Partnership brings international dance celebration to Norfolk & Norwich Festival

They say the urge to dance is hard to resist, and a new partnership between Norfolk and Norwich Festival and Norwich Theatre proves that point as it presents a brilliant international celebration of some of the best contemporary movement-based work around.

Things kick off with a short film, Fenland Elegy, made by Dan Canham, who is an award-winning choreographer, theatre and filmmaker with over 19 years in the industry. Dan specialises in heart-felt films, whether they are documentaries, art films or promos.

A short film called Fenland Elegy will be showing at The Gallery in The Forum (Image: Dan Canham)
For this project Dan has collaborated with choreographers and dancers Katie Boag and Ash Goosey and composer Benji Bower to create a short and stirring dance film shot at sunset in the fens of East Anglia. It combines heart-rending symphonic music with the immense technical and expressive form of Krump dance to lament the passing of a landscape.

Fenland Elegy: May 18-19, 11am-4pm drop in, The Gallery, The Forum

Tess blurs the lines between circus, dance and theatre (Image: Kie Cummings)
Contemporary circus company Ockham’s Razor has been blurring the lines between circus, dance and theatre for 20 years, combining these skills to make work that is entertaining and arresting.

The company has performed all over the world and has a reputation for being innovative, emotive and engaging. In this latest show, classic literature, physical theatre and circus collide in a groundbreaking adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

Tess is an inventive and evocative retelling that explores privilege, class, poverty, sisterhood and female desire.

Tess: May 21-22, 7.30pm, Norwich Theatre Royal

Skydiver is a show for young children between the ages of 3 and 5 (Image: Nikolas Louka)
Proving that dance as an artform has appeal for just about everyone, Skydiver by Greek dance artist Xenia Aidonopoulou is a show for young children between the ages of 3 and 5.

Take your little ones on a magical journey and experience how movement, sound and stunning visuals can bring whimsical characters to life in an enchanting encounter in the skies.

Xenia is interested in challenging the boundaries between dance and theatre, creating narratives that reflect the human experience and are expressed in the mix of movement and text.

Skydiver: May 22-23, 11.30am and 1.30pm, The Garage

MOSH is a high-octane dance, theatre and musical exploration of the culture of the mosh pit (Image: Amanda Alexander)
From the magic of the skies to the mayhem of the mosh pit. Rachel Ní Bhraonáin is an Irish artist whose work combines dance, writing and sometimes aerial work to create visually exciting and emotionally honest performances.

In MOSH, Rachel turns her attention to the almost mythical world of the mosh pit. Feared by some, adored and revered by others, the mosh pit has become an intrinsic part of much of the live music scene.

This show is a high-octane dance, theatre and musical exploration of the culture of the mosh pit. Consisting of five dancers, one drummer, one guitarist, humour, heart and a hell of a lot of headbanging, this show is sure to blow the roof at Epic Studios.

MOSH: May 23-25, 7.30pm, Epic Studios

an Accident / a Life is a semi-autobiographical performance using storytelling, film, music, dance and a car (Image: Susan Hay)
Bringing together two leaders within the dance world, an Accident / a Life is an exciting collaboration between Marc Brew and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.

Performed by Marc Brew, this solo work is the first collaboration between the Australian, Scotland based artist and Flemish Moroccan choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, who directs.

It is a semi-autobiographical performance, which unravels moments in life, exploring difficult things with and without words using storytelling, film, music, dance and a car.

The starting point for the piece was sharing life stories and key moments of change. For Marc Brew, this was a terrible car accident, in which he went from ballet dancer to paraplegic in a split second. This moment transformed his relationship to movement, cultivating a fresh approach to dance.

an Accident / a Life: May 24-25, 7.30pm, Norwich Theatre Royal 

Full details on all these performances can be found at nnfestival.org.uk