Press release
Rambert 2017: The Ghost Dances tour and new commissions
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New commissions from Aletta Collins, Andonis Foniadakis and Ben Duke
Ghost Dances to tour across the UK in 2017
Rambert continues its dedication to national touring, artistic development and public
engagement
In 2017, Rambert will embark on the Ghost Dances tour, which will see the company present one of
its best loved works at venues across the UK.
Originally created for Rambert in 1981, Ghost Dances is Christopher Bruce’s response to political
oppression in South America. The work depicts stories of love and compassion, as death – in the
form of the iconic ‘ghost dancers’ – interrupts the daily lives of a series of ordinary people. Set to Latin
American folk music arranged by Nicholas Mojsiejenko, the piece makes visual reference to the Day
of the Dead. Bruce created the choreography and set design for the work, with costumes by Belinda
Scarlett and lighting design by Nick Chelton. Bruce returned to Rambert to teach his iconic
choreography to the current company, which revived the work in November 2016, at the Festival
Theatre Edinburgh.
Christopher Bruce is one of Britain’s leading choreographers and is recognised as the last major
choreographer to have been nurtured by Marie Rambert. Bruce is a former dancer and Artistic
Director of Rambert (1992 – 2002), whose acclaimed work for the company, includes Cruel Garden
(1977), Swansong (1987) and Rooster (1991). He has created works for major companies around the
world including English National Ballet, Houston Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater and The Royal
Ballet.
In May, Rambert will premiere a new work at Sadler’s Wells by choreographer Aletta Collins, The
Days Run Away Like Wild Horses, set to Arturo Márquez’s Cuban Danzones 1, 2 & 3. Collins is one
of the UK’s most successful theatre and opera choreographers, whose previous works for Rambert
include Bloom (2006) and Awakenings (2010). This new work will feature designs by Katrina Lindsay
and lighting by Andreas Fuchs.
Aletta Collins has worked with major dance, theatre and opera companies across Europe including
The Royal Opera House, Berlin Philharmonic, Salzburg Festival, Opera North, National Theatre and
Bristol Old Vic. Her recent work includes the 2016 production for the Young Vic, If You Kiss Me, Kiss
Me, a collaboration with actress Jane Horrocks.
Greek choreographer Andonis Foniadakis will create a new work for Rambert which will premiere in
September 2017 at The Lowry, Salford. The piece will feature a newly commissioned score from Ilan
Eshkeri, a British neo-classical composer known for his concert music, film scores, and artistic
collaborations. Fashion designer Tassos Sofroniou will create the costumes for the work and Sakis
Birbilis the lighting design.
Foniadakis is director of Greek National Opera Ballet and the Lyon-based Apotosoma Dance
Company which he founded in 2003. He has collaborated with ballet companies worldwide as both a
dancer and choreographer including, Tanz Luzerner Theatre, Sydney Dance Company, Ballet de
Lorraine, Martha Graham Dance Company, Ballet de l’Opera de Lyon and most recently, Royal New
Zealand Ballet. He was movement coordinator for Darren Aronofsky’s Noah and his awards include
the Danza e Danza Award for Best Choreography in 2002.
Award-winning choreographer and performer Ben Duke will present his first work for Rambert in
October 2017. Duke is the recipient of the 2015 National Dance Award for Outstanding Male
Performance. His most recent work, the critically acclaimed one-man-show Paradise Lost (lies
unopened beside me), toured the UK during 2016 and was nominated for a South Bank Sky Arts
Award.
These works will form part of programmes presented at venues in triple bills alongside other works of
current repertoire: A Linha Curva (chor: Itzik Galili, revival: Mikaela Polley, 2016), Flight (chor:
Malgorzata Dzierzon, 2016), Hydrargyrum (chor: Patricia Okenwa, 2016)The 3 Dancers (chor: Didy
Veldman, 2015), Transfigured Night (chor: Kim Brandstrup, 2015).
