Wayne McGregor | Random Dance bring ‘Atomos’ to Brighton Dome
Just Dance
This November, Brighton Dome are thrilled to welcome back Wayne McGregor I Random Dance, performing their newest work, ‘Atomos’. Having founded Random over two decades ago, Wayne McGregor, the resident choreographer of the National Ballet, has honed the perfect mouthpiece with which to express himself and ‘Atomos’ sees his fascination with science and technology more clearly than ever before.
“Ten dancers at the top of their game aim to express and challenge concepts of science and philosophy”
McGregor teams up with lighting designer Lucy Carter and filmmaker Ravi Deepres to create a performance that promises to remind you why he is one of the world’s most celebrated choreographers. The Observer recounts “thrilling flights of grandeur and lyricism”, while The Telegraph describes the performance as “stuffed full of ideas… extremely beautiful”. Ten dancers at the top of their game aim to express and challenge concepts of science and philosophy, powered by McGregor’s enthusiasm for his craft, and his unerring obsession with technology. He brings a refreshing approach to dance, and it is clear that after 20 years he remains very much in love with Random, explaining “there’s so much richness there if you just tap into it.”
Throughout McGregor’s career he has gathered an impressively high level of critical acclaim, and has been described by The New York Times as ‘one of the most celebrated and sought-after choreographers of his generation’. Recent collaborations have included directing the New York City Ballet, working on the fourth Harry Potter film and most famously choreographing the highly divisive music video for Radiohead’s single ‘Lotus Flower’. Alongside an incredible CV, he has picked up a host of awards and accolades, including being declared a Commander of the British Empire in 2011. This means Brighton Dome can offer you the unlikely opportunity to experience an evening of experimental dance endorsed by J.K. Rowling, Thom Yorke and Her Majesty the Queen. However, don’t let this range of honours and collaborations deceive you. Wayne McGregor works entirely on his own terms, and this is never clearer than during ‘Atomos’.
When we think of the language of science, we think of binary codes, of periodic tables or even of dog-eared, ink-stained textbooks. ‘Atomos’ shows that this needn’t be the case. In McGregor’s words, science is ‘not all about sitting down and thinking, and doing experiments, and being stopped from doing what you would normally do’, and after watching this performance yourself you will not be able to help but agree.
Wayne McGregor Î Random Dance – Atomos, Fri 8 Nov, 7.30pm, Brighton Dome Concert Hall, 01273 709709, www.brightondome.org
