Preview of Spring 2015 at Newcastle Dance City

Drama, athleticism, beauty, theatrics and plenty of energy – Dance City has it all and so much more in their spring/summer 2015 season.

Some of world’s biggest and best loved dance companies are bringing their work to Dance City’s Newcastle-based theatre for their most ambitious and exciting programme to date. The spring / summer 2015 season promises drama, athleticism, beauty, theatrics, plenty of energy and stunning dance.

Motionhouse, Jasmin Vardimon, Aakash Odedra and Scottish Dance Theatre are among the companies performing. Alongside the big names, ‘Northern Platforms’ shows work by emerging choreographers from the North East, Yorkshire, the North West and Scotland. There are also three exciting new pieces for children and families.

Anthony Baker, Dance City Artistic Director and Joint CEO said: “We’re extremely excited about the coming season; we’re bringing some of the biggest names in dance to Dance City and the quality of the work is second to none.”

“Dance City is the only North East venue solely dedicated to presenting dance. The intimate setting of our purpose-built theatre and close proximity to the dancers mean audiences are able to fully experience the power and emotion, energy and passion of live dance. With something for all tastes and pockets and with tickets from as little as £5, we hope as many people as possible will come along to see amazing dance on their doorstep.”

Tickets:

Tickets can be purchased online at www.dancecity.co.uk, in person by popping in to Dance City or by calling 0191 261 0505.

If you have an NE1 postcode and have never been to Dance City before you can come along to any show for just £2!

Renaud Wiser

One & Who Killed Bambi?

Saturday 7 February, 8pm

Tickets: £5

Age: 12+

Renaud Wiser presents a double bill of fast paced choreography in a thought provoking evening commissioned by Dance City, bringing together dance, film, theatre and live music. One is a solo work about illusion and deceit, questioning our perception of the performer. Who Killed Bambi? looks at individuals versus society, celebrating those who swim against the tide and transforming the stage through beautiful design and striking imagery.

Broken

Motionhouse

Thursday 12 February 7.30pm

Friday 13 February 1.30pm

Tickets: £15, £12.50 concession, £6 students, under 18’s

Age: All

Motionhouse are one of the UK's most visual and dynamic companies. This is their first visit to a North East stage in many years. Their new production, Broken, erupts onto the stage examining our precarious relationship with the earth. Highly physical and virtuosic, this powerful company combine athletic dance, digital imagery and original music in a visual and adrenaline fuelled spectacle.

Murmur & Inked 
Aakash Odedra

Saturday 28 February 8.00pm

Tickets: £12.50, £9.50 concession, £6 students, under 18’s

Age: 11+

Aakash Odedra creates work that is visually beautiful, heart wrenching and heart warming. It is full of drama and movement. Murmur explores Aakash's battles with dyslexia throughout his youth and how the world around him responded to his perceived disability. In Inked he uses his experiences to craft a deeply symbolic and emotional piece looking at a largely unknown practice of tattooing and skin marks as a sign of identity.

Northern Platforms

Thursday 5 March 6.00pm

Tickets: £5

Age: All

Join us for an evening of the best dance being created from the North East, Yorkshire, the North West and Scotland.

Dreaming in Code

2Faced Dance Company

Friday 13 March 7.30pm | Sat 14 March 8.00pm

Tickets: £12.50, £9.50 concession, £6 students, under 18’s

Age: 11+

Dreaming in Code is an explosive new double bill performed by one of the UK’s most innovative male dance companies. Featuring dance packed with movement and theatrics, 2Faced Dance explore what the future could look like in this powerful and fearless work. If you like your dance full of energy and stunning movement this is one for you.

Park

Jasmin Vardimon Company

Wednesday 25 March 7.30pm | Thursday 26 March 1.30pm & 7.30pm

Tickets: £20, £15 concession, £6 students, under 18’s

Age: 14+

Park is an urban oasis, a place of refuge from ordinary life where eight characters play, fight, fall in love, and learn to survive. In this playground of relationships, young lovers wrestle in a historic fountain, a graffiti artist sprays his story, a busker finds his only appreciative audience in a bag lady and a flag-waving bully rants worn out political beliefs. Their stories intertwine creating a modern day fairytale that is alternately sharp, funny, and cruel.

