Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage has a new Video on Demand platform, which launches this week with Birmingham Royal Ballet’s triple bill Curated by Carlos. Audiences around the world will be able to watch this programme of works online at a time of their choosing, between 11th and 18th November.
The programme features the world premiere at Sadler’s Wells Theatre of a new pas de deux created for international stars, Birmingham Royal Ballet Director Carlos Acosta and guest artist Alessandra Ferri, by Spanish choreographer Goyo Montero. Among the companies for whom Goyo Montero has created works are The Royal Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Spain’s Compañia Nacional de Danza, Acosta Danza, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Ballet Nacional de Cuba. The pas de deux will precede a performance of Montero’s Chacona – an ensemble piece for 16 dancers set to the music of J S Bach, played on stage by violin, guitar and piano. Dan Ormerod directs this production, filmed at Sadler’s Wells.
Imminent – created by Brazilian/British choreographer Daniela Cardim – was commissioned by Birmingham Royal Ballet. Other companies for whom Ms Cardim has created works include Dutch National Ballet, New English Ballet Theatre, Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo Companhia de Dança, English National Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and The Royal Ballet School Summer Intensive. Imminent focuses on the human instinct, urging us to listen to that still, small voice inside telling us that we need to change direction, that we need to embrace our fears and hopes to take an unknown path. The music has been written by composer Paul Englishby, a 2020 Tony Award nominee.
City of a Thousand Trades was commissioned by Carlos Acosta in tribute to the city of Birmingham, celebrating its diverse heritage and cultures. It was choreographed by Havana-born dancer and choreographer Miguel Altunaga – a former principal dancer with the Cuban National Contemporary Dance Company and member of contemporary dance company Rambert – with dramaturgy and co-direction by Madeleine Kludje, associate director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre. The music – inspired by the city’s soundscape – is by Belgian pianist and composer Mathias Coppens, whose commissions for the Belgian Spiegel String Quartet and the Desguin String Quartet are scheduled for performance during this 2021-22 season.
Both Imminent and City of a Thousand Trades were filmed at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in June 2021, with direction by Ross MacGibbon. The dancers are accompanied by Birmingham Royal Ballet’s resident orchestra, the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, which also plays for companies such as The Royal Ballet, Paris Opéra Ballet, New York City Ballet, Australian Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Kirov, Norwegian Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and La Scala Ballet.
Philip Ellis, a Birmingham Royal Ballet conductor, leads the Sinfonia for Imminent, and Paul Murphy, Principal Conductor of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, for City of a Thousand Trades.
Curated by Carlos will be available to rent on Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage between 12:00pm GMT (noon) on Thursday 11 November 2021 and 12:00pm GMT (noon) on Thursday 18 November 2021. Each rental will be available for 48 hours, and an Audio Described version of the film will also be available.
Information sourced from:
Sadler’s Wells and Birmingham Royal Ballet programme notes
Artists’ websites