Information/Media pack

International Dance Festival 2016

Sunday 1 – Sunday 22 May

In venues, streets and squares across Birmingham

Winner of the 2014 UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Dance Winner Event of the Year 2010, The Heart of England Excellence in Tourism Awards

Produced by DanceXchange in Funded by Partnership with

Introduction

International Dance Festival Birmingham 1-22 May 2016

Three weeks of dance in May 2016 will reinforce the festival’s international reputation, with a hugely varied programme of dance performances from some of the most acclaimed international artists and exciting opportunities for the public to get involved.

From intimate to large scale, on established stages to unusual and outdoor spaces, IDFB 2016 promises to get Birmingham dancing again! The programme will present an amazing variety of dance styles from contemporary, classical, , and flamenco, to a special three days South Asian dance focused programme.

2016 highlights include international dance companies on Birmingham Hippodrome’s main stage, DanceXchange’s Patrick Centre, The Crescent Theatre, The Birmingham Rep and Warwick Arts Centre.

The festival’s headline outdoor presentation for 2016 will be The Machine Show, a dance-circus spectacular with live music by French rock dance band Rinôçérôse, () and Melanie Lomoff (France).

The biennial festival has been produced by DanceXchange in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome since 2008 and has received considerable critical and popular acclaim. The most recent festival in 2014 won the UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Dance.

David Massingham, artistic director of DanceXchange and co-artistic director of International Dance Festival Birmingham, said: “IDFB 2016 will build on ten years of festival programming experiences and deliver another exciting line up of performances and events. There will be more world-class dance content from across the globe to look forward to, performances, community engagement and participation, talks and debates, city, region and world-wide collaborations, strong digital elements and more world premieres. IDFB 2016 will showcase Birmingham as one of the world’s leading dance cities.”

Keep an eye on www.idfb.co.uk where more information about companies, productions, dancers, dates and prices will be announced over the coming months.

International Dance Festival Birmingham 2008 - 2014

Headline Statistics

IDFB has made its mark as a signature festival for the City of Birmingham, working with a multitude of critically-acclaimed artists, bringing people together, widening horizons, providing new experiences and contributing to the local economy.

Since 2008:

• 4 Festivals

• 21 Festival Commissions

• 25 World and UK Premieres

• Artists from 36 different countries

• 416 Free Events

• 164 Ticketed Events

• 172,000 audience members

• 25,315 participatory experiences

• In 2014 IDFB generated economic activity of £2.6million

• In 2014 78% of attenders said IDFB made them more convinced that Birmingham is good for arts and culture

• Winner: Achievement in Dance, 2014 UK Theatre Awards

• Winner: Event of the Year 2010, The Heart of England Excellence in Tourism Awards

MEDIA RELEASE Embargo until 8pm 17 November

DanceXchange and Birmingham Hippodrome launch International Dance Festival Birmingham 2016 at House of Lords

At a glittering reception at the House of Lords on Tuesday 17 November 2015, DanceXchange and Birmingham Hippodrome officially launched International Dance Festival Birmingham 2016 .

Since the inaugural festival in 2008, IDFB has made its mark as a signature festival for the City of Birmingham, bringing people together, widening horizons, providing new experiences and contributing to the local economy. Produced by DanceXchange in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome, IDFB 2016 between 1 st and 22 nd May will enhance the festival’s reputation.

Once again, the finest international companies will grace the city’s stages, distinctive new festival productions will enliven Birmingham’s civic squares and streets, and there will be a wealth of opportunities for people to take part. From intimate to large scale, established venues to outdoor places and unusual spaces, IDFB 2016 will capture the imagination of local residents and attract visitors to the city.

In 2016, the award-winning biennial dance festival (UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Dance in 2014) boasts representatives from Belgium, Canada, , Cuba, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK and USA.

The festival will present an impressive range of shows in traditional theatre spaces across the city, from ballet to neoclassical, contemporary to physical theatre, hip hop to flamenco and circus. There will also be plenty of free performances, helping to engage and enthral shoppers and passers-by, attracting diverse new audiences and creating a buzz on the city streets.

David Massingham, DanceXchange’s artistic director said: “IDFB returns in 2016 with dance for all. If you’re new to dance or familiar with the dance artists and companies in our thrilling line-up, the 2016 festival promises to wow city residents and visitors to the West Midlands. The exciting and diverse programme for 2016 will see more new commissions, and an incredible 5 world and 6 UK premieres. It promises to engage people of all backgrounds in our international city as Birmingham continues to make its mark culturally and moves further into the 21st Century and the digital age.”

