Rambert, Britain’s national dance company, will present Christopher Bruce’s Ghost Dances, one of the most celebrated works in the company’s history, at Theatre Royal Nottingham this spring. The programme will also feature Malgorzata Dzierzon’s Flight and Patricia Okenwa’s Hydrargyrum.
Ghost Dances by Christopher Bruce was created for Rambert in 1981 as a tribute to the victims of political oppression in South America. The work received its first revival since 2003 at Festival Theatre, Edinburgh in November 2016 and will tour throughout 2017. The piece tells 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. Visual references to the Day of the Dead celebrations and the bewitching rhythms of traditional Latin American songs, together, create a moving, intensely human work. Ghost Dances features costumes by Belinda Scarlett, lighting design by Nick Chelton and musical arrangement by Nicholas Mojsiejenko.
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.
Also on the programme is Flight, a new work by Malgorzata Dzierzon that reflects on ideas of migration and borders. Dzierzon’s, first work for the company is inspired by her own experiences of travel and migration as well as other stories, images and overheard conversations.
Featuring moveable panels and multimedia projections, the set creates a constantly evolving background for sixteen dancers, who depict the emotional experience of leaving one home to search for another. The piece features music by Japanese composer Somei Satoh and a new composition by Kate Whitley. Completing the creative team are video designer Luke Halls assisted by Elena Kotsi, costume design by JaneJaney and lighting design by Paul Keogan.
Completing the programme is Hydrargyrum by Patricia Okenwa. A piece for six dancers, Hydrargyrum looks at concepts of connection and disconnection, the individual and the mass. The work features an original score by American-Serbian composer Aleksandra Vrebalov, designs by Jon Bausor, and lighting by Charles Balfour.
A former dancer with Rambert (2004 – 2016), Hydrargyrum is Patricia Okenwa’s first piece for the company’s touring repertoire. Cited in 2016 by Dance Europe as a name to watch, Okenwa has previously choreographed for BBC Young Dancer of the Year and has upcoming commissions with Edge Dance Company and Music Art London.
