English National Ballet becomes Sadler's Wells's first ever Associate Ballet Company, further developing Alistair Spalding's (Wells CEO and Artistic Director) vision of Sadler's Wells as a 'national dance house' with support for artists and new work at its heart.
Sadler’s Wells’s history of Associate Artists and Resident Companies dates back to the appointment of Wayne McGregor | Random Dance in 2001. This was followed by New Adventures in 2006 and ZooNation in 2010, with the first Associates appointed by Alistair Spalding in 2005.
This new relationship with English National Ballet will see ENB present two annual seasons at Sadler’s Wells in the spring and autumn of each year from March 2015 onwards.
Future plans include a new triple bill with choreography by William Forsythe, John Neumeier and Jiří Kylián in March 2015 as part of Modern Masters, the return of the critically acclaimed Lest We Forget programme in September 2015 and a new production of Giselle choreographed by Akram Khan in autumn 2016.
Alistair Spalding said: “I’m delighted to announce this new relationship with English National Ballet. The company is renowned for its commitment to bringing ballet and contemporary choreography to the widest possible audiences, making it the perfect match for Sadler’s Wells.
"The new contemporary work that Tamara has been commissioning has added an exciting dimension to English National Ballet’s firmly established reputation and repertoire, the result of a clear vision for ballet in the 21st century. I look forward to working with Tamara Rojo and the whole company on this exciting new partnership.”
Tamara Rojo said: “I am absolutely thrilled that English National Ballet is to be the first Associate Ballet Company at Sadler’s Wells.
"As Artistic Director of English National Ballet, I aim to honour the great classical works, keeping them relevant to today’s audience, while introducing brave new works into the company’s repertoire, the classics of the future.
"I am delighted to have Sadler’s Wells as a platform to present these works at over the coming years.”
ENB's Modern Masters: Icons of 20th Century Choreography at Sadler’s Wells in March 2015 will include the UK première of John Neumeier’s Spring and Fall, originally created for the Hamburg Ballet, featuring two couples and corps de ballet. ENB's Lead Principal, Alina Cojocaru, will perform in the lead role at Sadler’s Wells.
Of performing the work in Hamburg this summer, Cojocaru said: “to dance to Dvořák’s music in such a wonderful creation by Neumeier gives me such a sense of meaning and hidden challenges. Spring and Fall is a dream come true.”
Modern Masters also include William Forsythe's In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, which is new to the company’s repertoire. Forsythe created this work at the invitation of Rudolf Nureyev when he was Director of the Paris Opera Ballet. Set against a bare stage it is performed to an electronic score by Dutch composer Thom Willems.
First performed by English National Ballet in Ecstasy and Death in 2013, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort completes the Modern Master’s programme. Created for the Salzburg Festival in 1991, it features six men, six women and six fencing foils that symbolise energy, silence and sexuality.
Returning in September 2015, Lest We Forget, inspired by the centenary of the First World War, includes Dust by Akram Khan which looks at the empowerment of women in war and how women became the main workforce in the country; Russell Maliphant’s Second Breath which is about the sacrifice of men in war; and No Man’s Land by Liam Scarlett, which explores relationships in war and the loss and longing felt by women left behind by their partners.
Akram Khan’s new production of Giselle for English National Ballet will be presented in Autumn 2016.
Of commissioning Akram Khan to choreograph Giselle, Tamara Rojo said: “Experiencing the creation of Dust was incredibly inspiring and moving. It allowed me to understand that Akram’s unique vision and remarkable talent was something I wanted my dancers and audience to enjoy once again.
"Giselle is a ballet that lives in both the real and the spiritual world; this is why I thought it would be particularly appropriate for Akram, whose work often represents those two worlds. It is a story that you find in some way in every culture, the woman deceived who dies of a broken heart, and the spirit of this woman that either forgives or seeks revenge.
"By commissioning Akram to create a new version of Giselle, and to give this iconic ballet his own unique interpretation, I hope we will achieve something new and extraordinary that fulfils an important part of our vision; to commission and present innovative collaborations that honour and enhance both traditional and contemporary ballet.”
Akram Khan said: "I am eager to start the creation of Giselle for English National Ballet. It is a beautiful and iconic piece, and I am looking forward to bringing my own take, together with my collaborators and the wonderful English National Ballet dancers. I am still nostalgic from the experience of creating Dust, in the Lest We Forget programme, and am now even more energised to discover the world of Giselle."