Fiona Allan, Birmingham Hippodrome’s chief executive said: “It’s an exciting time to have moved to the city of Birmingham and Birmingham Hippodrome and I’m thrilled to be involved in my first International Dance Festival. Headlining performances at Birmingham Hippodrome include a mixed bill from Nederlands Dans Theater 2 , Carlos Acosta ’s classical farewell tour, Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan and Ballet British Columbia ’s debut performance as part of IDFB. This stellar line-up, and more across the city, proves once again Birmingham attracts the very best in international dance to the city.”

Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England, said: “International Dance Festival Birmingham has become a signature event for the city and we’re proud to be supporting its development. The festival creates new opportunities for artists, dance companies and producers, and offers audiences an exciting line-up of . Whether you’re a dance fan or visiting the festival for the first time, there’ll be something for everyone to enjoy.”

Councillor Penny Holbrook, Cabinet Member for Skills, Learning and Culture, said: “Birmingham City Council is enormously proud of the city’s cultural sector and one of the many success stories is International Dance Festival Birmingham. The festival places Birmingham on the world stage which is why it was awarded the city’s signature festival status in 2014. Every two years, during IDFB, companies and artists flock to the city and closer to home many young people, schools and audiences new to the arts get involved through the festival’s community engagement and participatory events. Everyone is entitled to engage in the arts and at Birmingham City Council we salute IDFB for working on making this a reality. Long may the festival’s success continue.”

Corey Baker, Artistic Director of Corey Baker Dance said: “Throughout IDFB, Birmingham becomes a home for internationally renowned choreographers; a shop window of artistic excellence for the public to enjoy, interact and engage with. The Festival is what brought me to Birmingham in the first place and it is exciting to be a part of it for a third time through the new Big Idea commission.”

IDFB 2016 highlights:

Renowned for producing large-scale work for outdoor spaces, IDFB 2016 will not disappoint. The world premiere of The Machine Show (Centenary Square, 11-14 May) is a brand new dance and circus spectacular, with dancer and choreographer Melanie Lomoff (France) and hip-hop dance icon Salah (France), headlined with live music by the French band Rinôçérôs .

The programme will also feature the world premieres of two new touring works for outdoor places and unusual spaces, commissioned and co-produced by DanceXchange for IDFB. Both are winners of DanceXchange’s ‘Big Idea’ commissioning strand:

The first of these ‘Big Idea’ commission winners is Corey Baker Dance (New Zealand/UK). Corey will present Phone Box (1, 4-14 May), a light-hearted solo using acrobatic and physical movement to bring to life the nostalgic British cultural icon, the red phone box.

The second ‘Big Idea’ commission is the world premiere of UK’s ZoieLogic Dance Theatre Ride (11-14 May), a brand new, innovative work that tells the story of three strangers hitch-hiking on an unknown path – a journey entwined around an iconic, custom built car that comes to life and reveals its own hidden surprises.

Cubes (17-20 May), another DanceXchange production taking dance to the streets, will be a daringly dazzling performance by dancers, runners and acrobats performing spectacular solos and duets on a series of cubes.

IDFB will present World Premiere Sin Situlo by flamenco star Olga Pericet and Company in association with Flamenco Edition 2016 (The Patrick Centre, 17 & 18 May)

More UK firsts during IDFB 2016 will include Ballet British Columbia at Birmingham Hippodrome (20 & 21 May). Under the leadership of artistic director Emily Molnar, Ballet British Columbia is a unique creation-based company of 17 dancers committed to innovation in contemporary dance. For the Company’s first performance at IDFB, Ballet BC brings a compelling program including Bill by Sharon Eyal, Emily Molnar’s 16 + a room , and Crystal Pite’s Solo Echo .

Dance: SAMPLED , a Sadler’s Wells production will bring Birmingham Hippodrome’s main house and front of house spaces to life. First pioneered by the dance house, Dance: Sampled lets audiences enjoy a selection of different dance styles all in one night, for a special low price. Audiences can expect to see some of the world’s best performers in an array of styles from hip hop to tango, ballet, contemporary and South Asian. The line-up includes Company Wayne McGregor , Birmingham Royal Ballet , BBC Young Dancer finalist Vidya Patel , world tango champions German Cornejo and Gisela Gallessi from Buenos Aires and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Faun. Come early to try some of the fun dance activities on offer before the show in the foyer.

IDFB 2016 focuses on work from Eastern Europe, South Asia (Kathak, Oddissi and Bharatanatyam dance) and women in dance. As part of this, at The Patrick Centre, will be Correction from VerTeDance, Ji ří Havelka and Clarinet Factory of the Czech Republic, and a world premiere of Eclipse from Hungarian Csaba Moln ár. There will also be UK premieres from Indian companies Sujata & Preetisha Mohapatra & Shijith Nambiar/Parvathy Menon (India) at The Crescent Theatre.

The Patrick Centre will also present UK premieres from Company Wang Ramirez Monchichi (France/Germany) and from Compagnie Philippe Saire (Switzerland), presenting a different perspective on how to watch dance.

