DanceXchange Performances Spring/Summer 2009

PERFORMANCES

Spring/Summer 2009

TICKET SALES 0844 338 5000 INFO & BUY ONLINE dancexchange.org.uk DanceXchange // Birmingham Hippodrome // Hurst Street // Birmingham // B5 4TB

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Dance at

this Autumn

FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL

RAMBERT DANCE COMPANY

Wednesday 4 – Saturday 14 February £13.50 - £34

Wednesday 1 – Saturday 4 April £12.50 - £24.50

Sparks will fly this winter in this World Premiere production starring Bruno Langley (Coronation Street), Bernie Nolan (The Bill, Brookside) and Noel Sullivan (Hear’Say).

Twenty two of the finest dancers and uplifting live music from London Musici make for an emotional and uplifting evening.

Birmingham Royal Ballet presents SYLVIA Wednesday 25 – Saturday 28 February £13.50 - £45 A colourful cast of Gods and Goddesses, slave girls and pirates in this new version of a classic ballet.

Birmingham Royal Ballet presents POMP & CIRCUMSTANCES Wednesday 4 – Saturday 7 March £13.50 - £45 Probably the only chance you’ll ever get to see Edward Elgar and a morris-dancing flea on stage in the same evening!

PIED PIPER; A HIP HOP DANCE REVOLUTION Wednesday 18 – Saturday 21 March £10 - £25 Pushing street dance to its outer limits, Piped Piper is an innovative, original and thrilling dance piece.

BREAKIN’ CONVENTION 2009 Tuesday 12 & Wednesday 13 May £TBC Breakin' Convention is a unique festival of hip hop dance theatre, giving you the chance to see some of the best hip hop dancers on the planet!

Birmingham Royal Ballet presents SIR FRED & MR B Wednesday 17 – Saturday 20 June £13.50 - £45 A double bill of classical masterpieces paying homage to the most celebrated choreographers of the 20th century, Frederick Ashton and George Balanchine.

Featuring The Two Pigeons and Mozartiana.

Birmingham Royal Ballet presents LOVE AND LOSS Wednesday 24 – Saturday 27 June £13.50 - £45 Three ballets that celebrate human emotion, featuring Galantieres, The Dance House and The Dream.

BOOK ONLINE www.birminghamhippodrome.com TICKET SALES 0844 338 5000 GROUP SALES 0844 338 7000 2

CALLS COST FROM 5P PER MIN. 6% TRANSACTION FEE APPLIES: 3% ONLINE.

Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2009 season at DanceXchange, once again bringing the best of the world’s dance to The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome. Right – I’ve got lots to tell you about and not much room so I’d better get on with it.

We kick off the season with Protein’s Dear Body, which some of you may have had a sneak preview of at Artsfest back in September. DanceXchange Associate Artist Luca Silvestrini’s show is a wonderful, darkly comic take on our obsession with body image.

Next up we have Bare Bones 6, featuring work by Australian Dance Theatre’s Garry Stewart, Portugal’s Rui Horta, Charlotte Vincent and Artistic Director David Massingham.

New Bare Bones shows are always hotly anticipated and tickets are very limited so you’ll need to get in quick for this one.

In March we welcome Tavaziva Dance Company, which has won a host of awards over the years for its unique blend of African and contemporary movement and shows that are engaging, uplifting and full of energy.

They’re swiftly followed in April by Czech company DOT 504 with Holdin’ Fast, a fantastic piece of physical dance theatre that is funny, sexy and disturbing all at once.

In May, our annual Family Weekend sees new performances by fantastic companies, especially for children and their families. Along with workshops and various other activities, it promises to be a fun-packed few days.

Look out for more details in the New Year.

Phew -- that’s a lot of great dance! If that’s inspired you to book your tickets, don’t forget you can do this online at dancexchange.org.uk/shows I hope to see you soon at DanceXchange.

