The BBC Arts 2020 dance season, will feature live performances filmed at Sadler’s Wells and the Royal Opera House, specially commissioned films and explorations of dance and the country’s leading dance practitioners on BBC TV and online.
The season features:
- Revisor (BBC4), the new dance theatre hybrid created by Crystal Pite in collaboration with playwright Jonathon Young, following their production, Betroffenheit.
- Dance works (BBC4), a series of films produced in partnership with Sadler’s Wells featuring choreographers Sharon Eyal and María Pagés, Ballet Black (who performed during Stormzy’s Glastonbury set) and a Latin dance showcase from Strictly Come Dancing stars Gorka Marquez and Karen Hauer.
- Yuli: The Carlos Acosta Story (BBC2), the television première of the film based on Acosta’s 2007 UK autobiography No Way Home.
- Men In Dance (BBC4), a behind-the-scenes film of male dancers in The Royal Ballet.
- Devil In The Feet (BBC4), the story of how Irish Dance evolved from a traditional folk dance to a global phenomenon.
- imagine… Kate Prince: Every Move She Makes (W/T) (BBC1) follows the ZooNation dance company founder as she embarks on her latest West End production Message In A Bottle, set to the music of Sting. Alan Yentob explores the wider impact of her work and politics on a younger generation of upcoming dancers.
- BBC Introducing Arts: Dance (BBC4), a collection of dance films made by first-time and emerging film-makers.
Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells, said, “we are delighted to partner with the BBC and ClearStory on the second Danceworks series, bringing audiences closer to exceptional choreographers and dancers. The films offer a unique insight into their background, inspirations and artistry.”
Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, added, “working with the BBC on the Men in Dance documentary has provided the perfect opportunity to celebrate our extraordinary artists and provide an insight into the unique life of the male dancer, from student in training to star on the stage. Documentary maker Richard Macer has spent a great deal of time shadowing the company to create a film that reveals the passion, determination, strength and artistry that define the male dancer today and make The Royal Ballet so very special.”