Dance City has announced two associate artists, Braena and Southpaw Dance Company, at The Fire Station, Sunderland. The two companies will create new work there and will also offer a varied programme of public dance classes which will take place in purpose-built studios.
Sunderland-based Braena is a community dance and performance company co-directed by disabled and non-disabled dancers Anna Hall, Tracey West and Brent Marriner and producer Louise Brown, which creates innovative dance performance work and facilitates inclusive movement-based workshops in the community, often alongside artists from different disciplines including music, visual art and film.
Southpaw Dance Company was set up in 2013 under the artistic direction of choreographer Robby Graham and produces a wide range of work from solos to large scale outdoor spectaculars, such as Faust, which was performed in a Sunderland multi-storey car park in 2016.
Graham has performed, taught and choreographed around the world, including at the Royal Opera House and in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Most recently, he was movement director for Marianne Elliott’s production of Angels in America at the National Theatre and for Open Clasp’s Rattle Snake which opened at Live Theatre and toured to community venues around the region before playing at London's Soho Theatre.
A statement from Braena said, “we are really excited, to be a company in residence at Dance City Sunderland and to be part of their offer of bringing dance classes for all ages and abilities to Sunderland. Our work will have an emphasis on inclusive dance classes for families, children and adults. We are really looking forward to this being the next part of Braena's adventure! Thank you, Dance City!”
“We’re very excited to be resident artists at the Fire Station,” Robbie Graham said. "We work all over the country and there is such a buzz about Sunderland at the moment. We have several new works in development and can’t wait to start rehearsing in the incredible studio spaces.”
Anthony Baker, Joint CEO and Artistic Director of Dance City, added, “Braena and Southpaw are two of the most pioneering dance companies and we are delighted to have them on board as we gear up for the grand opening of Dance City Sunderland in January.”