Varmints

Wednesday 8 April 10.30am and 1.30pm

Tickets: £6

Age: 7+

Varmints tells the poignant tale of one small creature’s struggle to preserve a world in danger of being lost forever. With choreography by B-boy Wilkie Branson and direction from Sally Cookson, Varmints is a rich visual piece of original dance theatre for young people and their families. Based on the award-winning children’s book by Helen Ward, with beautiful illustrations by Marc Craste.

Winter, Again & Dreamers

Scottish Dance Theatre

Thursday 23 April 7.30pm | Friday 24 April, 7.30pm

Tickets: £15, £12.50 concession, £6 students, under 18’s

Age: 12+

Jo Strømgren’s Nordic fairytale Winter, Again tells the story of a community struggling to hide their dark misdemeanours under winter’s snowy blanket. Punctuated with the devastatingly fragile songs of Schubert’s Eine Winterreise. Think The Killing meets Twin Peaks. Slovakian Anton Lachky’s Dreamers explores links between reality and surrealism for people who dare to dream while not being asleep, intertwined with his quirky and humorous style.

Innocence

Scottish Dance Theatre

Saturday 25 April, 11.30am 2.00pm & 4.00pm

Tickets: £6

Age: 3+

A unique playroom performance, Innocence invites little ones (and their adults), to explore William Blake’s imagination. Innocence is a magical theatrical journey led by Scottish Dance Theatre’s captivating dancers, with live music, songs, giggles and animal noises. A wonderful dance adventure for young ones, their families and friends.

5 SOLDIERS

Rosie Kay Dance Company

Thursday 14 May, 6.00pm | Saturday 16 May, 8.00pm

Tickets: £12.50, £9.50 concession, £6 students, under 18’s

Age: 12+

Rosie Kay Dance Company returns to Dance City with a work of sublime emotion and beauty, a visceral ‘tour de force’ of the senses. 5 SOLDIERS provides an intimate view of the training that prepares our soldiers for the sheer physicality of combat and the impact conflict has on the bodies and minds of everyone it touches.

Parked

Flex

Thursday 21 May 1.00pm & 6.00pm

Tickets: £5

Age: All

Parked tells the story of a man – stuck in one place, held there by sentimentality, afraid to venture. Through the course of the story events happen around him offering glimpses and reminders of what has been, what is and what could be. Parked is an innovative dance theatre production fusing contemporary dance with strong narrative in a colourful tactile world.

¡VAMOS! Festival

Friday 12 June

¡VAMOS! Festival is currently in its 10th celebration and will be returning to Dance City to host a nationally renowned dance company during the festival. Save the date and visit our website in spring 2015 for more details. www.vamosfestival.com

HOP

Nevski Prospekt

Saturday 27 June, 2.30pm

Tickets: £6

Age: 4+

A poetic dance production for children aged 4+ and their adults. Mr Dedalus and his son Icarus are trapped on an island. They long for home, but there’s no way to get out. Luckily Mr Dedalus is an inventor and thinks hard to come up with a plan to fly away, hop, way above the sea. HOP tells a story of the unconditional relationship between a father and a son.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

National Youth Dance Company

Saturday 4 July 7.30pm

Tickets: £12.50, £9.50 concession, £6 students, under 18’s

Age: All

Now in its third year, National Youth Dance Company is fast establishing a reputation for producing high quality performances from a company of dancers who are expressive, brave, and energise the dance environment. Having completed two sold out UK tours, NYDC returns to Dance City with a new work created by the 2014-15 Guest Artistic Director Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.

Double Trouble

Joseph Mercier / PanicLab

Thursday 9 July 7.30pm

Tickets: £5

Age: 16+

A double bill of new works exploring queer culture and contemporary masculinity. Versus is a duet using mixed martial arts (MMA), choreographed movement and wrestling to explore rivalry and friendship. Dark Waters is a solo portrait exploring the figure of the prince from Swan Lake. Part of Northern Pride 2015.