DanceWorks on BBC Four with Sadler's Wells

Published: 18 April 2018
Reporter: Vera Liber

The BBC and Sadler’s Wells have partnered to curate and commissione DanceWorks, four 30-minute artist-led films for broadcast on BBC Four in May as part of the broadcaster's forthcoming dance season. The films will be broadcast on BBC Four from Monday 7 to Thursday 10 May.

Co-produced with Islington-based ClearStory, each film in the series features a different artist during the process of creating new work.

The Dying Swan follows former Principal dancer Zenaida Yanowsky as she overcomes knee surgery to prepare for one of her final public performances, exploring how a dancer fights age, the deterioration of the body over time and fear of retirement. The film also features an encounter between Zenaida Yanowsky and Natalia Osipova, as they exchange reflections on the "Dying Swan" routine.

The artistic process behind Shobana Jeyasingh’s new work, Contagion, an evocation of the 1918 flu pandemic, is revealed in Choreographing History, which shows her researching the subject and attempting to translate what she finds into movement.

Dancer and choreographer Dickson Mbi is followed as he crosses over from his street dance roots to contemporary dance. In Street to Stage, he is seen winning the UK heat of the international street dance competition Keep on Dancing before choreographing and performing his first contemporary dance solo.

Prejudice and Passion follows Carlos Pons Guerra as he begins choreographing a new children’s production, the true story of two male penguins raising a baby penguin. In this film, he begins choreographing this production at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and asks whether he can bring the fight for acceptance that has defined him into the mainstream and win over family audiences.

Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director and Chief Executive at Sadler’s Wells, said, “at Sadler’s Wells, we’re always looking for ways to introduce the experience of high quality dance to the widest possible audience. Beyond the stage we also want people to be able to experience dance through different media.

"I’m delighted that our partnership with the BBC and ClearStory has enabled us to present these films on BBC Four, which will give viewers an opportunity to go behind the scenes with some of today’s most exciting artists and discover how they create dance.”

ClearStory Executive Producers Molly Milton and Russell Barnes said, “through working so closely and intimately with leading dancers and choreographers, ClearStory has been able to push the boundaries of what a dance film can be, threading performance through an observational narrative. We hope viewers come away with a fresh perspective and insight into the world behind the stage curtain.”

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