International Dance Acts To Perform For Brighton Festival

World premieres from Sussex’s own Cedya Tanc Dance and Three Score Dance sit alongside international companies from Australia and Korea for Brighton Festival’s Dance and Circus programme.

Ceyda Tanc Dance’s KIZLAR examines what it means to be female in a brand-new piece that combines athletic contemporary movement with the virtuoso movements of male Turkish dancers on 16 May. Drawing on Tanc’s heritage and time spent at the State Turkish Conservatoire for Music and Folk Dance, the all-female company create striking shapes in a visually stunning performance that explores masculinity and femininity, strength and vulnerability and the intersection of cultures in modern Britain.

KIZLAR - Ceyda Tanc Dance. Photo by Roarke Pearce

On 23 May, Rose Until It Touched the Sky, from Three Score Dance, promises an exhilarating and poignant exploration of older and bolder contemporary dance. Comprising of three new works by the Olivier Award winning Russell Maliphant Dance Company, four-time National Dance Award nominee Rhiannon Faith and Artistic Director of Three Score Dance, Jason Keenan-Smith, the piece explores concepts of ageing, memory and time, as soundscapes, voice and light shape the space. Many of the company are aged 60 plus and have had no prior dance training, but a wealth of life experience brings a unique quality to their work.

Winner of three International Circus Awards, Australian company Gravity & Other Myths continue to push the boundaries of acrobatics. Their new family show Out Of Chaos, exposes the inner workings of the world-class acrobat and unveils the magic of human connection between performer and the audience, in a mesmerising story of how things come together, moving between chaos and order.  Birth, death and physics are sure to collide in a performance of explosive acrobatics and intimate confessions from the 9-11 May.

Out of Chaos - Gravity & Other Myths. Photo by Carnival Cinema

Little Murmur (13-14 May) for audiences aged 7 and up is based on Aakash Odedra’s previous and hugely moving piece Murmur 2.0, documenting his struggle with dyslexia. Using ground-breaking projection, an extraordinary soundscape and a blizzard of paper and confetti, it explores the trials and tribulations of living with dyslexia including how the young Odedra was defined by his learning difficulties, not his abilities, and how dance became his mode of expression. A stunning visual treat, Little Murmur is an honest and heartfelt conversation about facing challenges and overcoming the odds.

On 11 May, leading Korean choreographer Howool Baek and up and coming dance group Company SIGA present a triple bill of dance in Kontemporary Korea. Baek’s Did U Hear, based on the poem The Rose That Grew From Concrete by rap superstar 2Pac, deconstructs and fragments the body into new and surprising forms. In short film Foreign Body, Baek tells of strange encounters in an alien society. The multi-sensory Rush, from Company SIGA, explores the importance of listening to the needs of the inner self.

A Queer Collison (19-20 May) is a humorous and thought-provoking collaboration between dance-maker Stuart Waters and actor Willie Elliott, hosted by cabaret artist Ebony Rose Dark. Co-created with blind and partially sighted people, the piece features stories embedded with audio description and draws on Waters’ experience as a neurodivergent, queer man living with mental health access needs.

Also running 19-20 May is The Rest of Our Lives - a joyful combination of dance, theatre, circus, and games from Critics’ Circle National Dance Award winner and self-proclaimed ‘old dancer’ Jo Fong and George Orange, a clown with 20 years of experience as a performance artist. Together they negotiate the eclectic, predictable and random decline of middle age, armed with floor-fillers, raffle tickets and eco-friendly optimism.

Established in 1967, Brighton Festival is the largest annual curated multi-arts festival in England. This year’s Guest Director is critically acclaimed musician, producer, DJ and broadcaster Nabihah Iqbal and she invites everyone to Gather Round in an ambitious celebration of community, collaboration and the joy of shared experiences. 

Additional highlights:

Playbook (12-13 May)
Circus company Gravity & Other Myths also treat audiences to Playbook, a special free outdoor acrobatic display. Follow a group of 8 performers as they use their bodies, along with portable lighting and sound equipment, for a playful and responsive piece of performance art that showcases physicality, unity, and the beauty of movement.

We Touch, We Play, We Dance (13 May) 
Four dancers weave around the space, inviting babies and children to join them in a warm-hearted and playful performance. Created by Second Hand Dance, who were Shortlisted for the Arts Foundation Award for Children’s Theatre, We Touch, We Play, We Dance is an engaging and fun performance for children under 3.

Club Origami (26-27 May)
Club Origami is an immersive and interactive paper-themed dance show that invites families to create and explore new ways of thinking and moving. Dance, fashion and live music meet the magic of origami!

Brighton Festival Extra:

Breakin’ Convention (3 June)
Breakin' Convention is a ground-breaking day full of hip hop dance theatre. Internationally celebrated performers will showcases their moves alongside local talent. Hosted and curated by UK hip hop theatre legend and Breakin’ Convention Artistic Director Jonzi D, the festival also features DJs, graffiti artists and freestyle sessions taking place all over the building. Run out of Sadler’s Wells in London, Breakin’ Convention has been leading the hip hop theatre revolution since 2004.

The Brighton Festival runs from May 6 - 28.

Above acts to perform at Brighton Dome.

Explore the full programme at brightonfestival.org