It’s Burning! Tonight.

Sep 26 2014 | By More

Festival Theatre commission world premiere

The Richard Alston dance company take to the Festival Theatre stage tonight with the world premiere of a work commissioned by the theatre.

Nancy Nerantzi and Liam Riddick in Burning. Photo: Chris Nash Crop

Nancy Nerantzi and Liam Riddick in Burning. Photo: Chris Nash Crop

The new work is Burning by Martin Lawrance. It is inspired by the passionately intense music of Franz Liszt’s Dante Sonata, which will be played live by pianist Jason Ridgway.

Dance regulars at the Festival Theatre will recognise Lawrance for his pair of commissions for Scottish Ballet: Run for it, part of Dance GB seen there in 2012; and the strongly visceral Dark Full Ride, matching gliding moves over a pounding, syncopated drum solo which premiered at the EIF in 2013.

Speaking of tonight’s premiere at the Festival Theatre, Lawrance said: “It has always been a real pleasure to dance on this fantastic stage and now to have my work premiered here is an even more special pleasure.”

fantastically complex

The Richard Alston company has been in residency at the Festival Theatre  Studio on Potterrow all week, running education events and open rehearsals for local schools and colleges.

Tonight’s performance will include three other works, all choreographed by Richard Alston. His most recent work Rejoice in the Lamb will receive its Scottish premiere. Inspired by Benjamin Britten’s setting of 18th century poet Christopher Smart’s Jubilate Agno (Rejoice in the Lamb), this is Alston’s tenth work to Britten’s music.

Hölderlin Fragments is danced to Britten’s calm setting of Friedrich Hölderlin’s enigmatic lyrics. Alston has dedicated the piece to his teacher and mentor Pytt Geddes. When she eventually retired, Pytt lived the last part of her life near Aberdeen and, until she died, came down to Edinburgh every year to see Alston and the Company.

The programme is completed by a revival of the fantastically complex Overdrive, which responds to the pulsating rhythms of modern Californian composer Terry Riley and has not been seen since 2010. It was in Alston’s repertoire when the company toured in the Autumn of 2009.

Richard Alston Dance Company Autumn Tour Dates 2014

Fri 26 Sep, 7.30pm
Festival Theatre
Burning, Rejoice in the Lamb, Hölderlin Fragments, Overdrive
Details from: www.edtheatres.com/alston

Tue 30 Sept & Wed 1 Oct, 7.30pm
Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton
Rejoice in the Lamb, Burning, Overdrive
Details from: www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Tue 7 & Wed 8 Oct, 7.30pm
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury
Rejoice in the Lamb, Hölderlin Fragments, Burning, Illuminations
Details from: www.theatresevern.co.uk

Tue 14 & Wed 15 Oct, 7.30pm
Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe
Rejoice in the Lamb, Burning, Overdrive
Details from: https://wycombeswan.co.uk

Wed 22 Oct, 7.30pm
Octagon Theatre, Yeovil
Rejoice in the Lamb, Unfinished Business (duet), Burning, Overdrive
Details from: www.octagon-theatre.co.uk

Thu 30, Fri 31 Oct, Sat 1, Sun 2 Nov
Montclair State University, New Jersey (US)
Rejoice in the Lamb, Unfinished Business (duet), Hölderlin Fragments, Illuminations
Details from: www.montclair.edu

Tue 11 Nov, 7.30pm
Theatre Royal, Glasgow
Rejoice in the Lamb, Hölderlin Fragments, Burning, Overdrive
Details from: www.atgtickets.com

ENDS

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