Rambert's new première from Wim Vandekeybus, Draw From Within, will be streamed live from Rambert's studios to UK and European audiences at 8PM GMT on 25 September 2020. A further two live performances will be streamed for audiences in Seoul (24 September) and New York (26 September).
The company has been creating the work since mid-July with Belgian choreographer and filmmaker Wim Vandekeybus at Rambert’s Southbank studios, using every space from the loading bay to the studios via the corridors and even the roof.
The piece has been created to be viewed digitally. Audiences will feel like invisible participants with cameras positioned inside the dancers’ performance space to capture a virtual reality-style viewpoint.
Vandekeybus said, “Draw From Within is surreal, unrealistic, nightmarish but there's light in the darkness. It's about threat but also about liberation, about death but also about birth. There's an elemental, primal vitality to my work; I like to return to the ritualistic aspects of life, the ritualistic aspects of dance as a form of expression.I like to go under the skin and draw upon our innate human qualities: the human heart beat that unites us, the arc of a human life, the blood which courses through our veins.”
Rambert’s dancers returned to the Southbank studios on 13 July with rehearsals for Vandekeybus’ commission commencing on 20 July. The entire company, artists, production and technical teams, were tested for COVID and dancers were allocated to bubbles. Each bubble has their own area in the building to use and the dancers stay in their bubbles at all times.
Rambert Home Studio was launched on 27 August to host an array of live content including online dance classes taught by Rambert’s dancers and teachers and opportunities to engage with the company’s dancers including interviews, behind the scenes and creation videos, podcasts and dancer-curated playlists.
Rambert is partnering with venues around the world, encouraging audiences to support regional theatres across the UK and beyond through their ticket purchase for Draw From Within. Tickets are on sale now for a fixed £10 per household.