Two dance sector conferences will take place during the festival: The Bench Annual Conference (17 May) is the culmination of the first year of a three-year programme run by 2Faced Dance developed to respond to the lack of equality currently faced by female choreographers in the contemporary dance sector; and Navadisha 2016 (20-22 May) a British-based South Asian dance conference, programmed by New Dimension & Anita Srivastava in partnership with Sampad South Asian Arts , which celebrates the popularity and diversity of the sector and looks at future challenges.

New to the festival in 2016 is the Festival Hub at Municipal Bank on Broad Street (opposite Birmingham Repertory Theatre and ). The Festival Hub will be a meeting place for artists and the public and will house a programme of events. The Bank will also be home to an exhibition of beautiful kinetic sculpture by Japanese artist Shun Ito , produced by Judy Owen Ltd. and supported by Ikon Gallery.

Festival favourites return in 2016 with Paint the Town Red (various dates) presenting flamenco, bhangra and swing in unusual spaces across Birmingham. Put Your Foot Down (7 May) presents a spectacular day of free dance performances and workshops from local to international artists.

Birmingham based venues and organisations confirmed to date as taking part in 2016 include Birmingham Hippodrome, The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham Municipal Bank and, further afield, Warwick Arts Centre.

IDFB is funded by Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council.

ENDS

For media enquiries: please contact Simon Harper, Simon Harper PR, [email protected] 07810 863408 or Libby Aldrich, DanceXchange, [email protected] 0121 689 3172.

Selected Programme Schedule

1, 4-14 May Corey Baker Dance Phone Box // Outdoor Places & Unusual Spaces WORLD PREMIERE 3 & 4 May Nederlands Dans Theater 2 (NDT2) (The Netherlands) // Birmingham Hippodrome 3 & 4 May Compagnie Philippe Saire Black Out (Switzerland) // The Patrick Centre UK PREMIERE 6 & 7 May Carlos Acosta A Classic Farewell (UK/Cuba) // Birmingham Hippodrome 6 & 7 May Csaba Moln ár Eclipse (Hungary) & József Trefeli & Gabor Varga ‘JINX 103’ (Hungary/Switzerland) // The Patrick Centre UK PREMIERE 7 May Put Your Foot Down // Outdoor Places & Unusual Spaces 10 & 11 May Cloud Gate Dance Songs of Wanderers (Taiwan) // Birmingham Hippodrome 10 May Company Wang Ramirez Monchichi (Germany/France) // The Patrick Centre UK PREMIERE 11-14 May The Machine Show // Centenary Square WORLD PREMIERE 11-14 May ZoieLogic Dance Theatre Ride // Outdoor Places & Unusual Spaces WORLD PREMIERE 13 & 14 May VerTeDance / Ji ří Havelka / Clarinet Factor Correction (Czech Republic) // The Patrick Centre 17-20 May Cubes // Outdoor Places & Unusual Spaces 17 & 18 May Olga Pericet & Company Sin Situlo (Spain) // The Patrick Centre WORLD PREMIERE 17 & 18 May Dance: Sampled // Birmingham Hippodrome 17 & 18 May The Ricochet Project ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ (USA) // The Crescent Theatre 19 May Sujata & Preetisha Mohapatra & Shijith Nambiar/Parvathy Menon (India) // The Crescent Theatre UK PREMIERE 19 & 20 May Peeping Tom 32 Rue Vandenbranden (Belgium) // Warwick Arts Centre 20 May Aakash Odedra Echoes & Sanjukta Sinha Incede (UK/India) // The Patrick Centre 20 & 21 May Ballet BC Bill/16+ a room/Solo Echo (Canada) // Birmingham Hippodrome UK PREMIERE 21 May South Asian dance programme (India) // The Patrick Centre

Further programme details and venues will be confirmed at a later date. Birmingham Hippodrome shows are now on sale. The rest of the programme will go on sale after Christmas.

Editor’s Notes

- IDFB 2016 is produced by DanceXchange in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome and will run for three weeks, 1-22 May 2016.

- Achievements since 2008: o 4 Festivals o 21 Festival Commissions o 25 World and UK Premieres o Artists from 36 different countries o 416 Free Events o 164 Ticketed Events o 172,000 audience members o 25,315 participatory experiences o Economic impact of £789,419 and economic activity of £2.6million (2014 figures) o 78% attenders more convinced that Birmingham is good for arts and culture (2014 figures) o Winner: Achievement in Dance, 2014 UK Theatre Awards o Winner: Event of the Year 2010, The Heart of England Excellence in Tourism Awards

- Since 2008, IDFB has worked with a multitude of critically-acclaimed companies, choreographers and dancers such as Akram Khan, Arthur Pita, Sylvie Guillem and Crystal Pite, plus a host of rising stars such as Aakash Odedra, Alexander Whitley, French B Boy superstar Salah and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Kit Holder.

- DanceXchange (dx) is an internationally known charity dedicated to producing, promoting and presenting the best of UK and international dance. dx produces International Dance Festival Birmingham, and creates innovative site-specific commissions and large-scale performance events in both professional and community contexts. dx co- produces a range of touring productions, and develops work for theatres and for outdoor places and unusual spaces. dx also engages people from all backgrounds in dance activity, supports artist development and nurtures gifted young people to help shape the dance artists of the future. www.dancexchange.org.uk

- Birmingham Hippodrome is an independent, not-for-profit, registered charity. The unsubsidised Hurst Street venue averages over 500,000 visits annually making it the most popular single auditorium in the UK. Its partners include Birmingham Royal Ballet and DanceXchange, it presents all of Welsh National Opera’s repertoire, it welcomes the best in international dance, West End and Broadway musicals and is home to the world’s biggest Pantomime. Birmingham Hippodrome sells more seats for dance than any other theatre outside London. www.birminghamhippodrome.com

- Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. ACE supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature and crafts to collections. Between 2010 and 2015, ACE will invest £1.9 billion of public money from government and an estimated £1.1 billion from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk

Programme of Events

Sunday 1 May, Wednesday 4 – Saturday 14 May // Outdoor Places & Unusual Spaces Corey Baker Dance (New Zealand/UK) Phone Box WORLD PREMIERE

Commissioned by and Co-Produced by DanceXchange for IDFB

A light hearted, joyful work that uses impressive acrobatic and physical movement, featuring ballet and contemporary dance. Phone Box brings to life a nostalgic British cultural icon, and allows people to see everyday life differently as audiences will laugh and be amazed at what they see.

Corey Baker Dance has a reputation for making ground-breaking outdoor work, including Headphones during IDFB 2014 and Kapa Haka Tale at Birmingham Weekender. Without Walls, a consortium of leading outdoors arts festivals, collaborate in the creation of extraordinary outdoor work in the UK, co-commissioning Phone Box in IDFB 2016.

Photo Credit: Tim Cross Photography Photo Credit: Tim Cross Photography

Tuesday 3 & Wednesday 4 May // Birmingham Hippodrome Nederlands Dans Theater 2 (NDT2) (Netherlands)

Nederlands Dans Theater are one of the world’s most celebrated dance companies. They wow audiences with their unique brand of breathtaking dance, awe-inspiring skill and passionate creativity. Artistically directed by award- winning choreographer Paul Lightfoot, NDT2 presents 18 international dancers aged 18-23. With a winning combination of fresh exuberance and astonishing athleticism, NDT2 promise to thrill and entertain, performing a vibrant mixed repertoire of work.

NDT2 is a distinct phenomenon, and phenomenal – The Independent

The dancers are beautifully articulated, knife-edge virtuosi, with an assurance that belies their youth – Dancing Times

The dancers are young and sexy, the repertoire is new and the dancing is superlative – The Times

Photo Credit: Johan Persson Tuesday 3 & Wednesday 4 May // The Patrick Centre Compagnie Philippe Saire (Switzerland) Black Out UK PREMIERE

Somewhere between dance, performance and graphic art, Black Out is a strong and intimate experience. Thousands of black granulated fragments transform the dancers’ world into a moving, pictorial composition that jars as it shifts in response to the light, sound, and movement.

Philippe Saire’s Black Out is a masterstroke that is watched from above: a moving picture of light, muscle and rubber dust. Julien Burri, L’Hebdo, Switzerland

Philippe Saire, a key player in the Swiss contemporary dance scene, has produced over thirty shows with more than 1,000 performances in 200 towns across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and America. Awards include winner of the 2004 Swiss dance and choreography prize, Prix d’Auteur , Prix ADAMI d’Interpretation Collective and Prix Jeune Créateur from the Fondation vaudoise.

Photo Credit: Philippe Weissbrodt

Various Dates // Paint the Town Red

Spaces across Birmingham will come alive with social dance events for participation, performance and socialising. IDFB 2016 features flamenco, bhangra and swing dance. In previous years, workshops have included Brazilian, Swing and Flamenco.

Photo Credit: Tim Cross Photography Photo Credit: Tim Cross Photography

Tuesday 3 – Sunday 22 May IDFB FESTIVAL HUB The Municipal Bank Building, Centenary Square, Birmingham

A festival destination for the duration of IDFB. A cafe and information point during the day and a place for all performing artists and public alike to meet, network and socialise. A shop window to the festival, a space for provocation and a place for events. Tuesday 3 – Sunday 22 May // Festival Hub, Municipal Bank Building Shun Ito (Japan) Cosmic Birds

Produced by Judy Owen Ltd. and supported by Ikon Gallery

Gravity, movement and light are explored in this series of kinetic sculptures by Japanese artist and dancer Shun Ito . Metal frames and gears cast light and shadow onto the gallery space, creating myriad shapes, colours and rhythms in this work of complex yet elegant beauty. Let yourself get drawn in to the movement and experience a sense of peace and tranquillity.