2016: Rambert at 90
2016 saw Rambert mark its 90th anniversary with a specially commissioned season of activity
designed to celebrate the whole range of the company’s work.
The company embarked on its largest ever programme of public engagement, supported by the
Heritage Lottery Fund. This included nationwide oral history and volunteer projects to create an online
performance database containing details of every single performance by Rambert since 1926 and an
accessible archive resource telling the story of Rambert’s role in establishing British dance. Both the
database and oral history of Rambert will be made publicly available in 2017.
Rambert staged its largest work to date – Mark Baldwin’s The Creation, featuring over 100 performers
and designs by internationally acclaimed artist Pablo Bronstein. The work was performed to sold out
audiences at Garsington Opera and Sadler’s Wells. A film version, commissioned by The Space, will
enable the work to be seen by audiences across the UK and internationally. The film is currently
available to watch on BBC Arts and Rambert’s website.
The season also featured Perpetual Movement – an exhibition of contemporary visual art celebrating
the company’s heritage – at The Lowry Salford which continues until 26 Feb 2017 and
Contemporaries a triple bill of work by a new generation of dance-makers whose emergence as
choreographers have been supported by Rambert’s Choreographic Development Programme.
2017 at Rambert
Rambert continues its dedication to touring large-scale contemporary dance works across the UK,
bringing triple bills of new and classic works, performed by world-class dancers and accompanied by
live music to venues across England, Scotland and Wales. Autumn 2017 will see Rambert present
work for the first time at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, as part of the company’s commitment
to cultivating new audiences for contemporary dance. A full list of autumn tour dates will be
announced later this year.
-ENDSFor further information and images please contact:
Kate Hassell Press and Media Manager
Tel: 020 8630 0612 / 07921 264 564 Email: [email protected]
Press quality images of current repertoire can also be downloaded from the Rambert website:
Go to www.rambert.org.uk/press/press-images/ and enter password: rdc_27#
Notes to Editors
Spring Tour 2017
Glasgow Theatre Royal
Thu 9 – Sat 11 Feb, 7.30pm
Ghost Dances / Tomorrow / Transfigured Night
atgtickets.com/theatre-royal-glasgow / 0844 871 7647
Eden Court, Inverness
Wed 15 – Thu 16 Feb, 7.30pm
Ghost Dances / Tomorrow / Transfigured Night
eden-court.co.uk / 01463 234 234
Brighton Theatre Royal
Wed 1 – Sat 4 March, 7.30pm, Thu 2 March, 1.30pm
Ghost Dances / Flight / Tomorrow
atgtickets.com/theatre-royal-brighton / 0844 871 7650
Theatr Clwyd, Mold
Wed 8 – Sat 11 Mar, 7.30pm, Thu 9 March, 1.30pm
Ghost Dances / Tomorrow / Hydrargyrum
clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk / 01352 701521
New Theatre, Oxford
Wed 15 – Fri 17 March, 7.30pm
Ghost Dances / Transfigured Night / The 3 Dancers
atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre / 0844 871 7645
Hall for Cornwall, Truro
Thu 23 – Fri 24 March, 7.30pm, Fri 24 March, 1.30pm
Ghost Dances / Transfigured Night / Tomorrow
hallforcornwall.co.uk / 01872 262466
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Tue 28 – Thu 30 March, 7.30pm
Ghost Dances / Flight / Hydrargyrum
trch.co.uk / 0115 989 5555
Sadler’s Wells, London
Tue 16 – Sat 20 May, 7.30pm, Thu 18 May, 1.30pm, Sat 20 May, 2.30pm
Ghost Dances / The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses / The 3 Dancers
sadlerswells.com / 020 7863 8000
Rambert is Britain’s national dance company. It presents new and historic dance works to audiences
in all parts of the country, performed by world-class dancers and accompanied by live music,
alongside extensive outreach, education, participation and professional development work.
www.rambert.org.uk