PHOENIX DANCE THEATRE COME HOME FOR THE WEEK
PHOENIX AT HOME: A CELEBRATION OF FEMALE CHOREOGRAPHERS OPENS TOMORROW
27-30 September, Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds
Leeds-based Phoenix Dance Theatre returns to its home stage tomorrow with a production that celebrates it the female talent within the company.
Led by its Artistic Director and Yorkshire Woman of the Year, Sharon Watson, the vibrant showcase of dance includes a never-before-seen excerpt of a major new piece that is set to have its World Premiere in Leeds in February.
Windrush: Movement of the People will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the ship SS Empire Windrush which brought the first generation of Caribbean immigrants to England in large numbers; it was 1948 and it would mark the start of the post-war immigration boom which was to radically change British society.
Choreographed by Sharon herself, Windrush is the first ever piece of contemporary dance to mark this historical event.
“I am really excited about Windrush,” says Sharon. “It highlights both the struggles and the good times the Jamaican community experienced during those early years. It’s an uplifting production and has a great soundtrack with everything from Calypso to RnB.”
Calyx is a piece by Company Dancer and Choreographer Sandrine Monin commissioned by Sharon Watson last year. Inspired by and based on the book of poems The Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire, Calyx explores the themes of beauty, desire and decadence.
Alongside Calyx and the exclusive Windrush excerpt is an original solo by Dancer Carmen Vazquez Marfil; a tongue-in-cheek collaboration between Dancer Vanessa Pang and Rehearsal Director Tracy Tinker set in the audition room, and a new piece choreographed by dancers Natalie Alleston and Vanessa Pang for the rising stars of the Phoenix Youth Academy.
Phoenix At Home: A Celebration of Female Choreographers is at The Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds from Wednesday 27th to Saturday 30th September
Tickets are priced at £15, £12 concession
Book online at www.theatreleeds.com or call box office on 0113 220 8008
For more information about Phoenix Dance Theatre visit www.phoenixdancetheatre.co.uk
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