Film Credit: Shun Ito

Friday 6 & Saturday 7 May // Birmingham Hippodrome Carlos Acosta (Cuba) A Classic Farewell

Co-produced by Sadler’s Wells and Valid Productions. Presented in association with Como No

After an unparalleled career as one of the world’s foremost ballet stars, Carlos Acosta presents his final ballet programme. From humble beginnings in Cuba to performing on some of the world’s biggest stages, Carlos Acosta has had an incredible career. He has played many of ballet’s most iconic roles including Siegfried in Swan Lake, Basilio in Don Quixote and The Prince in Nutcracker. He has worked with leading international ballet companies including Ballet National de Cuba, The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet and Houston Ballet , written two novels and appeared in two feature films.

Acosta is an Olivier Award recipient and has guested with many leading ballet companies across the world.

For his final UK tour dancing classical works, he performs excerpts from his favourite ballet repertoire alongside an incredible cast of dancers from Cuba, with a full live orchestra.

Charismatic Acosta is one of the very best dancers of his generation. He has only to stand still on stage and all eyes are drawn to him – Evening Standard

Photo Credit: Angela Taylor Photo Credit: Johan Persson Photo Credit: Johan Persson

Friday 6 & Saturday 7 May // The Patrick Centre Csaba Molnár (Hungary) Eclipse UK PREMIERE József Trefeli & Gabor Varga (Switzerland/Hungary) JINX 103

Hungary-based choreographer Csaba Molnár evokes the improvised masses of the party culture. Eclipse reinterprets the stereotypical situatio ns created by the dancing crowd to create a new, fictiti ous, comic -like world. For the UK premiere of this work Csaba Molnár will be working in residency with a large group of local dance students and artists.

Csaba Molnár studied at the Budapest Contemporary Dance Academy and P.A.R.T.S. He is a member of Hodworks and a founder member of BLOOM! He is a reappearing perf ormer-choreographer at the Aerowaves Spring Forward festivals. His piece, City won the Laban prize in 2011, and h is piece Skin Me , won the Laban prize in 2014.

Jozsef Trefeli and Gabor Varga have been named a Prior ity Company of 2013 by Aerowaves with the choreography of JINX 103 . They explore the rhythms and rituals of life in a high energy, captivating performance.

Connected by being from the Hungarian d iaspora, Trefeli, born in Australia and Varga in the USSR, delve into their common heritage. Through their shared vocabulary of vibrant body percussion, with clapping and slapping, clicking and stamping, they create a breathtakingly energetic dance of lightning fast footwork, leg twisting and weaving, high kicks and turning jumps.

József Trefeli graduated from the University of Melbourne VCA with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. On 6 continents, in more than 40 countries, József has achieved critical acclaim for his many and varied dance performances and numerous choreographic works. Varga b egan his career in folk dance and studied at Talentum International School of Dance and Musical Art in Budapest after which he was accepted to P.A.R.T.S . He has worked with renowned choreographers including David Zam brano, William Forsythe and Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker to name a few.

Photo Credit: Csaba Molnár Photo Credit: Gregory Batardon

Saturday 7 May // Outdoor Places & Unusual Spaces Put Your Foot Down

Take a break from shopping and watch a spectacular array of free dance performances in a diverse range of styles with everything from street to capoeira, giving you a real flavour of IDFB. The city centre will be brought to life with fantastic entertainment by professional and community groups.

Photo Credit: Tim Cross Photography Photo Credit: Tim Cross Photography

Tuesday 10 & Wednesday 11 May // Birmingham Hippodrome Cloud Gate Dance Theatre (Taiwan) Songs of the Wanderers

Inspired by the wealth of religious practices found throughout Asia, and Herman Hazze’s account of Siddhartha’s quest for enlightenment , Lin Hwai-min transforms ancient rites into resonant dance theatre.

A visually stunning paean to spiritual pilgrimage, Songs of the Wanderers creates a world of intense reverence, distinctly Asian in its imagery yet with powerful relevance far beyond Asia. Spiritually evocative movement set to soulful Georgia folk songs, sung by the Rustavi Ensemble, brought to life on a truly astonishing set of 3 ½ tonnes of shimmering golden grains of rice. The production has been acclaimed a masterpiece at festivals including the International Tanzfest NRW, directed by the late Pina Bausch; the Next Wave Festival in New York; the Chekhov International Theatre festival in Moscow; the Athens Festival and more.

