Photo Credit: Jimmy Parratt
Three pioneering female choreographers are honoured in contemporary ballet show, California Connections, which visits Theatre Royal Winchester on Tuesday 23 April.
California Connections is a powerful mixed bill that highlights the ground-breaking work of three icons of contemporary dance – Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham and Bella Lewitzky; – celebrating the performing company’s 25th anniversary and honouring its connection to California and the legacies of these three female choreographers.
The dance piece, Isadora, is a reimagined version of Kenneth MacMillan’s original three-act ballet, Isadora, which was created in 1981 and captured the life of the San Francisco native, Duncan. This new dance is a one-act work that explores the conflict between Duncan’s search for love and her pioneering mission to change the nature of the art of dance.
Next, Martha Graham’s masterpiece, Errand into the Maze, from 1947, is based on the Greek myths – Ariadne, Theseue and the Minotaur; and explores human fear and sexual power struggles. Graham is known for rebelling and developing her own technique – with her goal to express primal emotion via a stripped back approach to movement and dance.
While Meta 4, which dancer, choreographer, teacher and champion of artistic freedom, Bella Lewitzky, created in 1994, is a boldly sculptural and physically demanding piece. Her dance company was rooted in LA while her technique concentrated on seriousness and stability.
California Connections is brought to the stage by Yorke Dance Project – a contemporary ballet company formed in LA in 1998 before relocating to the UK. It is well-known for presenting reconstructed classics and premieres by established and emerging choreographers. The three pieces in this show will be performed by nine dancers.
California Connections is a Pick Your Price event meaning audiences can opt for the ticket price that works best for them – with tickets starting from £10. A post-show chat is included.
California Connections will be at Theatre Royal Winchester on Tuesday 23 April at 7.30pm. Recommended age: 12+. For more information or to book tickets, visit: theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk or call 01962 840 440.
- In Common is not for profit. We rely on donations from readers to keep the site running. Could you help to support us for as little as 25p a week? Please help us to carry on offering independent grass roots media. Visit: https://www.patreon.com/incommonsoton