National Dance Company Wales Sets Spring Tour 2016

The award-winning National Dance Company Wales, under the artistic directorship of recently appointed Caroline Finn, announces its Spring Tour 2016. Folk, a world premiere choreographed by Finn, Tuplet by Alexander Ekman and works by Johan Inger, Lee Johnston and Jeroen Verbruggen will tour to venues in Wales and England from 4 February to 14 May 2016 (full tour schedule included).

The 2016 tour marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Cardiff based company. An innovative artistic vision, vibrant programming and the diversifying and remodelling of NDCWales' engagement work will reaffirm the company's role as an ambassador for dance in Wales, across the UK and internationally.

Folk, a new piece by Finn, the company's young, dynamic artistic director kicks off the 2016 programme of events. Finn joined NDCWales in September 2015 after creating the critically acclaimed Bloom for Phoenix Dance Theatre and receiving the Matthew Bourne New Adventures Choreographer Award in 2014.

Folk headlines the spring tour and will celebrate Finn's first choreographic piece for the company. Featuring Finn's darkly comic expressions about life and people, Folk will bring her quirky and highly engaging choreographic style to the stage by exploring themes of social dynamics through familiar and surreal scenes. The company continues to collaborate with regional Welsh talent for Folk; Costume Designer Gabriella Slade and Set and Lighting Designer Joe Fletcher - both graduates of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Folk is set to an eclectic mix of music including Barcarola (Offenbach and Guiraud) Midnight Waltz (Adam Hurst) and Threnody (Goldmund).

Caroline Finn, artistic director of National Dance Company Wales said: "I am hugely looking forward to creating the first of many new works on the company for the spring tour 2016. I know the company's incredible dancers will fully embody the highly physical, theatrical and often darkly comical aspects of my work. I'm excited to challenge and be challenged by the artists in the studio, so that National Dance Company Wales can maximise the potential and accessibility of its work that we bring to our audiences."

Also in the spring tour is Alexander Ekman's Tuplet- a witty and high octane exploration of the simple notion of rhythm. The dancers' breath and bodies create a powerful drumming soundtrack, combined with pounding electronic accompaniment, as well as the familiar and evocative jazz sounds of Fly Me to the Moon. The impressive physicality combined with joyful, carefree dance shows off the personality and virtuosity of the dancers.

Folk and Tuplet will be performed at all tour venues and will be joined by one of NDCWales' repertoire pieces: Walking Mad by Swedish choreographer Johan Inger is set to the rousing sounds of Ravel's Boléro and music by Arvo Pärt and is full of wit, laced with an unsettling edge of madness; A Mighty Wind, choreographed by Belgian choreographer Jereon Verbruggen is an energetic piece set against the power generated by an alternative rock concert and captures the intensity of nature's elements during a storm; and They Seek to Find The Happiness They Seem by Australian choreographer Lee Johnston is an emotional duet which explores dislocation and separation.

Paul Kaynes, chief executive of National Dance Company of Wales said: "We have ambitious plans for the future. We will continue to tour to theatres large and small in every corner of Wales, across the UK and internationally presenting the work of the best international choreographers alongside the work of our own, highly respected artistic director Caroline Finn. But we don't think dance should be restricted to theatres. We want to create one-off projects to give communities the chance to dance themselves, and take dance to new places in Wales and beyond, giving people new experiences and skills in the process."

These aims are already on their way to becoming a reality. In addition to delivering new works by Finn, NDCWales has been selected to perform at the prestigious British Dance Edition at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff in March 2016. Continuing plans to collaborate with local and international talent, NDCWales will work with Israeli choreographer Roy Assaf to create a new work for the company in December 2016.

National Dance Company Wales is funded by Arts Council of Wales.

Find out more about National Dance Company Wales at www.ndcwales.co.uk

To post a comment, you must register and login.