
Nothing says spring is here like a new National Dance Company Wales tour. Awakening, which opens at Newport’s Riverfront on St. David’s Day before embarking on an expressive and expansive tour of a further 10 locations across the UK, including stops in Newtown, Swansea, