Jerwood DanceHouse, Ipswich, which opened in 2009, will feature Richard Alston Dance and Ballo Arthur Pita plus a dance-star-studded fundraising gala in its tenth anniversary celebrations.
Following an initial announcement earlier this year, the venue has added five more events to its birthday programme.
Young Rural Retreat 2019 is looking at the aspiring dance leaders of the future, led by Christopher Hampson, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet, and Catherine Cassidy, Director of Engagement at Scottish Ballet. Over four days, the participants will start to develop the leadership, management skills, and networks they will need to take the artform forward over the coming decades.
Open House Weekend, 7 September 2019, will feature a mixture of taster classes suitable for all ages and abilities, including ballet, contemporary, musical theatre and hip hop, and a series of bitesize dance performances in the Studio Theatre pluse arts and crafts, face painting, storytelling and building tours.
Ten: The Gala, 14 September 2019, will feature some of the UK’s leading dance companies and artists including Aakash Odedra Company, Company Wayne McGregor, English National Ballet, Russell Maliphant Company, Scottish Ballet and The Royal Ballet in a fundraising gala to support Dance in Perpetuity.
Richard Alston Dance Company, Snape Maltings, 1 and 2 November 2019, will perform the world première of Shine On, the last piece Alston will make for his own company which is due to close in 2020, set to Britten and Auden’s song cycle On This Island. Performing the Britten will be soprano Katherine McIndoe and pianist Jason Ridgway. This programme also includes Voices and Light Footsteps, a new work set to madrigals by Monteverdi, and Martin Lawrance’s Detour danced to two contrasting percussion pieces by Akira Miyoshi and Michael Gordon.
Ballo Arthur Pita's Ten Sorry Tales, 13 to 17 December, is a collection of modern-day fables written by Mick Jackson, from the child who sleeps for fifteen years to the sinister sisters who prey on trespassers and the boy who brings butterflies back to life.
Pita said, “Jerwood DanceHouse is a very special place for me. I’m hugely appreciative of the fantastic support we’ve received, right from the very start with our show God’s Garden ten years ago. It is a wonderful place to grow; a safe environment where you can try out new ideas with incredible audiences who are open to new work. I’m excited about our new show Ten Sorry Tales and can’t wait to return.”