Support Contemporary Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
Photo: Wayne McGregor’s Outlier. Credit: Paul Kolnik
Supporting ballet at Sadler’s Wells Choreographers have been using the ballet form to push boundaries for many years. William Forsythe turned the technique of ballet inside out. Russell Maliphant uses his balletic vocabulary with hip hop, martial arts and contemporary dance. Wayne McGregor, himself from a contemporary background, has made some of his most groundbreaking work for classical dancers on Pointe. Sadler’s Wells champions cross-disciplinary collaborations as well as dance that embodies the spirit of our age. We are the UK's leading dance house, dedicated to bringing the very best international and British dance to London, including companies and choreographers that continue to develop and contemporise the language of classical ballet. To secure ballet’s place in the wider stories of contemporary dance of our time we need supporters who will ensure the work is developed and celebrated with the care and distinction it deserves. This is how ballet will remain relevant and vital, and continue to evolve.
Photo: See the Music, Hear the Dance. Credit: Johan Persson
The development of ballet, from artistic development through new work and the presentation of international companies on the large stage, is an expensive enterprise. Sadler’s Wells is committed to this mission and - with your help - we can continue to nourish this beautiful dance form. We invite you to join the Sadler’s Wells Contemporary Ballet Supporters Circle, a dedicated group of passionate supporters who will chart, champion and support the ever-expanding bounds of ballet.
A Special Opportunity We are gathering together a small group of dance lovers to support our investment in contemporary ballet by making a donation towards the Contemporary Ballet Supporters Circle. The combined support of the Circle will contribute to the vital funds necessary for Sadler’s Wells to develop and present a programme of contemporary ballet across autumn 2014 and spring 2015, including English National Ballet, Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon with the Dutch National Ballet. To thank you for your support we have planned some special events with the season’s artists and companies for Circle members - full information can be found at the end of this document. Each year we aim to build a new programme of activities for the Circle and hope you will consider joining this year for two season of exciting contemporary ballet at Sadler’s Wells.
Photo: Wayne McGregor’s Outlier performed by the New York City Ballet
Membership of the New Ballet Supporters’ Circle is £5,000
Armitage / McGregor / Pite / Whitely Thomas Adès: See the Music, Hear the Dance 30 October – 1 November 2014
Photo: See the Music, Hear the Dance. Credit: Johan Persson
Pianist, conductor, composer, Thomas Adès is the subject of the second in Sadler’s Wells’ Composer Series. A multi-award winner, he remains the only composer to have won the Royal Philharmonic Prize for large-scale composition three times. In this epic new Sadler’s Wells production, Adès conducts his only London appearance in 2014, featuring four dance works set to some of his most celebrated music and played live by Britten Sinfonia. The evening will start the European premiere of Outlier, choreographed by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist and acclaimed ballet anc contemporary choreographer Wayne McGregor. Originally created for the New York City Ballet, this rendition of Wayne’s beautiful work will be performed by dancers from Random Dance – giving us the chance to see how a piece created for ballet dancers can be performed by a contemporary dance company. Karole Armitage will present her exquisite duet Life Story which will feature British soprano Claire Booth, with Adès on piano. Known as the ‘punk ballerina’, Karole has developed her choreographic style with her own company Armitage Gone! Dance Company and through commissions with companies including Paris Opera Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Sadler’s Wells New Wave Associate Alexander Whitley will present the world premiere of The Grit in the Oyster, with Adès on piano. Alexander has been choreographing since 2007, following training as a dancer at Royal Ballet School and performing with both ballet and contemporary dance companies. Finally the evening will culminate in a new world premiere, choreographed by Sadler’s Wells’ newest Associate Artist Crystal Pite, who is creating a new work in response to Adès’ Polaris. As a dancer Crystal performed with Ballet British Columbia and Ballet Frankfurt and has since choreographed works for ballet and contemporary dance companies alike.
English National Ballet Modern Masters - Kylián / Neumier / Forsythe 10 March – 12 15 March 2015 Under the directorship of Tamara Rojo English National Ballet are propelling themselves to the forefront of contemporary ballet. In 2015 they will visit Sadler’s Wells with a triple bill featuring work by three of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century – Jiří Kylián, John Neumeier and William Forsythe. Between them these choreographs have led some of the most exciting ballet and contemporary dance companies in the world – John Neumeier at Ballet Frankfurt and now Hamburg Ballet, Jiří Kylián at Nederlands Dans Theater and William Forysthe at Ballet Frankfurt and now at The Forsythe Company. Between them they have created work for some of the greatest ballet companies in the world - Tokyo Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and New York City Ballet, to name but a few. Modern Masters will begin with Jiří Kylián’s Petite Morte featuring six men and six women from the English National ballet Company performing to the slow movements of two Mozart Piano Concerti. John Neumeier’s Spring and Fall is set to Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings and is a piece for two couples and the corps de ballet. English National Ballet are the only UK company to feature Spring and Fall in their repertoire. Completing the evening will be William Forsythe’s With In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, a piece which started a new school of choreography – deconstructing classical ballet and creating a new style of dance. Photo: Jiří Kylián’s Petite Morte. Credit: David Jensen
Dutch National Ballet Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella The London Coliseum 8 July – 12 July 2015
Photo: Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella. Credit: Jack Devant
*Exclusive news for Circle supporters* In early July 2015 Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella will make its UK premiere at The London Coliseum, presented by Sadler’s Wells. Christopher is a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist and one of today’s masters of contemporary ballet and one of the most sought after choreographers. His Cinderella, originally a coproduction by San Francisco Ballet and the Dutch National Ballet, earned him the prestigious Benois de la Danse Prize. This will be the first time the Dutch National Ballet have performed Cinderella outside of the Netherlands. Described as a ‘lavish’, epic ballet’ his version is set to the Prokofiev score, with a visually stunning set and magical puppetry work by Basil Twist. Christopher discards the fairytale elements, favouring the story according to the Brothers Grimm. This is Christopher’s first solo work with Sadler’s Wells in a number of years and is eagerly anticipated.
“How talented he is…” THE NEW YORKER on Christopher Wheeldon
Contemporary Ballet Supporter Benefits To thank you for your support we have planned some special events with the season’s artists and companies, especially for Circle members.
A pair of complimentary premium seats to both opening night celebrations for See the Music, Hear the Dance on Thursday 30 October and Cinderella on Wednesday 8 July - includes pre-show drinks & canapé reception, interval drinks and a post-show reception with the company A pair of complimentary premium seats to join us at a special reception around the UK premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella. Rehearsal with Crystal Pite Rehearsal with Karole Armitage Rehearsal with Alexander Whitley Thomas Ades orchestral rehearsal An invitation to the Sadler’s Wells Press Conference on Tuesday 4 November 9:30am to be among the first to hear about an exciting new ballet collaboration. Rehearsal with English National Ballet
Photo: See the Music, Hear the Dance. Credit: Johan Persson
Evening in Conversation with Tamara Rojo on Thursday 5 March Priority access to purchase additional tickets in the First Circle for Juliet & Romeo (September 2014); Thomas Adès: See the Music, Hear the Dance (October 2014); Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella and additional contemporary ballet works announced for spring 2015 Advance notice of future new ballet productions coming to Sadler’s Wells before they’re announced to the public
As a supporter you will be instrumental in the development and presentation of contemporary ballet at Sadler’s Wells in 2014 and 2015. We hope you will consider joining the Circle.
Contact Anna Clark on 020 7863 8135 or at anna.clark@sadlerswells.com
Photo: Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella. Credit: Angela Sterling 020