Archive for April, 2010

Faith in dance

Dance has always played an important part in religious celebrations and, whilst religion isn’t necessarily a strong theme in the IDFB 2010 programme, its influence is present in several of the performances taking place over the remaining weeks.

Sutra by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui/Sadler’s Wells London, 28 April

The monks that feature in Sutra at The Rep tonight (and last night) come from the Shaolin Temple identified by China’s State Council as being the key national Buddhist Temple. There, they follow a strict Buddhist doctrine with Kung fu & Tai Chi forming part of their daily regime.

Outspoken Weekend, 29 April – 2 May

Supported by the British Council, this weekend, IDFB 2010 presents a range of work from Arab artists, curated by Eckhard Thiemann. Some of the works to be performed over the weekend explore politics and society in parts of the world where religion exerts a strong influence.

Gnosis by Akram Khan Company, 7 & 8 May

Kathak was a form of dance used by northern India’s nomads to tell stories from the Hindu scriptures. Those stories are still told in that way and , on 7 and 8 May, you can see Akram Khan Company’s performance of Gnosis at the Town Hall. The final act in particular has been informed by the story of Gandhari from the Mahabharata.

Our Outspoken weekend is one of the outstanding projects granted the London 2012 Inspire mark, the badge of the London 2012 Inspire programme which recognises exceptional and innovative projects inspired by the 2012 Games. Find out more about the Inspire Mark here

What’s on in week 2

Here’s a round-up of what’s happening this week (26 April-2 May) at International Dance Festival Birmingham. It’s only the second week of the Festival and it’s jam-packed with fantastic dance experiences, so there’s something for everyone!

The Performances

The world-renowned Ballet Nacional de Cuba presents a stunning mixed bill Magia de la Danza at Birmingham Hippodrome, featuring a special guest appearance from Carlos Acosta on the Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

carlos-acosta

At The Rep, we have the extraordinary Sutra by celebrated Flemish/Moroccan choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui in collaboration with Turner Prize-winning artist Antony Gormley and 17 Monks directly from the original Shaolin Temple in China. This show has had fantastic reviews, and is definitely a must-see.

Meanwhile, The Patrick Centre presents a hilarious double bill; Pere Faura’s ‘This is a Picture of a Person I Don’t Know’ and Club Fisk’s Forestillinger, Birmingham Hippodrome hosts Ballet Nacional de Cuba’s Giselle, and The Rep has circus-inspired spectacular CIRCA.

The IDFB 2010 Shop will also be open in the Pavillions shopping centre, with classes, rehearsals and opportunities to get involved in the Put Your Foot Down event. You can also buy tickets and merchandise or chat to the IDFB team and find out what’s coming up in the Festival.

Free events

There are free performances of Utopia in Victoria Square on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Directed by Arthur Pita, Utopia combines contemporary dancers with Russian, Spanish, Indian and African folk dance groups, all moving to the turbo-folk Gypsy and Balkan beats of Birmingham’s very own band, The Destroyers. Don’t miss this free global dance spectacular.

Outspoken Weekend

Supported by the British Council, the Outspoken Weekend starts on Thursday with a range of performances, talks and films celebrating dance from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. Outspoken is the first UK performance season dedicated to new choreography from Arab artists, and features exclusive previews and thought-provoking discussions. You can see the full line-up here. Some of the Outspoken events are free – for the others, individual tickets are available, as is a £30 weekend pass.

outspoken

It’s a busy festival with lots going on, so to keep up to date with what’s happening follow IDFB on Twitter and sign up to the Facebook Page. Please also let us know what you go to see – we’d love to hear from you about what you’re enjoying in IDFB 2010!

Guest Blogger: Piali Ray OBE

2010 is a time of celebration for sampad, and as such we are delighted to be a part of International Dance Festival Birmingham once again, with some fittingly spectacular shows.

This year is sampad’s twentieth anniversary of supporting, promoting and developing South Asian arts in Birmingham. We’ve recently returned home to the new and improved mac at Cannon Hill Park. And we’re also celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Indian Republic.

Piali Ray OBE

IDFB is a fabulous asset to the city. It really puts Birmingham on the map as a centre for dance, attracting big acts from around the world.

This year sampad is bringing in young rising stars of South Asian dance – Abhimanyu and Vidha Lal, a classical Kathak duo from Delhi, and the more contemporary Thresh Dance Company from New York. They are both well-established names, who have toured the world winning countless accolades, and represent the next generation of bright talent coming from the South Asian diaspora.

They are fantastic role models for any local budding artists, showing how you can use dance as a creative channel and make a successful career out of it.

We were keen to reflect the diversity of Birmingham and also the musicality of the city, because there is a great live music scene here, and dance and music go hand in hand. So, as well as dancers, we have brilliant musicians coming with them to accompany the performances and bring them to life.

I hope you can join our celebrations at what promise to be two spell-binding performances.

Catch The Absent Lover (May 13) and Kathak Duet (May 14) at The Patrick Centre, tickets £10/£8 conc.