Rambert Dance Company
LS Lowry's art brought to life by
Rambert Dance Company
WORLD PREMIERE: THE LOWRY, SALFORD 27- 30 SEPTEMBER 2006
Press Night, Wed 27 September
Rambert Dance Company returns to The Lowry, Salford between 27 and 30 September 2006 with the world premire of a new work, Stand and Stare, based on the art and world view of iconic artist LS Lowry. Created by Darshan Singh Bhuller, this new work has been specially commissioned by The Lowry, Salford to mark 30 years since the death of the revered British artist
.
Darshan decided on the title, Stand and Stare from reading how Lowry described his 'peculiar attraction for ... Empty houses with empty windows standing in isolation on bleak hills or derelict streets; he would stand and stare at them, sometimes for hours ... Seeing in those desolate building an image of himself, yearning to recapture or create forgotten days of childhood happiness.'*
Darshan's approach to this work was to abstract the emotions and intent behind Lowry's paintings. Darshan commented, "Lowry occasionally painted his canvases in layers, images on top of images as he changed his mind; the result is like a memory. Vertical and horizontal lines, white negative space, over-populated landscapes to empty seascapes .unrevealed secrets... For someone who describes himself: 'I am a simple man, and I use simple materials', I see a different person. I found Lowry to be a dark and complex artist."
The Lowry Galleries will stay open until 7.30pm every evening that Rambert Dance Company is performing so that visitors can see the artist's original work before seeing how Darshan was inspired by LS Lowry's approach.
Rambert's 80th anniversary programme in Salford also includes A Steel Garden by Christopher Bruce and the highly popular Constant Speed by Mark Baldwin.
Darshan Singh Bhuller
comes fresh from his acclaimed leadership of Phoenix Dance Theatre to create his first work for Britain's flagship modern dance company. His vision for the new piece is to capture the essence of Lowry's art and world view within the music, design and choreography, creating a sensory feast for both dance and art enthusiasts alike. It is reported that LS Lowry loved the ballet and even saw Rambert perform in the 1960s, making this a particularly fitting tribute to his work.
Designer Craig Givens and Darshan have been working closely together, to craft an exciting visual backdrop, by drawing on colours, techniques and reoccurring images particularly favoured by LS Lowry. The new work will be created to Bla Bartk's Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, which will be performed live byRambert's award-winning Associate Orchestra London Musici, conducted by Rambert's Music Director, Paul Hoskins.
The results of this exciting collaboration will be seen across the country in Rambert's 80th anniversary autumn tour, appearing in Salford, Norwich, High Wycombe, London, Woking and Plymouth.
Christopher Bruce
returns to Rambert for the first time since his retirement as Artistic Director in November 2002. For
A Steel Garden
, Bruce has drawn on his love of the natural world, with both its beauties and dangers. He has collaborated with composer
David C. Heath.
Using Heath's existing composition, Dawn of a New Age, as a starting point, the new, extended score evolved together with the choreography.
Constant Speed
, Mark Baldwin's first choreographic work as Artistic Director for Rambert, has been widely acclaimed for its novel and charming approach to physics. Commissioned by the Institute of Physics, Constant Speed has been inspired by three of Einstein's key 1905 theories. The result is 19 of Rambert's dancers whizzing around the stage like hyperactive molecules, in a joyous and athletic frenzy of movement. Performed to sparkling waltzes by Franz Lehr, this ingenious and witty piece succeeds in making physics fun.
Rambert is the UK's only modern dance company to permanently tour with its Associate Orchestra, London Musici, and in February 2004, Rambert's Music Director Paul Hoskins and London Musici won the 2004 Time Out Live Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance.
For further information/images please contact The Lowry's press team or Fran Eyles,
PR and Communications Manager, Rambert Dance Company on 020 8630 0612 or email
fe@rambert.org.uk
Rambert Dance Company at The Lowry, Salford
Posted on Saturday, 01 July 2006 under Press Theatre Press