Phoenix Dance Theatre will perform excerpts from two iconic works from the Company’s illustrious history as well as welcoming a host of special guest performances from celebrated and award-winning artists and dance companies from around the UK.
Phoenix dancers will be joined by students from the prestigious Northern School of Contemporary Dance to reprise former Artistic Director Sharon Watson’s ground-breaking Windrush: Movement of the People. Windrush tells the story of the arrival of passenger ship SS Empire Windrush, bringing with it the first Caribbean migrants to the UK.
Heart of Chaos, choregraphed by former Artistic Director Darshan Singh Bhuller, explosively brings to the stage the story of boxer Jack Johnson, the first African American heavyweight champion of the world, who challenged the segregated sport and white America in the era of Jim Crow and the Jazz Age.
Audiences will also be treated to an array of performances from acclaimed guest artists including Northern Ballet, Company Chameleon, DeNada Dance Theatre, Scottish Ballet, Mark Bruce Company, ACE dance and music, FUBUNATION, and Yorke Dance Project, who will also be joined by guest artists from The Royal Ballet.
Dane Hurst, Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre: “The 40th Birthday Celebration Gala is a celebration of the impact and legacy of Phoenix Dance Theatre and a salute to the enduring power and relevance of dance within arts and culture. The Gala will feature performances from artists and companies from around the country, all coming together to share and celebrate the incredible depth, breadth, and diversity of dance today. For one night only audiences will get to see some of the best dance artists from around the UK coming together under one roof at the Leeds Playhouse. It promises to be an unforgettable evening in celebration of 40 years of dance.”
Don’t miss this eclectic and celebratory evening of dance!