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Saturday 29 April 2017
7:30pm
King's Ballroom at Mercure Leicester, The Grand Hotel
£16
Against the background of Victorian elegance of the King's Ballroom, join ground-breaking ensemble Urban Bush Women as they present a special mixed bill inspired by jazz greats.
Renowned for their breathtaking and innovative work, and led by the founder and visioning partner Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, the company return after their acclaimed performances at last year's festival to celebrate International Dance Day and launch LDIF17 in style.
Included in the line-up the company will be performing an excerpt from 'Walking with Trane, Side B', an extension of work presented at the festival last year. Inspired by the musical life and spiritual journey of John Coltrane, a composer at the forefront of jazz innovation in a racially-charged America of the 50s and 60s and informed by the unpredictability of the bandstand, the "Band State," the scary, risky place that potentially extends into "transcendence," this ethereal investigation lives within multiple layers of Coltrane's music, spirituality and life. Side B: Freed(om) is a free-fall of "states", exploring the artistic imprint of Coltrane's seminal work A Love Supreme. A riff on pursuance, and plunging into the depths of Coltrane's formidable legacy with diagonal pulls, suspended silences, chaotic spirals, and, ultimately, transcendence. The piece is encapsulated by an original masterful composition, played live by Grammy award-winning composer George Caldwell.
2016
LET’S DANCE INTERNATIONAL FRONTIERS RETURNS WITH ANOTHER INNOVATIVE PROGRAMME CELEBRATING
Serendipity announces line-up for LDIF16, welcoming ground-breaking performance ensemble Urban Bush Women alongside new work from emerging and established talent.
29 April – 14 May 2016
Various venues, Leicester
Leicester based arts charity Serendipity, are thrilled to announce the programme for the forthcoming Let’s Dance International Frontiers 2016.
The programme, which will launch on 29 April 2016 marks International Dance Day, linking Leicester with celebrations taking place across the globe, followed by two weeks of performances, workshops and seminars aimed at bringing everyone together to access, engage and enjoy dance.
The LDIF16 launch welcomes back Guadeloupean dancer and choreographer Catherine Dénécy, who last captivated Leicester audiences in 2013 with her entrancing performance. This time she presents the UK debut of her work Mi-Chaud, Mi-Froid, continuing to draw on the richness of the Creole diaspora with live musicians emulating the soundscape of an underground jazz club. In the unique setting of New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, Catherine Dénécy offers a beautiful analogy between the world of politics and that of the cultural industries.
LDIF will host the ground breaking performance ensemble Urban Bush Women for the UK debut of their exciting new work, ‘Walking with ‘Trane’, inspired by legendary jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. UBW will be sharing poignant pieces from their 30 year repertoire.
LDIF is delighted to welcome Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, UBW’s founder and visioning partner, who will be accompanying the ensemble on their residency and will be the keynote speaker for the conference; Black Women in Dance: Stepping out the Barriers. The conference, with a panel of leading practitioners, agencies, funders, researchers and consultants, aims to give a voice to the Black women who have shaped and continue to shape the cultural landscape of dance, in the UK and internationally. Speakers confirmed so far include Adesola Akinleye, DancingStrong; Deborah Baddoo, State of Emergency; Hilary S. Carty; Catherine Dénécy; Pam Johnson, Arts Council England; Mercy Nabirye, ADAD; Maureen Salmon, Louise Sutton, Arts Council England; Jessica Walker; Sharon Watson, Phoenix Dance Theatre and the event will be hosted by Pawlet Brookes, Serendipity.
Other highlights of the LDIF16 programme include Signatures, a commissioning platform for emerging dancers and choreographers in partnership with Dance4, and Curve’s Inside Out Festival. Signatures too will be celebrating its sixth birthday having nurtured and supported the work of over 40 artists and their associates to date. The rising talents of Cameron McKinney, Dan Daw and Rhian Comley is also welcomed back to LDIF and will be presenting their developed work for Autograph. Having received mentorship from Serendipity and Dance4, they will share how their concepts have progressed over the last year.
Adesola Akinleye will be presenting a new work for Biography, in a site specific work at Leicester’s historic Guildhall. The work will question the projection of identity and the transient nature of ‘Self’, and how we write our own and each other’s narratives. The occasion will see the launch of Blurring Boundaries: Urban Street Meets Contemporary Dance, a compilation of papers from the personal perspectives of practitioners who have embraced and influenced global developments in this sector.
For younger audiences, is the enchanting Light Steps which follows the day of a puppet called Alex. Inspired by Spencer Finch’s Turner Gallery exhibition ‘The Skies can’t keep their secret’, the piece is a feast for the senses filled with music, movement, colour and light.
LDIF16 includes the UK premieres of two documentaries in partnership with Phoenix Cinema; A Ballerina’s Tale, following the life and career of Misty Copeland, who recently made history as the first African-America woman to gain status as the principal dancer of American Ballet Theater. Black Ballerina tells the stories of several Black women from different generations who fell in love with ballet and asks have things changed for young Black ballerinas today?
Artistic Director, Pawlet Brookes said, “LDIF has made some significant accomplishment over the last six years, supporting the work of many talented dancers and choreographers at different stages in their careers. This year is no different and we are delighted to welcome the return Urban Bush Women, almost 30 years after they last performed in Leicester. LDIF champions the opportunities for artists to tell their own stories, and we are honoured to have such a variety of talent.”
LDIF 16 is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England’s Grants for the arts programme.
Abid Hussain, Director, Diversity, Arts Council England, said, “We’re delighted to be investing in LDIF16. The festival promises to be a fantastic opportunity for people to enjoy an exciting and diverse line-up of dance from around the world that celebrates the Creative Case for Diversity. It’s great to see the Arts Council’s National Lottery funding helping to make creative and cultural events happen with something for all audiences to enjoy.”
LDIF embraces the cosmopolitan and international nature of Leicester with a programme that brings diversity to the forefront in dance, and celebrates and supports the work of dancers from the emerging to the established. Taking place at venues across Leicester including Attenborough Arts Centre, Curve, Guildhall, New Walk Museum and Art Gallery and Phoenix Cinema. LDIF 16 launches on the 29 April and runs until 14 May.
For further information please do not hestitate to contact the event organisers Serendipity,
on 0116 257 7316
or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
For the full programme please
visit www.ldif.co.uk.
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