PAUL BURNS Programme Manager P.S. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any comments on the programme – paul.burns@dancexchange.org.uk

PHOTOGRAPHER: CHRIS NASH

Then finally, in June, we’ll be welcoming Ben Wright’s bgroup. Twice nominated for the Place Prize, Ben creates movement which ranges from the intimate and lyrical to moments of explosive power for his ensemble of charismatic dancers.

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Protein

DEAR BODY

Suitable for 16yrs+,

16+ contains nudity.

Thursday 22 & Friday 23 January // 8pm Physical theatre, comedy and social comment collide in the latest slice of thought-provoking dance theatre from Luca Silvestrini’s awardwinning Protein.

A witty satire on our growing fixation with body image and body care, Dear Body examines that most private relationship of all, the one we have with ourselves. With innovative choreography, distinctive video animation and trademark dark humour, six professional dancers and an ensemble cast of amateur performers from the local community deliver a high-energy blow to our image-obsessed age!

RUNNING TIME: 1hr 20mins with no interval TICKETS In advance: £10.50 / £7.50 concession On the day: £12.50 / £9.50 concession 4

“A rib-tickling dissection of the quest for the body beautiful” METRO

A co-production with DanceXchange, commissioned by Swindon Dance, DanceXchange, Southbank Centre, Centre Chorégraphique National Roubaix Pas to Calais, Yorkshire Dance and Hextable Dance with support from Brighton Dome and Wyvern Theatre.

E THURS EV S

PHOTOGRAPHER: JOHAN PERSSON

INCLUDE POST SHOW TALK

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dx productions presents

BARE BONES 6 Thursday 5, Friday 6 & Saturday 7 February // 8pm

FRI EVE

INCLUDES POST SHOW TALK

Bodies under the microscope, power relationships, and territories collide head on in this high energy, intensely physical show.

Treating audiences to an up close experience seated on all four sides of the performance space, four men and two women blaze across the dance floor in this brand new show with urban edge.

CONTAINER by acclaimed Portuguese choreographer, Rui Horta MAGNIFICATION

by Australian Dance Theatre Director, Garry Stewart HINTERLAND

by Bare Bones Artistic Director, David Massingham And a new solo from Charlotte Vincent of Vincent Dance Theatre

14+ Suitable for 14yrs+ RUNNING TIME: 2hrs including 2 intervals TICKETS In advance: £10.50 / £7.50 concession On the day: £12.50 / £9.50 concession 6

METRO

PHOTOGRAPHER: JOHAN PERSSON

“It’s about as up close and personal as dance gets”

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Tavaziva Dance Company

HEART OF DARKNESS Friday 13 March // 8pm Take an emotional, spiritual, scary and raw dance voyage into modern Africa.

Guest choreographer Harriet Macauley presents her austerely beautiful Silent Steps and the gently uplifting Kenyan Athlete.

Bawren Tavaziva’s Sinful Intimacies is a sensual duet exploring African unease with same-sex love, while a major new work My Friend Robert draws on Bawren’s personal experiences to ask how an inspirational African leader, adored by his people, can descend into horror. Where does the flag-waving and optimism darken into corruption, violence, disease and economic meltdown?

12+ Suitable for 12yrs+ RUNNING TIME: 1hr 20mins including interval TICKETS In advance: £10.50 / £7.50 concession On the day: £12.50 / £9.50 concession 8

INCLUDES POST SHOW TALK

“A great company... their seamless blend of contemporary and traditional African movement, strikingly costumed and lit”

PHOTOGRAPHER: CHRIS DAVIES

THE INDEPENDENT, 2007

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DOT 504

HOLDIN’ FAST Thursday 16 April // 8pm

INCLUDES POST SHOW TALK

Immerse yourself in this heady mix of contemporary physical dance and theatre as three couples try to get to the bottom of love. From flirtatious beginnings to the all consuming and destructive potential of desire, watch as laugh out loud humour combines with dark dramatic moments to create a show that’s as compelling as it is thought provoking.

“Passionate and provocative, rich in theatrical skill and emotional content”

BALLET.CO.UK

Named after the number of the grant that made it possible for the company to exist, DOT 504 is the Czech Republic’s only professional contemporary dance company. Holdin’ Fast was a hit at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe, with a host of 5 star reviews.

