With Christmas celebrations fast becoming a dim and distant memory, we’re looking ahead to April (104 days to go – not that we’re counting!) when we’ll once again be bringing venues and public spaces across Birmingham and the West Midlands alive with dance – entertaining and inspiring audiences of all ages with a world class programme of events and activities!
As IDFB co-producer Birmingham Hippodrome looks ahead to the launch of its autumn season, we bring you the unmissable dance highlights…
First up, it’s Tom Chambers (Strictly Come Dancing winner and Holby City heart throb) and Summer Strallen (double Olivier Award nominee and star of Love Never Dies and Hollyoaks) in the legendary Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Hollywood hit Top Hat (30 Aug – 10 Sept). One of the greatest dance musicals of all time, this show is packed full of wonderful song and dance routines performed to a string of Irving Berlin classics (Cheek to Cheek, Let’s Face The Music & Dance, and Top Hat, White Tie & Tails).
Birmingham Royal Ballet delivers a packed season this autumn, opening with gothic fairytale Beauty and the Beast (28 Sept – 2 Oct) followed by Autumn Glory (6 – 8 Oct), a trio of distinguished ballets from the heart of this country’s rich heritage. Ninette de Valois’ choreography for Checkmate is a dramatic and stylised war of lust, trickery and betrayal, whilst the pared-down purity of Frederick Ashton’s Symphonic Variations showcases technically brilliant dance from a master choreographer. Pineapple Poll is a 3-D cartoon classic set to a foot-tapping medley of Gilbert and Sullivan greats and featuring the comic choreographic touch of John Cranko.
Some Like It Hip Hop (11 – 15 Oct) is a show combining comedy, physical theatre, hip hop and a even bit of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night! Starring Tommy Franzen (So You Think You Can Dance, Blaze, Goldberg), Lizzie Gough (So You Think You Can Dance, Blaze), and Teneisha Bonner (Into the Hoods, Insane in the Brain, StreetDance 3D, Shoes), here’s a preview of what’s in store for Birmingham’s hip hop fans:
Ballroom dance enthusiasts everywhere – get ready to Burn the Floor (25 – 29 Oct)! Visiting Birmingham direct from its electrifying run in London’s West End, this show sizzles with passion, drama and excitement delivered by 20 champion dancers.
For those of you who fancy your break dance and hip hop with a circus arts twist, don’t miss Cirque Éloize – ID (2 – 5 Nov). The scene is set in a place where identity is forged and individuality is expressed, all with amazing multimedia effects and a cast of sixteen performers!
Watch what happened when roving reporter Chris Unitt visited their rehearsals!
The final dance highlight on the Hippodrome main stage this autumn is guaranteed to get you feeling festive! Birmingham Royal Ballet presents the unparalleled Sir Peter Wright production of one of the most famous classical ballets of all time – Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker (25 Nov – 11 Dec).
Check out the company getting the stage ready during the 2008 run of The Nutcracker.
