Sadler’s Wells and BBC Arts are to collaboration on an all-day digital, live and pre-recorded broadcast, Dancing Nation.
Dancing Nation will be streamed on BBC iPlayer for viewers in the UK and on the Sadler's Wells' web site for non-UK viewers throughout the day on Thursday 14 January 2021.
The event will begin live from Sadler’s Wells at 10:30AM with two more programmes at 1:30PM and 4:30PM (all times GMT). Fifteen live and pre-recorded performances, artists inhabiting spaces throughout Sadler’s Wells, across its stages, studios and foyer spaces in an all-day ‘take-over’ of the building hosted by BBC presenter Brenda Emmanus will be streamed live then be available for 30 days on BBC iPlayer and the Sadler’s Wells web site.
Featured works include Matthew Bourne’s Spitfire (1988), Akram Khan and Natalia Osipova in a work inspired by Akram Khan and Sylvie Guillem’s 2006 duet Sacred Monsters, English National Ballet with Hollow by Stina Quagebeur, Candoco Dance Company’s Face In, a contemporary dance piece by Yasmeen Godder which debuted at Sadler’s Wells in 2018, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Lazuli Sky alongside an interview with Carlos Acosta, Oona Doherty’s Hope Hunt & the Ascension into Lazarus and Shobana Jeyasingh Dance’s Contagion.
HUMANHOOD’s moon-inspired ORBIS and SPHERA explores the relationship and influence of Earth’s satellite on humans, Shades of Blue from Matsena Productions responds in dance to the effects of COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement and Northern Ballet’s States of Mind is by resident artist Kenneth Tindall.
Boy Blue will perform an extract from Blak Whyte Gray, Rambert will perform Rouge from choreographer Marion Motin, Far From the Norm blends hip-hop and contemporary dance styles in an extract from BLKDOG and Breakin’ Convention presents Window Shopping, transforming Sadler’s Wells public spaces with popping, voguing, flamenco and ballet performance.
Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director and CEO of Sadler’s Wells, said, "we're really looking forward to starting the New Year as we mean to go on, by partnering with incredible artists to bring you world-class performances in Dancing Nation. The event is a showcase of the breadth of dancers and choreographers making work in the UK today, and a celebration of their talent to inspire us to look forward to 2021 with renewed optimism."