Press Release: Sadler’s Wells presents acclaimed double bill The Rite of Spring / common ground[s] alongside world premiere of sound installation BREATH

[Jan McNulty]

Wednesday 2nd October 2024    Sadler’s Wells presents acclaimed double bill The Rite of Spring / common ground[s]   Alongside world premiere of sound installation BREATH in Lilian Baylis Studio & Dancing at Dusk returning to Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage      Image credit: The Rite of Spring Maarten Vanden Abeele © Pina Bausch Foundation    The Rite of Spring / common ground[s] arrives at Sadler’s Wells Theatre this November following sell-out runs and international acclaim throughout its world tour. In celebration of the production, the world premiere of Pina Bausch Foundation's sound installation BREATH is presented in the Lilian Baylis Studio, and the film Dancing at Dusk  - A Moment with Pina Bausch's The Rite of Spring, returns to Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage, both of which can be enjoyed for free.     The Rite of Spring / common ground[s]  The idea of ‘exchange’ is central in this two-part programme which marks the first collaboration between the Pina Bausch Foundation (Germany), École des Sables (Senegal), the international centre for traditional and contemporary African dance, and Sadler’s Wells (UK). Following performances across North America, Australia, Asia, and Europe, the iconic double bill plays for the first time together at Sadler’s Wells from Wednesday 6 November – Sunday 10 November, after its original run was impacted by COVID.   Bausch’s (1975) The Rite of Spring is danced by a specially assembled company of dancers from 13 African countries. In this pioneering work, with music by Stravinsky, a ‘chosen one’ is sacrificed changing the season from winter to spring.    common ground[s] is a new work created, performed and inspired by the lives of two remarkable women: Germaine Acogny, “the mother of contemporary African dance” and founder of École des Sables and Malou Airaudo who joined Bausch in the early days of Tanztheater Wuppertal and later was a professor and director at Folkwang University of the Arts.     This work, created and performed by these remarkable women - both choreographers, professors, mothers and grandmothers - reflects their histories, emotional experiences and common ground. common ground[s] was performed earlier this year at Sadler’s Wells Theatre as part of the Elixir Festival, a series of performances, workshops, talks, and films that challenge perceptions around dance and ageing.  This run at Sadler’s Wells Theatre also marks common ground[s] final performances.     Salomon Bausch, Founder and Board of Directors of the Pina Bausch Foundation, said: “I can’t wait to finally bring this production in its entirety to London for the first time. The production has continued to grow as it has toured to more than 25 venues across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, where there have been wonderful encounters with enthusiastic audiences everywhere. This production of The Rite of Spring is very important to me and to the mission of the Pina Bausch Foundation, because it offers a glimpse into the future. Not only because we are developing new formats for international partnerships as well as putting together an ensemble specifically for a production for the first time. But above all, because this ensemble - with its personalities from an array of diverse dance backgrounds - has a wonderfully deep impact on the piece, and in turn it is very special to see how the piece also has an impact on the dancers, as artists and as human beings.”    Germaine Acogny, Founder of École des Sables, said: “For a long time, I have had a connection with Pina and her seminal work The Rite of Spring. When I first saw the piece danced by Paris Opera Ballet, I was highly impressed with the way the dancers performed the choreography so deeply rooted in the earth, despite their classical training. It was then that I thought such a dance would be very well received by an African audience due to the closeness of the theme and African spiritual beliefs. I recognised my own culture within it. Deeply inspired by the work, I have performed My Black Chosen One - Sacre #2 by Olivier Dubois since 2015. The new duet is a continuation of a conversation I had with Pina. I am very excited that École des Sables and I are a part of this special exchange.”    Sir Alistair Spalding CBE, Artistic Director and Co-Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells, said: “I am thrilled that we are finally presenting these incredible works together for the first time at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. The journey began back in 2008 in a conversation between Pina and I, where we mused that Germaine Acogny’s École des Sables would be an ideal partner for a new work co-produced by Sadler’s Wells - the first created by Tanztheater Wuppertal in an African country. We arranged a trip to Senegal, but Pina’s health deteriorated and the trip never happened. Following her death, when Salomon Bausch came to me with the idea of co-producing this programme with École des Sables, he had no knowledge of the original 2008 discussion; this circle of serendipitous events felt very much in harmony with the spirit of Pina. Since its premiere, we have taken this fantastic production around the world, playing at iconic venues across North America, Asia and Europe. Now, in London this autumn, we are delighted to offer several entry points to Pina's masterpiece - whether that's in our theatre, through a sound installation in the Lilian Baylis Studio, or online via our Digital Stage platform. It is fantastic that Sadler's Wells can play a part in ensuring that Pina’s work – as well as the incredible creation from Germaine Acogny and Malou Airaudo – can be experienced and enjoyed by as many people as possible.”      