Phenomenally acclaimed both at home and on their international tours, Cloud Gate was the first contemporary dance company in any Chinese speaking community.

When you’re talking about Cloud Gate, magic isn’t too strong a word – Time Out

Visually stunning and exquisitely performed in deliberate slow motion; the audience jumped up to offer a cheering ovation – The New York Times

Photo credit: YU Hui-hung Photo credit: YU Hui-hung

Tuesday 10 May // The Patrick Centre Company Wang Ramirez (France/Germany) Monchichi UK PREMIERE

The bedrock piece by duo Wang Ramirez creates a portrait of a new, urban, mobile and intercultural generation. Sébastien, French with Spanish origins crosses choreographic paths with Honji, born in Frankfurt to Korean parents. In this open-minded world, everyone can be a cultural mix with blended origins. Honji brings suppleness and Asian musicality to her movement, and Sébastien brings his Mediterranean vivacity.

Together, they tackle Monchichi as they construct their life together – in perfect balance between masculine and feminine. Their dance puts its virtuosity at the service of a quest for truth where nothing is left to conceal doubt or the difficulties in communicating, let alone the joys of togetherness. In the end, Monchichi is a piece full of humour and self-depreciation, a joint self-portrait that testifies daily life with as much humour as poetry.

Wang and Ramirez are a dance artist duo with many acclaimed awards including a New York Bessie Award and 1 st Prize at International Choreography Competition 2012 in Hanover.

Breakout performance offers jaw dropping moves. Impressively high energy was maintained throughout the piece, as well as amazing technical precision – The News & Observer

It’s quite simply Tanztheater at its best, “living poetry”, with thoughtful images and humorous skits. The debate on immigration and cultural diversity needs exactly this type of contribution to remove the tension – Tanz Zeitschrift Fur Ballett, Tanz Und Performance

Photo Credit: Morah Geist

Photo Credit: Grant Halverson

Photo Credit: Morah Geist

Wednesday 11 – Saturday 14 May // Centenary Square, Birmingham The Machine Show WORLD PREMIERE With Rinôçérôse (France) , Salah (France), Melanie Lomoff (France)

Produced by DanceXchange for IDFB

The Machine Show is a futuristic take on man versus machine. A dance and circus spectacular headlined with live music by the French band Rinôçérôse, with dancer and choreographer Melanie Lomoff and hip-hop dance icon Salah.

Rinôçérôse is a French group founded in 1997 by Jean-Philippe Freu and Patrice Carrie, originating in , they are business psychologists who mix rock and electro music.

Melanie Lomoff studied at the Conservatoire National Sup ērieure de danse de in Ballet. She danced for 10 years with Montalvo/Hervieu company performing all over the world and has worked regularly with the Ballets C de la B. She’s created many solo works including Code Unknown , It’s Always Easier For The Others and Three Studies Of Flesh , performing in venues such as the London Contemporary Music Festival, Miryang Performing Arts Festival in South Korea and many more.

Salah Benlemqawanssa, also known as Spider Salah , is an award-winning competitive hip-hop dancer who won the inaugural season of France has Incredible Talent. He is best known for his personal dance style P.A.B.E. which stands for , Animation, Boogaloo and Effects.

Salah - Photo Credit: Jas Sansi

Wednesday 11 – Saturday 14 May ZoieLogic Dance Theatre (UK) RIDE WORLD PREMIERE

Commissioned by and Co-Produced by DanceXchange for IDFB

RIDE is a brand new innovative work that tells the story of three strangers hitch-hiking on an unknown path. Their journey is entwined around an iconic, custom built car that comes to life and reveals its own hidden surprises. RIDE will test man’s reliance on machine in a world of unpredictability as dance, mechanics and stunts collide in ZoieLogic’s narrative, contemporary dance theatre piece.

Artistic Director Zoie Golding has created 30 works reaching audiences of over 39,000 people and outreach projects engaging over 10,000 young men in dance. They successfully tour work across the UK in venues and outdoor sites. Alongside theatre productions, they create radical works crafted in non-theatrical spaces with focus on male dominated environments, for example: scrap yards, naval bases, factories etc.

Friday 13 & Saturday 14 May // The Patrick Centre VerTeDance / Ji ří Havelka / Clarinet Factory (Czech Republic) Correction

Imagine a world where you can’t progress despite your best efforts to push forward. Award-winning contemporary dance company VerTeDance have created a beautifully poignant piece about our lack of freedom, reclusion and our power to make decisions. The cast weave around their own shadows whilst a live modern minimalist soundtrack by Clarinet Factory builds a fluid tension.

