New season announced

August 5, 2016

DanceXchange announces performance season

22 September – 3 December 2016

DanceXchange, the Midlands-based dance house, announces its latest performance season at The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, from 22 September – 3 December 2016.

Fresh from the huge success of May’s International Dance Festival Birmingham 2016 (DanceXchange’s largest programme) the new season of dance offers something for everyone from the English premiere of a charming, family-friendly show at Christmas, to a visually mesmerising production at the cutting-edge of dance and digital technology.

Autumn 2016 season highlights include:

A thrilling international triple bill from acclaimed National Dance Company Wales who are making their first visit to Birmingham with Folk.
Performance art from award-winning Alexander Vantournhout in a solo focused on the autobiography of his own body.
A brand new triple bill from 2Faced Dance which showcases new works from three world-class female choreographers performed by an all-male company of dancers.
Cutting-edge dance and motion responsive technology in Alexander Whitley Dance Company’s Pattern Recognition featuring a score by critically-acclaimed electronic composer Scanner and Southbank Centre artist-in-residence cellist Oliver Coates.
International dance artist Didy Veldman’s The Happiness Project, the first project from her new company Umanoove combining live music and dance.
The Wolf and Peter, a retelling of Prokofiev’s famous Peter and the Wolf by CoisCéim Dance Theatre. The English premiere of this magical Christmas show for families told from the perspective of the Wolf.

Lucie Mirkova, Programme Manager, DanceXchange said: “Our Autumn season is a fantastic mix offering a range of dance experiences from ground-breaking contemporary dance and performance art to cutting-edge collaborations, a wonderful family-friendly production and world class work from leading companies and choreographers from the UK and internationally. We look forward to welcoming audiences to each of the shows over the coming months.”

David Massingham, artistic director of DanceXchange, said: “We are thrilled to present our new season and look forward to building on the enthusiasm for dance in our region which received such a great boost at International Dance Festival Birmingham last May. Once again we are delighted to present these performances in The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, the home of dance in the region. A space to create, rehearse and produce, the Patrick Centre is an important venue on the national dance map.”

The season launches on 22 and 23 September with National Dance Company Wales making their first visit to Birmingham with Folk a thrilling international triple bill by three of the very best European choreographers. Folk is the first work created for NDCWales by its new Artistic Director Caroline Finn; Alexander Ekman, whose piece Cacti was a big hit of International Dance Festival Birmingham 2016, presents the witty and eccentric Tuplet, and Lee Johnston’s They Seek to Find The Happiness They Seem is a fascinating exploration of separation and disconnection that can occur within a friendship.

Award-winning Belgian artist Alexander Vantournhout presents ANECKXANDER on 7 October, a collaboration with Bauke Lievens which explores the interface between dance, circus and performance art. A solo in a minimal setting for one acrobatic body, a handful of carefully selected objects and three variations on a piece of piano music by Arvo Pärt, this collaborative piece was chosen as a laureate by Circus Next, the prestigious European platform for circus artists.

The popular 2Faced Dance Company returns on 13 and 14 October with RUN, a triple bill of new works by female choreographers. This celebrated all-male company is known for its physically adventurous performances. The choreographers, 2Faced Dance artistic director Tamsin Fitzgerald, Lenka Vagnerová and Rebecca Evans, explore the darker side of humanity through an explosion of ground-breaking movement, theatre and design. Newcomer Evans was commissioned by The Bench, a programme established by 2Faced Dance to address the issue of gender disparity for female choreographers in the dance industry.

On 3 and 4 November Pattern Recognition by Alexander Whitley Dance Company exploits the boundaries between dance and motion-responsive technology. Featuring a score by critically-acclaimed electronic composer Scanner and Southbank Centre artist-in-residence cellist Oliver Coates, ex-Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer and 2015 Critics Circle National Dance Award nominee, Alexander Whitley, utilises technology and dance through a system of moving lights which can track and intelligently respond to the dancers it observes.

The Happiness Project on 15 November is Didy Veldman’s first project for her new company Umanoove. Veldman is known in the UK for her critically-acclaimed productions for Rambert and Northern Ballet amongst others. Her new show explores our endless search for fulfilment in a piece created in collaboration with celebrated violinist and composer Alexander Balanescu who performs live.

The season closes with a retelling of Prokofiev’s famous Peter and the Wolf by CoisCéim Dance Theatre on 2 and 3 December. Told from the perspective of the Wolf, this magical Christmas show for families The Wolf and Peter is performed for the first time in England, bringing together the best in contemporary dance, performance and live music.

DanceXchange is also well-known for its hugely popular dance classes which begin a new term on 19 September with a free taster week from 12 September offering the ideal opportunity to sample a style. 36 classes are on offer in 14 different dance styles including new classes featuring Bollywood, Flamenco and Jazz. Classes are for all abilities.

To find out more about the Autumn Season including sneak previews of the shows or to check out the full range of dance classes visit www.dancexchange.org.uk

ENDS.

For media enquiries, please contact Helen Annetts, PR on behalf of DanceXchange on 07779026720 HelenLAnnetts@hotmail.co.uk

Or Libby Aldrich, Marketing Manager, DanceXchange 0121 667 9460 libby.aldrich@dancexchange.org.uk

Notes to Editors:

DanceXchange (dx) is an internationally known charity dedicated to producing, promoting and presenting the best of UK and international dance. dx produces International Dance Festival Birmingham, and creates innovative site-specific commissions and large-scale performance events in both professional and community contexts. dx coproduces a range of touring productions, and develops work for theatres and for outdoor places and unusual spaces. dx also engages people from all backgrounds in dance activity, supports artist development and nurtures gifted young people to help shape the dance artists of the future. www.dancexchange.org.uk

DanceXchange // Birmingham Hippodrome // Thorp Street // Birmingham // B5 4TB

Listings information: DanceXchange (dx) Autumn 2016 Season

Thursday 22 September & Friday 23 September 8pm // National Dance Company Wales // Folk