Into the labyrinth
Lose yourself in the romantic world of dance this Valentine’s with Rambert Dance Company at the Theatre Royal Brighton
Rambert Dance Company, Britain’s company for contemporary dance and an Associate Company of Theatre Royal Brighton, make their annual visit to the Theatre next month as part of their Spring tour. The title piece, ‘Labyrinth Of Love’, is inspired by the love poems and prose of seven women – including Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Mary Shelley, Sappho and with a nod to screen icon Elizabeth Taylor. Marguerite Donlon’s ‘Labyrinth Of Love’ reflects the bitterness, desire, longing, ecstasy, irony, tenderness, despair, hope, sadness and humour associated with the heart.
The piece is set to a commissioned score by one of America’s most performed composers, Michael Daugherty, and accompanied live on stage by a soprano. Marguerite danced with the Deutsche Oper Berlin and English National Ballet and during this time she was coached by many world-renowned artists including Natalia Makarova, Rudolf Nureyev and Sir Kenneth MacMillan.
The score for ‘Labyrinth Of Love’ is written by Grammy Award-winning composer Michael Daugherty, who first came to international attention for his symphony ‘Metropolis’ and is cited by the League of American Orchestras as one of the ten most performed living American composers. Past scores have paid musical homage to icons of contemporary pop culture: Liberace, Elvis Presley, Jackie Onassis, even Barbie and Superman. The score was a joint commission between Rambert and Present Music, Wisconsin.
It will be sung by soprano Kirsty Hopkins, who performs as a soloist and consort singer all over the world, at venues including the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sydney Opera House and Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
In addition, Rambert will perform the following repertoire in Brighton: Inspired by Debussy’s languorous and shimmering score and considered to be one of the first modern ballets, ‘L’Après-midi d’un faune’, created for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, caused a furore at its first performance 100 years ago. The Rambert version of Vaslav Nijinsky’s seminal short ballet is revived by the Company for the first time in almost 30 years.
In ‘What Wild Ecstasy’ innate sexual attraction drives men and women to size each other up on the dancefloor in a primal ritual, as nature’s powerful forces take over. Mark Baldwin’s brand new modern-day take on ‘L’Après-midi d’un faune’ is set to a pulsing and feral score by Gavin Higgins, commissioned for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
Created by Tim Rushton, artistic director of Danish Dance Theatre, ‘Monolith’ is inspired by mystical energies that haunt sites of man-made gathering places. The rhythms of Pēteris Vasks’ gutsy score are the perfect backdrop to Rushton’s Rambert debut.
Rambert Dance Company, Theatre Royal Brighton, Wednesday 13–Saturday 16 February 2013, 7.30pm plus 2pm matinee Thursday 14 February. Tickets £11–£25
Box Office 0844 871 7650*
www.atgtickets.com/brighton*
*Subject to a booking fee
Photos: Chris Nash
