev choreography competition in Poland. In 2004 Hofesh was commissioned by The Place Prize to create the sextet, Cult; it became one of five selected finalists and won the Audience Choice Award. From 2004-6 Hofesh was Associate Artist with The Place who commissioned him to create Uprising, his hugely popular work for seven men. In 2007 London’s three major dance venues, The Place, Southbank Centre and Sadler’s Wells, collaborated on a unique producing venture, commissioning Hofesh to create his outstanding work, In Your Rooms, which was presented at all three venues. Hofesh has also collaborated with the Royal Court Theatre when he choreographed Motortown by Simon Stephens and The Arsonists by Max Frisch. Hofesh is Creative Associate at The Point, Eastleigh.
LEAP 2010 Listings – January to June 2010
DANCERS:
Darren Anderson moved to the UK from his native Australia in 2005 and has worked with Vincent Dance Theatre (‘Broken Chords’), Welsh Independent Dance on the ‘Dance Bites’ tour throughout Wales, and the Chris Haring Project. In 2007 Darren performed in Opera North’s ‘Dido & Aeneas/Les Noces’ and worked with Vincent Dance Theatre on research and development;
This year Darren worked with h2dance in ‘To Die For’ which toured the UK and Scandinavia.
Elinor Baker joined CandoCo in 2005 where she has worked as the Foundation Course Administrative & Access Officer, Rehearsal Director for C2 Youth Dance Company and ADAPT Project Coordinator. She performed with CandoCo in Rafael Bonachela’s ‘And who shall go to the ball’ and has worked with Marc Brew, Abigail Marion Dance Company, Senza Tempo and A Works. Elinor has also worked as a ballet tutor at Coventry University, and has led dance projects for English National Opera.
Bettina Carpi is from Switzerland and trained at London Contemporary Dance School. Bettina has danced with Bread Dance Theatre Company, Christa Heizner and Company and choreographers Annie Lok, Jasmin Vardimon, Gitta Wigro and Cie Felix Ruckert amongst others. She is a founder member of Out on a Limb Dance Company and is also trained in Aikido (1st Dan).
Annie Hanauer graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a BFA in Dance in May 2008. She has performed in works by Bebe Miller, Pat Graney, Michael Sommers, Morgan Thorson and Karen Sherman, among others, and has dabbled in theatre and performance art. Annie has also worked as an Arts Ambassador for VSA Arts of Minnesota, helping educate students of all ages and abilities about dance and disability.
Cornelia Kip Lee was the first person in the history of the American Dance Festival (ADF) to perform in a wheelchair on stage. The founder of Air Borne Dance Theater, Kip has danced in works by Adam Benjamin, Peter DiMuro, Liz Lerman, Sabatino Verlezza and David Beadle. In 2007 she was a guest artist with the Scottish Dance Theatre, and in 2008 with the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange in Tacoma Park, Maryland, (USA).
Victoria Malin developed her love of dance when training on the CandoCo Foundation Course in Dance for Disabled People. After graduating Vicky went on to perform for Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company, touring with works by Liam Steel (Stan Won’t Dance) and aerial artist Jess Curtis. In September 2007, whilst also working as freelance Dance and Drama teacher, Victoria performed an aerial solo in the Liberty Festival at Trafalgar Square.
Chris Owen began dancing with Cheshire Dance Workshop and trained at Northern School of Contemporary Dance. He won a scholarship award to complete his Post-Graduate Diploma at London Contemporary Dance School. Since graduating Chris has worked with Diversions, Scottish Dance Theatre and Dance Theatre of Ireland.
In 2008 Candoco took part in the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics on August 24th and the Paralympic Games on September 17th:
Co-Artistic Director PEDRO MACHADO On the Olympics: “I will never forget it…It’s not everyday that a dancer gets to perform in front of a live audience of 90 thousand people – not to mention the world wide TV audience. It was an honour to represent Great Britain in the handover ceremony and to be part of such a prominent event. We shook hands with Gordon Brown, met David Beckham and got to rock with Jimmy Page. Not to mention giving advice to Boris Johnson – on how to dress!! Beijing was buzzing and the Chinese people were ultra proud and welcoming throughout. We rehearsed at night as it was too hot during the day; the dancers had to prepare as much as they could as they were performing without a proper dress run. After all you can’t stop a marathon half way and we were on the ‘stage’ after that prestigious race!”
CANDOCO – history:
• Since its inception in 1991 Candoco has “reinvented the boundaries of dance” (Guardian) and become the UK’s leading contemporary dance company of disabled and non-disabled dancers, through consistent touring, an ambitious policy of working with renowned choreographers and a renowned education programme.
• In 2007 co-founder Celeste Dandeker retired as Artistic Director to become Founding Patron, and was succeeded by former CandoCo dancers Pedro Machado and Stine Nilsen. Celeste was awarded the Critics’ Circle De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2007.
• CandoCo recently created Moving Bodies, a dynamic regional arts development programme funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Working closely with schools in five UK regions, Moving Bodies will involve primary school pupils, teachers, professional dancers and many more in a bid to continue the pushing of boundaries through contemporary dance.
• National Express is sponsoring the company for the 6th year; a rarity in the arts world. It’s an example of how philanthropic sponsorship can make a real difference to a small arts organisation.
• As the world’s leading exponent of integrated dance practice, CandoCo’s approach to teaching dance has resulted in the introduction of key teaching techniques in over 50 countries.
• Candoco has worked with choreographers Stephen Petronio, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Fin Walker, Arthur Pita, Rafael Bonachela, Nigel Charnock, and Hofesh Shechter.
• The company is committed to providing alternative routes for disabled people to train professionally and is now project funded by the Learning Skills Council to work with vocational schools on developing accessible vocational training.
Furth
er information: Judy Lipsey or Verity Walker
judy@theworkspr.com or verity@theworkspr.com
020 7940 4686
Visit www.billelms.com for more information.
Bill Elms at Bill Elms Associates on 07930 454376 (mobile) or email bill@billelms.com