Suitable for 14yrs+,

14+ contains some sexual references.

RUNNING TIME: 1hr with no interval TICKETS In advance: £10.50 / £7.50 concession On the day: £12.50 / £9.50 concession 10

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PHOTOGRAPHER: PETR OTTA

bgroup

THE DIMINISHING PRESENT Friday 19 June // 8pm The mind, the heart and human existence inspire this collection of three compelling new dance works choreographed by Ben Wright.

Performed by an ensemble of five outstanding dancers, this poignant and exquisite triple bill references the fragility and beauty of our human condition.

12+ Suitable for 12yrs+ RUNNING TIME: 1hr 20mins including interval TICKETS In advance: £10.50 / £7.50 concession On the day: £12.50 / £9.50 concession 12

INCLUDES POST SHOW TALK

“A top notch triple-bill. If you're looking for something that’s both new and impressive then this could be your best bet.”

PHOTOGRAPHER: CHRIS NASH

TIME OUT

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WORKSHOPS, BABY DISCO AND MORE! WATCH OUT FOR MORE DETAILS COMING SOON...

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HOW TO BOOK

HOW TO FIND US

ONLINE: dancexchange.org.uk/shows 3% transaction fee.

TELEPHONE: 0844 338 5000 (calls cost from 5p per min) Mon - Sat, 9.30am - 8pm. 6% transaction fee.

IN PERSON: Mon - Sat, 10am - 8pm.

Birmingham Hippodrome Ticket Sales (main entrance on Hurst Street). 6% transaction fee unless paying by cash.

AGENCIES: Tickets are also available from The TicketShop (Rotunda, Bullring, 0121 202 5000).

PAYMENT: We accept most major credit and debit cards. Please make cheques payable to Birmingham Hippodrome. Tickets can be posted for a charge of ÂŁ1.

Please note that we are required to post tickets direct to the registered card address.

TICKET PRICES: For most of our performances it's cheaper to book in advance. In advance is any day up to and including the day before the show. For example, the last day you can claim in advance prices for a Saturday show would be the Friday before.

CONCESSIONS: Under 16s, full time students, over 60s and those on jobseekers allowance or income support.

Concessionary rates are also available for Birmingham Hippodrome Friends and BRB Friends (please quote your membership number when booking).

GROUP BOOKINGS: Buy 10 tickets and receive one further ticket free.

ACCESS: DanceXchange welcomes visitors with disabilities to all its productions and events -- if you would like to discuss your visit please do so when booking your tickets.

DanceXchange is located within the Birmingham Hippodrome complex on Hurst Street, very near the Bull Ring Market and the Arcadian Centre.

BY TRAIN: New Street and Moor Street stations are approx 5-10 mins walk. For local service information please contact Centro on 0121 200 2700.

BY BUS: For local enquiries please contact Centro on 0121 200 2700.

BY CAR: There are pay & display car parks nearby, including a multi-storey in the Arcadian Centre.

KEEP IN TOUCH If you’re interested in dance performance, why not join our free mailing list? We can keep you updated by post or email -- simply call us on 0121 689 3170, email info@dancexchange.org.uk or fill in our online form at dancexchange.org.uk 15

COVER PHOTOGRAPH: JOHAN PERSSON All information in this brochure is correct at time of going to print

DanceXchange (dx) is a power house of dance.

A partner organisation with Birmingham Hippodrome and Birmingham Royal Ballet, dx is dedicated to creating exciting opportunities for people of all walks of life to engage in dance, either as participant, performer or audience member.

DanceXchange Birmingham Hippodrome Thorp Street Birmingham B5 4TB

T: 0121 689 3170 E: info@dancexchange.org.uk dancexchange.org.uk

This leaflet can be made available in alternative formats.

Please contact us for details. dx registered charity no.1045364 This brochure is printed with vegetable-based inks and is FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) accredited. www.21stcd.com