Chinese dragons; National Dance CompanyWales has gone much further afield with its home-grown choreography. But as artistic director Ann Sholem tells Jason Jones, it's coming home that really matters.Byline: Jason Jones Jason Jones is the name of:
WALES' international dance company has hot-footed it back from a ground-breaking tour to China to put the icing on the cake of the Wales Wales, Welsh Cymru, western peninsula and political division (principality) of Great Britain (1991 pop. 2,798,200), 8,016 sq mi (20,761 sq km), west of England; politically united with England since 1536. The capital is Cardiff. Millennium Centre's fifth birthday celebrations. NextTuesday, NationalDance Company Wales - formerly Diversions - will perform a triple bill in what promises to be the dance highlight of the season as theonlynewshowthathasbeen created in Cardiff for the venue's birthday bash. The new works were created at NDCW's home, the Dance House at WMC WMC Winter Music Conference WMC Weill Medical College (Cornell University) WMC Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (Madison, WI) WMC Westchester Medical Center WMC Western Mining Corporation , and have wowed audiences and critics alike as the company toured venues across England and Wales England and Wales are both constituent countries of the United Kingdom, that together share a single legal system: English law. Legislatively, England and Wales are treated as a single unit (see State (law)) for the conflict of laws. . But then they went further afield. NDCW return to WMC fresh from a 16,000 kilometre round trip to three cities The Three Cities is a collective description of the three fortified cities of Cospicua, Vittoriosa, and Senglea on the Island of Malta, which are enclosed by the massive line of fortification created by the Knights of St John, the Cottonera Lines. in south west China last month. The dancers were invited to take their innovative work to China and in doing so became the first in -ternational guests to perform at the new Grand Theatre, Chongqing, a city that has a partnership arrangement with Wales."We had an incredible time in China," says the company's artistic director Ann Sholem. "It was wonderful to see the dances on large stages in the Chinese venues and we have used some of what we exper -ienced there to make the shows even more vibrant and entertaining for the WMC stage next week."It is hugely important to us that audiences in Cardiff get to see the new works that proved so popular in China before they go to London and Edinburgh. "I think pulses will be racing both on and off the stage with a spectacular evening of dance that I am proud to say has been created in Wales. The productions make a terrific programme of elegant, bold and beautiful dance." The company performed new work Veil Of Stars by Andonis Foniadakis and Roy Campbell-Moore's piece Hinterland in the Chinese cities of Kunming, Chengdu and Chongqing.Greek choreographer Foniadakis' debut with the company will engulf en·gulf tr.v. en·gulfed, en·gulf·ing, en·gulfs To swallow up or overwhelm by or as if by overflowing and enclosing: The spring tide engulfed the beach houses. the expanse of the WMC stage. He has specially created an inspiring new work that focuses on his hallmark technical virtuosity and fluidity. His highly-visual and gripping work will have audiences mesmer -ised with its seamless sophistication so·phis·ti·cate v. so·phis·ti·cat·ed, so·phis·ti·cat·ing, so·phis·ti·cates v.tr. 1. To cause to become less natural, especially to make less naive and more worldly. 2. . Hinterland is a beautiful work, lyrical and poetic, with flowing costumes and atmo -spheric colour schemes. The dance celebrates the music of the late Welsh composer Alun Hoddinott Alun Hoddinott (born August 11, 1929, Bargoed, Glamorganshire, Wales) is a Welsh composer of classical music. Life and works Hoddinott was educated at University College, Cardiff, and later studied privately with Arthur Benjamin. .Cardiff audiences will also be able to enjoy the show-stopping Lunatic, by Nigel Charnock, one of the UK's hottest choreographers who trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff and then established his name with dance group DV8. Set against the reality of post wartime Britain, Charnock's Lunatic shimmers with the moonlit moon·lit adj. Lighted by moonlight. moonlit Adjective illuminated by the moon Adj. 1. glamour and romance of 1940s and '50s music. Instantly theatrical and enter -taining, the work is the first dance created for the company since changing its name earlier this year. Next Wednesday brings a sep -arate double bill, another chance to see Veil Of Stars along with FORM by acclaimed Belgian choreographer Stijn Celis. National Dance Company Wales are at Wales Millenni -um Centre on November 3-4. Tickets cost pounds 15-pounds 20 from 0870 040 2000 CAPTION(S): National Dance Company Wales perform Veil of Stars by Andonis Foniadakis |
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