BREATH  On Sunday 10 November, accompanying the run of The Rite of Spring/common ground[s] at Sadler's Wells Theatre, the world premiere of Pina Bausch Foundation's sound installation BREATH will be presented in the Lilian Baylis Studio.        Titled ATEM in German, which translates as "breath", the twenty-five minute installation features no music and instead captures the sound of the company's bodies in motion as they perform the choreography of The Rite of Spring.     The audience are invited to immerse themselves within the physical performance space of Bausch’s choreography, as if on stage surrounded by the invisible dancers. In the absence of Stravinsky's musical score, the sound is of the soil, the breath, and the physicality of the dancer's body in performance, allowing the audience to experience a unique intimacy with the dancers for the first time.       BREATH was recorded in January 2023 on the stage of the Opernhaus in Wuppertal, where Bausch's The Rite of Spring originally premiered, and features the company of dancers who will bring the show to Sadler’s Wells. The company wore in-ear monitors and were surrounded by microphones capturing just the sounds of their movement. This sound is realised again in the Lilian Baylis Studio, with 16 speakers positioned around the space in the same precise proportions as the stage.    BREATH will be presented for one day only in the Lilian Baylis Studio. Tickets are free and available via the Ticket Office or www.sadlerswells.com .    Dancing at Dusk – A Moment with Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring  To mark The Rite of Spring/common ground[s] performances at Sadler's Wells, Dancing at Dusk returns to Digital Stage from Wednesday 30 October. Filmed in 2020 as the world descended into lockdown, it captures the last rehearsal of a specially assembled company of 34 dancers from 14 African countries and documents a unique moment in their preparations for an international tour. Danced in an extraordinary setting, on the beach in Toubab Dialaw, Senegal, the stunning film Dancing at Dusk presents a rare opportunity to watch a truly remarkable performance from the comfort of home.    Dancing at Dusk will be live on Digital Stage (free to watch) from 12pm on 30 October to 29 November and accessed via this URL: https://www.sadlerswells.com/dancing-at-dusk/     ENDS     NOTES TO EDITORS    Listings Information  Pina Bausch/ Germaine Acogny & Malou Airaudo’s   The Rite of Spring / common ground[s]     Sadler’s Wells Theatre, EC1R 4TN     Wednesday 6 November 2024 – Sunday 10 November 2024   Tickets: From £15   Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com        Pina Bausch Foundation’s   BREATH  Lilian Baylis Studio, EC1R 4TN     Sunday 10 November 2024   Tickets are free via   Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com     Dancing at Dusk     Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage      Access for free from Wednesday 30 October 2024 – Friday 29 November 2024    https://www.sadlerswells.com/digital-stage/          CREATIVE CREDITS  A Pina Bausch Foundation, École des Sables & Sadler’s Wells production, co-produced with Théâtre de la Ville, Paris; Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg; Holland Festival, Amsterdam; Festspielhaus, St Pölten; Ludwigsburg Festival; Teatros del Canal de la Comunidad de Madrid, Adelaide Festival and Spoleto Festival dei 2Mondi.  The project is funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and Science of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia, and the International Coproduction Fund of the Goethe-Institut, and kindly supported by the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.    The Rite of Spring  Choreography: Pina Bausch  Music: Igor Stravinsky  Set and Costumes: Rolf Borzik  Collaboration: Hans Pop  World Premiere: 3 December 1975, Opera House Wuppertal    Restaging  Artistic Directors: Josephine Ann Endicott, Jorge Puerta Armenta, Clémentine Deluy  Rehearsal Directors: Çağdaş Ermiş, Ditta Miranda Jasjfi, Barbara Kaufmann, Julie Shanahan,   Kenji Takagi    common ground[s]  Co-Choreographers and Dancers: Germaine Acogny, Malou Airaudo  Composer: Fabrice Bouillon LaForest  Costume Designer: Petra Leidner  Lighting Designer: Zeynep Kepekli  Dramaturg: Sophiatou Kossoko    BREATH  The recording and production of BREATH were funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Stadtsparkasse Wuppertal.  Idea + concept: Ismaël Dia  Recording: Thomas Dickmeis, Andreas Eisenschneider and Dirk Specht  Mixing: Dirk Specht  Artistic direction The Rite of Spring: Jorge Puerta Armenta and Clémentine Deluy    Dancers:  Dovi Afi Anique Ayiboe, Adjo Delali Foli, Serge Arthur Dodo, Zadi Landry Kipre, Khadija Cisse, Profit Lucky, Harivola Rakotondrasoa, Luciene Cabral, Gloria Biachi, Vasco Mirine, Brian Oloo, Pacome Landry Seka, Tom Jules Samie, Aoufice Junior Gouri, Kouassi Rodolphe Allui, Asanda Ruda, Stephanie Mwamba, B Abdoul Aziz Zoundi, Sidnoma Florent Nikiema, Amadou Lamine Sow, Inas Dasylva, Astou Diop, Amy Collé Seck, Sonia Constable, Gueassa Eva Sibi, Christie Dossou, Carmelita Siwa, Oliva Randrianasolo, Babacar Mane, Shelly Tetely Ohene-Nyako    Special thanks: Daniel Siekhaus, Karsten Fischer, Fernando Jacon, Jörg Ramershoven, Lay Kane, Anne-Marie Bigby, Petra Leidner, Adam Carrée, Sophie Delahaye, Hannah Gibbs, Ghislaine Granger, Clara Jansen-Bauer, Stefan Bauer, Leo Hartmann, Sala Seddiki    About the Pina Bausch Foundation   https://www.pinabausch.org/   The Pina Bausch Foundation carries the artistic legacy of dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch into the future. Her son Salomon Bausch founded the non-profit foundation shortly after her death in 2009 to make her work accessible and tangible for dancers worldwide, diverse audiences, and new generations. The focus is on rehearsing and performing Pina Bausch's pieces and physically getting to know her work in workshop formats.      