Hofesh Shechter Company Announces Plans For 2020

Internationally celebrated choreographer Hofesh Shechter reveals Double Murder as his new production for Hofesh Shechter Company. A thrilling new double bill of contemporary dance for our times, Double Murder presents two distinctly contrasting pieces exploring societal schisms and human kinship.

Shechter's New Creation, sculptured as an antidote and partner piece to the murderous, poisonous anarchy of his 2016 success, Clowns, brings a tender, fragile energy to the stage. It offers a raw and compassionate moment to balance the forces of aggression and violence that press on us daily. A shield to protect us from the noise of life outside, and a place that allows the performers to shine, be fragile, be seen for their utmost human qualities. Violence, tenderness and hope are all laid bare through Shechter's achingly beautiful, cinematic lens.

The recently honoured OBE choreographer spoke of his expectation for this new production, presented within the familiar surroundings of Brighton Dome, where Double Murder will premiere.

Hofesh Shechter said, "I am very excited to bring a new creation to Brighton Festival next year. Together with the dancers I'm looking to find the spark of hope, that deep and childish, fragile human need of warmth. We walked into the studio feeling like a balance is required, a place where we allow time to be on our side as opposed to against us. A fix."

Performed by ten of his inimitable dancers and accompanied by the epic sounds of a Shechter-composed score, Double Murder will expose painful truths and delve into our deepest emotions.

Following its world premiere at Brighton Festival 2020, it will travel to HOME, Manchester, with further UK and international dates to be announced.

Double Murder is produced by Hofesh Shechter Company.

Commissioned by Sadler's Wells, Théâtre de la Ville Paris / MAC - Créteil, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg. Co-commissioned by Shanghai International Dance Center Theater (SIDCT), Hong Kong - New Vision Arts Festival, National Performing Arts Center, by Taiwan R.O.C. - National Taichung Theater, Danse Danse Montréal, Scène Nationale d'Albi, Torinodanza Festival / Teatro Stabile di Torino - Teatro Nazionale, Marche Teatro / Inteatro Festival, Opéra de Dijon and HOME Manchester. Developed in part at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Clowns premiered on 29 April 2016 at Nederlands Dans Theater 1 in The Hague, The Netherlands.

2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the universally acclaimed classic Political Mother. To celebrate this iconic masterpiece, Hofesh Shechter Company will present POLITICAL MOTHER UNPLUGGED, a potent new version performed by Shechter II, their renowned apprentice company.

The production will premiere in Teatro Municipale Romolo Valli, Reggio Emilia, Italy on 18th March 2020 before playing at Théâtre de la Ville - Paris with 19 performances from 3rd to 25th April with further international and extensive UK dates to be announced shortly, including HOME in Manchester and DanceEast, Ipswich.

Danced to a bespoke, new recording of Shechter's music and accompanied by a landscape of designed, digital animated projections, POLITICAL MOTHER UNPLUGGED will invoke the ferocity and spirit of the original for a new era.

The 2020 Shechter II programme continues to build on the company's commitment to developing young artists. Few up-and-coming dancers have the chance to perform in different spaces to different audiences supported by an experienced creative and technical team. Shechter II allows dancers, at the early stages of their career, the opportunity to be mentored by long-standing HSC members and have access to world-renowned venues and provides a springboard into the world of professional dance.

In August over 1000 dancers auditioned for Shechter II, and the final ten represent the very best of the next generation of contemporary dance talent. They are Jack Butler (UK), Evelyn Hart (UK), Evelien Jansen (Netherlands), Niek Wagenaar (Netherlands), Rosalia Panepinto (USA/Italy), Jill Goh Su-Jen (Singapore), Chien-Hann Chang (Taiwan), Charles Henrich (France), Marion De Charnacé (France), Jared Brown (USA).

POLITICAL MOTHER UNPLUGGED is produced by Hofesh Shechter Company and co-commissioned by Théâtre de la Ville Paris, HOME Manchester, düsseldorf festival! with production support from Fondazione I Teatri Reggio Emilia and a production residency at DanceEast, Ipswich, Belfast, Salisbury and Southampton.

Political Mother premiered on 20 May 2010, at the Brighton Festival, UK.

Hofesh Shechter Company gratefully receives support towards the delivery of Shechter II, which includes project funding from The Foyle Foundation and The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation and core funding from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Garfield Weston Foundation.

The critically acclaimed Grand Finale, which was nominated for an Olivier and Helpmann Award for Best (New) Dance Production and this year received a Dora Award for Outstanding Touring Production, continues to thrill audiences around the world with new dates announced.

Grand Finale continues into its 3rd year of touring with visits to Tel Aviv, Israel, Moscow and St Petersburg, Russia, Sydney, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden and France.

Featuring 10 dancers and a live band of musicians, Grand Finale is a spectacularly bold and ambitious piece which is at once comic, bleak and beautiful; evoking a world at odds with itself, full of energy and violent comedy. Filtering this irrepressible spirit, Shechter creates a vision of a world in freefall, part gig, part dance, part theatre and wholly original.

The company's exceptional ensemble of dancers come from ten different countries. They are Robinson Cassarino, Chien-Ming Chang, Frédéric Despierre (Rehearsal Assistant 1), Spencer Dickhaus, Rachel Fallon, Emma Farnell-Watson, Mickaël Frappat, Natalia Gabrielczyk, Adam Khazhmuradov, Yeji Kim (Rehearsal Assistant 2), Attila Ronai, Hannah Shepherd, Diogo Sousa, Juliette Valerio, Zunnur Zhafirah.

Grand Finale is produced by Hofesh Shechter Company and commissioned by Georgia Rosengarten.

Our Commissioning partners are Sadler's Wells Theatre, Théâtre de la Ville-Paris / La Villette-Paris and Brighton Dome and Festival. Co-commissioned by Colours International Dance Festival Stuttgart, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Romaeuropa Festival, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Marche Teatro / Inteatro Festival together with Danse Danse Montréal, HELLERAU-European Center for the Arts Dresden, Dansens Hus Oslo, Athens and Epidaurus Festival, HOME Manchester and Scène Nationale d'Albi.

Grand Finale is generously supported by the International Music and Art Foundation.

Hofesh Shechter Company is supported using public funding through Arts Council England and benefits from the support of BNP Paribas Foundation for the development of its projects.

Hofesh Shechter is an Associate Artist of Sadler's Wells and Hofesh Shechter Company is Resident Company at Brighton Dome.

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