Mon 26th January 2015 - Tue 27th January 2015 7:30pm

Richard Alston Dance Company

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Richard Alston 20th Birthday

A programme of:
Rejoice in the Lamb (London premiere)
Burning (London premiere, live music)
Nomadic (world premiere)
Madcap (live music)

Richard Alston is a founding father of UK contemporary dance. He was one of the original students at London Contemporary Dance School, founder of Strider, the UK’s first independent dance company, co-founder of Second Stride and artistic director of Rambert. In 1994 he was appointed artistic director of The Place where he finally formed his own company. Now he is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a one-off programme at Sadler’s Wells on 26 and 27 January.

Alston continues to break new ground for himself with his new work Nomadic, commissioned by Sadler’s Wells. He has invited young hip hop choreographer and performer Ajani Johnson-Goffe to collaborate with him - a first in his 45-year career – and perform with the company. Exploring the meeting point between hip hop and world music, Nomadic is set to music by Ursari Gypsy band Shukar Collective who fuse Romany and electronic music to dark, sharp effect.

The programme also sees the London premiere of Alston’s Rejoice in the Lamb, danced to Benjamin Britten’s superb setting of Christopher Smart fervent poetry. The words are full of wild and witty details reflected in Alston’s joyous choreography for his company’s ten dancers.

Alston and Richard Alston Dance Company associate choreographer Martin Lawrance share the bill at Sadler’s Wells. Lawrance’s latest work Burning premiered in Scotland in autumn 2014 to a standing ovation and rave reviews. Set to Lizst’s Dante Sonata, played live, Burning explores ‘Lisztomania’ and the composer’s relationship with the young, married Countess, Marie D’Agoult. The passion floods out of every pore in this frenetic and emotional piece.

Completing the evening is the Sadler’s Wells premiere of Lawrance’s exhilarating 2013 work Madcap with Bang on a Can composer Julia Wolfe’s score played live by Icebreaker whose previous collaborations include the Royal Ballet and Wayne McGregor/Random Dance.