For their 40th birthday, Phoenix Dance Theatre is celebrating with two productions this week at Leeds Playhouse.
The company is drawing on a range of work from their years of dance, ending in a celebratory gala. The eclectic selection features work by award-winning, internationally acclaimed choreographers which include their previous artistic directors.
Artistic Director Dane Hurst: “The 40 Years of Phoenix programme encapsulates the depth, breadth and complexity of dance in five key works that is a distillation of the energy, exuberance and spirit of Phoenix through the decades. In honour of forty years since Phoenix’s founding, we’re excited to bring back these iconic pieces, each of which has a unique place in the Company’s history. It’s been an honour and a joy to welcome these choreographers and creatives back into the studio (either virtually or in person) and see the works come to life, which together demonstrate the breadth and range that the Company’s repertoire has explored over the last four decades.”
Phoenix Dance Theatre end the week with a one-off 40th Birthday Celebration Gala at Leeds Playhouse.
Phoenix will perform works choreographed by former Artistic Directors Sharon Watson MBE DL, joined by students from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, and Darshan Singh Bhuller. Guest artists include Northern Ballet, Company Chameleon, DeNada Dance Theatre, Scottish Ballet, Mark Bruce Company, ACE dance and music, FUBUNATION, and Yorke Dance Project, who will also be joined by guest artists from The Royal Ballet.
Dane: “The 40th Birthday Celebration Gala is a celebration of the impact and legacy of Phoenix Dance Theatre and a salute to the enduring power and relevance of dance within arts and culture. The Gala will feature performances from artists and companies from around the country, all coming together to share and celebrate the incredible depth, breadth and diversity of dance today. For one night only, audiences will get to see some of the best dance artists from around the UK coming together under one roof at Leeds Playhouse. It promises to be an unforgettable evening in celebration of 40 years of dance.”
40 Years of Phoenix at Leeds Playhouse, 9-11 February
Box Office: 0113 213 7700
Booking link: https://leedsplayhouse.org.uk/events/40-years-of-phoenix/
40th Birthday Celebration Gala
Leeds Playhouse, 12 February
Box Office: 0113 213 7700
Booking link: https://leedsplayhouse.org.uk/events/phoenix-dance-theatre-40th-birthday-celebration-gala/
Photography by Foteini Christofilopoulou. Feature photograph ‘Harmonica Breakdown’.
