International Dance Legend Carlos Acosta Visits Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
Carlos Acosta was in attendance at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre last night, Tuesday 14 January, to celebrate the performances of NUTCRACKER IN HAVANA, which saw his company Acosta Danza, take to the Grand Theatre stage for the first time.
As part of the Grand's commitment to presenting world-class dance in Wolverhampton, the show, which was co-produced by Norwich Theatre and Valid Productions, is a colourful Cuban take on the festive classic, set to an exuberant Cuban newly-commissioned version of the magnificent Tchaikovsky score, arranged by Cuban composer Pepe Gavilondo. Featuring over 20 dancers from Carlos' Cuban company Acosta Danza, the traditional story is brought to life with ballet at its core but in Carlos' unique style, seeing dance traditions of Cuba carefully fused and woven throughout the classic tale.
In the past year, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre has offered Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet and the debut UK performances by São Paulo Dance Company to kickstart the rich dance programme the theatre now offers. Both Sir Matthew Bourne and São Paulo Dance Company Artistic Director Inês Bogéa also took to the Grand Theatre stage alongside their respective companies, with Carlos Acosta now very firmly joining them as part of the Grand Theatre's dance culture.
Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Adrian Jackson said; “it has been a wonderful two days welcoming Carlos and the Nutcracker In Havana company to Wolverhampton. We are hugely grateful to them for sharing their talent here, entertaining and inspiring thousands of audience members across three packed houses. Their performances form part of the Grand Theatre's ethos of being a stage for the best in the world and our commitment to continue presenting world-class dance here in the Midlands.”
International superstar Carlos Acosta was born in Havana, Cuba and trained at The National Ballet School of Havana. After winning a succession of awards, including the 1990 Prix De Lausanne, he went on to dance professionally with the world's most prestigious companies, with London's Royal Ballet becoming his home. Carlos retired from classical ballet in 2016, after 28 years, having performed almost every classical role from Spartacus to Romeo. Carlos created many award-winning shows throughout his ballet career, including Tocororo, and Carlos Acosta and Friends of the Royal Ballet, also choreographing the Royal Ballet productions of Don Quixote and Carmen and the 2014 West End production of Guys and Dolls. He has also written two books, including a work of fiction Pig's Foot and his autobiography No Way Home. Yuli, a film inspired by his life, premiered at the San Sebastian, Havana and Berlin Film Festivals to critical acclaim before its premiere and general release in April 2019. The culture and history of Carlos' homeland have been important influences throughout his career and continues to be so following the establishment of his own dance company, Acosta Danza, in 2016. The company tours the world with its vibrant combination of classical and contemporary, fused with Cuban elements of dance.
The next dance performance at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre will be from Canada's leading contemporary dance company, Ballet BC, a creation-based contemporary dance company from Vancouver, led by Artistic Director Medhi Walerski. Ballet BC perform a double bill on 6 & 7 June, tickets are on sale now at grandtheatre.co.uk.
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