Refresh at The Place means one thing: five of the UK’s leading youth dance companies will be showcasing brand new dance pieces to music chosen by leading choreographers on 16 February 2013.
After an incredible response in 2012, the choreographers involved with this year’s Refresh are Sharon Watson, Aletta Collins, Bawran Tavaziva, Akram Khan and Jonzi D, working alongside Fuzzy Logic, ENB YouthCo, Quicksilver, JNR SINstars and PPL Dance Company. These companies will be revealing new dance works and creating an exciting evening of contemporary dance. There will also be a performance from The Place’s resident youth group Shift, centralising this evening around fresh talent and perhaps even future dance stars.
International hip-hop arts organisation SIN Cru’s youth dance company JNR SIN stars will perform The Aurochs Were to Code by Philip Feeney, chosen by Phoenix Dance Theatre’s artistic director, Sharon Watson. The English National Ballet’s youth dance company ENB Youth Co will be performing Tribe to Flying Lotus, chosen by choreographer and rapper Jonzi D. Also on the bill is Fuzzy Logic, one of the UK’s leading male youth companies performing Again and Again to music chosen and composed by choreographer Bawren Tavaziva. Rambert’s youth dance company Quicksilver will perform The Disappearance of Elsie May which takes its inspiration from Ben Frost’s Theory of Machines chosen by Akram Khan, one of the UK’s most celebrated choreographers. Finally, PPL Dance Company will present The Beauty Within... to Billy May’s Goomba Boomba, chosen by choreographer Aletta Collins.
The five youth companies were selected from open applications to work with esteemed project mentor Kerry Nicholls to create and perform to the specifically chosen music. This one-night-only programme of dynamic dance looks sure to be a fantastic evening with such experienced companies involved: this rare opportunity to engage with some of the country’s leading dance artists seems second to none.