Since VerTeDance started ten years ago, the company has created almost twenty projects, having joined with countless outstanding Czech and International dance personalities. Correction won the Czech Dance Piece of the Year and Theatre Journal Award in 2014. In 2015 Correction won the Herald Angel Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015 and was nominated for a Total Theatre Award. Correction also won the BE Audience Award at Be Festival in Birmingham 2015.

A perfect portrayal of humanity – Edinburgh Fringe Review

This is innovation with a true purpose, performed at a pitch of nuanced prowess that is magnificent – Herald Scotland

Photo Credit: Vojt ěch Brtnický Photo Credit: Radek Holeš

Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 May // The Patrick Centre Olga Pericet & Company (Spain) Sin Situlo WORLD PREMIERE

Flamenco Edition ’16 presents Olga Pericet’s first performance in the UK.

There are two contrasting emotions in flamenco, joy and sorrow, expressed in flamenco styles such as: Soleá and Alegrías, Taranto and Tangos, Bulerías, Fandangos and Malagueña. Using these styles as composition tools Olga Pericet & Company take the audience on an emotional journey to unknown destinations.

In Flamenco Sin Situlo tradition – in English Untitled – is used to compose a new vision of flamenco, introducing uncommon instruments that renew and nurture the genre. A pre-recorded composition by Pablo Martín Jones and a music dialogue with different styles, create a new ambience without losing the profound nature of this art.

Olga Pericet dances to silence, to the dry voice of the singer, to the guitar, to space, to the light.

Olga Pericet is one of the most avant-garde artists in flamenco. She trained with Matilde Coral, Manolo Marin, Maica Moyano and Josê Granero. Awards include Irst choreography and music prize in the Flamenco and Spanish Dance Choreography Contest in Madrid, Villa de Madrid Award for the Best Dance Performer and more.

Photo Credit: Paco Villalta

Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 May // The Crescent Theatre The Ricochet Project (USA) Smoke & Mirrors

Calculating the stocks of our emotional economy, Smoke and Mirrors combine poetic acrobatics, contemporary dance, contortion and high flying feats to examine the current state of America in the pursuit of happiness. Using the minimalist environment of a trapeze, a rope, two chairs and a light, Smoke and Mirrors delivers an honest, fresh acrobatic perspective to the themes of isolation, oppression, yearning and hope.

Weaving delicate metaphor with jaw dropping spectacle, Ricochet's unique style of poetic acrobatics has taken the world by storm. Using lyric physicality and virtuosic circus technique, Ricochet draws from rigorous backgrounds in classical and contemporary dance, aerial acrobatics, somatic practices and improvisation to explore the internal landscapes of the human experience.

Recipients of the prestigious Total Theatre Award for Best Circus at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015, Ricochet has been received with rave reviews and teary eyed audiences across the globe.

It is both beautiful and blasted. This is circus with brains as well as good looks – The Guardian

Photo Credit: Nancy Behall Photo Credit: Kate Russell Photo Credit: Kate Russell

Tuesday 17 – Friday 20 May // Outdoor Places and Unusual Spaces CUBES (UK)

Produced by DanceXchange

Cubes , another DanceXchange production taking dance to the streets, will be a daringly dazzling performance by dancers, runners and acrobats performing spectacular solos and duets on a series of cubes.

Photo Credit: Dani Bower Photography

Tuesday 17 May & Wednesday 18 May // Birmingham Hippodrome Dance: Sampled

First pioneered by Sadler’s Wells, Dance: Sampled lets you enjoy a selection of different dance styles all in one night, for a special low price. Audiences can expect to see some of the world’s best performers in an array of styles from hip hop to tango, ballet, contemporary and South Asian.

The line-up includes Company Wayne McGregor, Birmingham Royal Ballet, BBC Young Dancer finalist Vidya Patel, world tango champions German Cornejo and Gisela Gallessi from Buenos Aires, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Faun and b- boys Vagabond Crew from France (TBC) and Vidya Patel, BBC Young Dancer 2015 finalist and graduate of the Centre for Advanced Dance Training based at DanceXchange. Come early to try some of the fun dance activities on offer before the show in the foyer.

A wonderful showcase of dance diversity – Time Out

Thursday 19 & Friday 20 May // Warwick Arts Centre Peeping Tom (Belgium) 32 Rue Vandenbranden

The action takes place under a wide-open sky in a mountain landscape with only rickety campers for shelter. We find ourselves in a small isolated community where the inhabitants are confronted with their loneliness. The focus is on the internal forces that determine which turn the characters will take; their motives are exposed and stripped of their consciousness. The borders between reality and perception become blurred as they lose themselves in fear and remain trapped in their own isolation.

Brussels based Peeping Tom won an Olivier Award for the production 32 Rue Vandenbranden in the ‘Best New Dance Production’ category in 2015. It shared the prize with Mats Ek’s Juliet and Romeo .