For this purpose, the Foundation passes on Pina Bausch's choreographies to dancers and companies worldwide and collaborates with universities. It also develops a training process for rehearsal directors and artistic strategies to safeguard the unique knowledge of the choreographies and their rehearsal process for the future.      One of the Foundation's fundamental tasks is to make the extensive materials of Pina Bausch's artistic legacy accessible through digital archives. The Pina Bausch Archives, which include photographs and video recordings as well as written materials on the creation of the pieces, serve as a knowledge resource that is used again and again during rehearsals and restagings. Since November 2021, first materials are publicly accessible worldwide in the online archives at pinabausch.org. The online archives are constantly being expanded with new materials and pieces.      About École Des Sables, Senegal    https://ecoledessables.org/      École des Sables is an international centre for traditional and contemporary African dances, a school for theoretical and practical teaching, a laboratory for research, and a space for meetings and exchanges, conferences and artistic residences.       The school is dedicated to professional training for dancers from all over Africa in traditional and contemporary African dances. Its objectives are to professionalise African dancers, allowing them to be able to live from their art, and to encourage communication and collaboration between dancers, choreographers and companies from Africa and with the rest of the world; in short, to develop and promote contemporary African dance. Since 1998, the school has regularly organised professional training workshops gathering dancers and choreographers from Africa, the African diaspora and all over the world.       École des Sables was created in 1998 by Germaine Acogny, considered as “the mother of contemporary African Dance”, and her husband Helmut Vogt. Germaine Acogny is the former director of Mudra Afrique (1977-1982), a pan-African school founded by Leopold Sedar Senghor and Maurice Bejart, which had the objective of giving a professional education to African dancers and citizens to make them become responsible and autonomous through the art.      About Sadler’s Wells       Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation. We strive to make and share dance that inspires us all. Our acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap.      We commission, produce and present more dance than any other organisation in the world. Since 2005, we have helped to bring more than 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown. Our acclaimed productions tour the world. Since 2005 we’ve produced 64 new full-length works and performed to audiences of more than two million, touring to 51 countries.       Each year, over half a million people visit our three London theatres - Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio and Peacock Theatre. Millions more attend our touring productions nationally and internationally or explore our digital platforms, including Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage.      Sadler’s Wells East    In February 2025 we’re opening a fourth London venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler’s Wells East will house a 550-seat mid-scale theatre, as well as facilities for the new Rose Choreographic School and the hip hop theatre training centre, Academy Breakin’ Convention.    Sadler’s Wells East joins the rich cultural heritage of Stratford, opening in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of the East Bank development alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL and the V&A. Sadler’s Wells East will support artist development and training, and the creation of new work. It will build the infrastructure for dance and make it accessible to more people. Sadler’s Wells East will house a flexible theatre presenting a wide variety of dance performances. Community will be at the heart of Sadler’s Wells East with a large open foyer that can be used by everyone as a meeting or performance space. There will also be dance studios and world-class dance facilities for dancemakers to train, create and rehearse productions.     Supporting artists   Supporting artists is at the heart of our work. We have associate artists and companies, which nurture some of the most exciting talent working in dance today. We host the National Youth Dance Company, which draws together some of the brightest young dancers from across the country. Sadler’s Wells Breakin' Convention runs professional development programmes to champion and develop the world’s best hip hop artists, as well as producing, programming and touring groundbreaking hip hop performances.       Learning and community links   Around 30,000 people take part in our learning and engagement programmes every year. We support schools local to our theatres in Islington and Stratford, designing experiences for children and young people to watch, explore and critically engage with the arts. We also run Company of Elders, a resident performance company of dancers aged over 60 who rehearse with renowned artists to make new work for public performances locally, nationally and internationally.     Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.       www.sadlerswells.com       Stay up to date with everything Sadler’s Wells on social media      Facebook: @SadlersWells      Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells      Instagram: @sadlers_wells      YouTube: Sadler’s Wells Theatre