Following performances in New York, Lyon and Sydney, and its world premiere at Sadler’s Wells in 2018, Natalia Osipova’s Pure Dance returns from Tuesday 22 – Saturday 26 October 2019.
Produced by Sadler’s Wells, and commissioned for the theatre’s 20th anniversary, Pure Dance is a hand-picked programme of dance works exploring both contemporary and classical ballet repertoire rarely seen in the UK.
Just announced, the eclectic programme includes a new duet, Left Behind, choreographed by Jason Kittelberger and danced by Osipova and Kittelberger. Inspired by the emotional quality of its Rachmaninov soundtrack, the duet explores the notion that a person’s effect on a life can never fully be understood until that person is gone. Kittelberger also appears alongside Osipova in Israeli choreographer Roy Assaf’s Six Years Later – now extended for this year’s programme.
The programme includes an original solo for Osipova created by Yuka Oishi, Ave Maria, following Oishi’s win of the Rolf Mares Prize for Outstanding Creation of the Year alongside Orkan Dann in 2012. Special guest, American Ballet Theatre Principal David Hallberg, performs a specially-commissioned solo In Absentia, choreographed by Olivier Award-winner Kim Brandstrup.
Osipova and Hallberg perform two duets over the course of the evening, including a pas de deux from Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading, one of the last works by the British choreographer; as well as Valse Triste, a new commission by artist in residence at American Ballet Theatre, Alexei Ratmansky.
Jonathan Goddard completes the company, joining Osipova in Flutter, choreographed by Rose D’Or and Golden Prague award-winner (for BalletBoyz’ Young Men) Iván Pérez, set to music by Nico Muhly.