32 Rue Vandenbranden was elected Best Dance Show of the Year 2013 in São Paulo by magazine Guia Folha

A dream, a nightmare, or just a moment on a journey? Take your pick. 32 rue Vandenbranden is at times difficult and dark, comic, and poetic and beautiful. It’s also totally gripping from start to finish. Don’t miss it! – Critical Dance

Their talent is terrifying. A theatrical electroshock. – Le Monde

Photo Credit: Herman Sorgaloos

Friday 20 May // The Patrick Centre Aakash Odedra Company (UK) Echoes Sanjukta Sinha (India) Incede

Aditi Mangaldas creates her first Kathak solo Echoes outside of the auspices of her own company on Aakash Odedra. Bells have been a constant companion of every Indian classical dancer. They have aged with one, in a way they have resonated one’s life through the process of dance. Should these bells just be a part of a given tradition? Become a ritual and thus in a way be “dead”? Can they not be “alive” in the present?

The bells in “Echoes” become a metaphor of resonance, of freedom, of awakening. Aakash Odedra is considered the most exciting, virtuosic Kathak performer of his generation. Aditi Mangaldas is amongst the most renowned Kathak choreographers in the world today. Both artists have changed the way Katha k is perceived on the modern stage and look at tradition with a contemporary and open mind.

Incede is an excursion into the parlays between love and longing, the dance recreates the most intimate of emotions, with a majestic, flamboyant familiarity. Perfor med in pure classical Kathak, with inflections of contemporary expression, Sanjukta threads emotions with virtuosity. Affirmative and resplendent, the movements reflect surging emotions and the thrill of the journey.

Sanjukta Sinha is regarded as one of th e leading Kathak dancers of her generation respected for her great artistry and technical ability. Her exquisite sense of musicality has enabled her to incorporate forms such as Dhrupad, Sufi, Contemporary, Bhajans and Thumries.

Photo Credit: Mark Harvey Photo Credit: Devansh Jhaveri

Friday 20 & Saturday 21 May // Birmingham Hippodrome Ballet BC (Canada) Bill / 16+ a room / Solo Echo UK PREMIERE

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Emily Molnar, Ballet BC (British Columbia) is a unique creation -based company of 17 dancers committed to innovation in contemporary dance. Since 2009, the company has developed a compelling repertoire of more than 35 new works by acclaimed Canadian and international choreographers, and continues to collaborate with a diverse range of artists from around the world.

Since 2009, the Company has developed a rep ertoire of more than 35 new works by acclaimed Canadian and international choreographers including: William Forsythe, Itzik Galili, Jorma Elo, Cayetano Soto, Crystal Pite, Johan Inger, Walter Matteini, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Jacopo Godani, José Navas and many more.

For the company’s first performance at International Dance Festival Birmingham, Ballet BC brings a compelling program including Bill by Sharon Eyal with music by Ori Lichtik, Emily Molnar’s 16+ a room , and Crystal Pite’s Solo Echo.

Photo Credit: Michael Slobodian

Industry Events

Tuesday 17 May // DanceXchange The Bench – Annual Conference

The BENCH is a three year programme run by 2Faced Dance that has been developed in direct response to serious concerns about the lack of equality currently faced by female choreographers within the contemporary dance sector.

Annually, The BENCH will offer female choreographers working within the UK arts sector an opportunity to participate in a 9-month programme of training, discussion, debate and mentoring, all within a bespoke and creative framework. In year 1 of The BENCH, 5 women were selected to participate in the programme.

This conference will be the culmination of year 1; a day filled with guest speakers and leading industry experts, aiming to draw together venues, producers and artists from across the UK and abroad. The conference will share the findings of year 1 of the programme and utilise this to frame the next phase. As part of the conference the successful BENCH Fellow commission for 2Faced Dance will be announced and The BENCH Manifesto for venues and producers will be launched.

The BENCH is supported by Arts Council England, Elmley Anniversary Fund, South Bank Centre, Dance UK and DanceXchange.

Friday 20 – Sunday 22 May // mac birmingham Navadisha International Dance Conference 2016

New Dimensions Arts Management in partnership with Sampad Arts will host Navadisha 2016 – an industry-wide ground-breaking South Asian Dance conference.

The Conference will proudly celebrate the historic achievements and contemporary diversity of this sector, look at inspiring new models and explore how they may be developed within the wider dance ecology, in the UK and globally. The three-day conference will provoke dialogue on current issues & opportunities impacting South Asian dance creation & distribution; it will showcase models of excellence, recognising that South Asian dance artists and companies have to continue to be multifaceted and innovative.

Further programme details and venues will be confirmed in the future. Birmingham Hippodrome performances are now on sale. The rest of the programme will go on sale in January 2015.