Leicester’s two-week annual dance festival Let’s Dance International Frontiers will get under way with Nora Chipaumire from Zimbabwe performing her new show 100% Pop.
The festival presents contemporary dance and ballet by local and international performers. It “embraces the cosmopolitan nature of Leicester by bringing diversity to the forefront in dance while celebrating the work of dancers at all stages of their careers”.
Star names include the Senegalese / New York-based Germaine Acogny who will be presenting the UK debut of Somewhere at the Beginning; San Francisco-based Antoine Hunter, the pioneering deaf dancer / choreographer whose company Urban Jazz Dance Company consists of professional deaf and hearing dancers; London-based Namron, celebrating 50 years in professional dance; Leicester-trained Ella Mesma whose piece Papillon is being developed in association with the city’s Curve Theatre; and Leicester-trained Harriet Watson.
LDIF 2018 is produced by Serendipity, based at Leicester’s De Montfort University. Its artistic director Pawlet Brookes said, “LDIF is a unique opportunity to see creative and innovative work from international trailblazers before anyone else. It introduces new audiences to dance and returning audiences to something they wouldn’t get anywhere else.
“In celebrating this year’s theme Ancestral Voices: Dance Dialogues, LDIF 2018 will recognise and celebrate pioneers from the African and African / Caribbean diaspora who’ve shaped contemporary dance over the years.
“Speakers at our conference will include LDIF patron Joan Myers Brown, artistic director of Philadanco Ballet Company in Philadelphia, USA, L'Antoinette Stines (Jamaica), Bob Ramdhanie (Trinidad-UK), Barbara Ramos (Cuba) and Jeanguy Saintus (Haiti).”
The festival will run from 29 April until 12 May. Venues taking part include Curve, the New Walk Museum, De Montfort University and 2Funky Music Café.
The full line-up is available at the Serendipity web site.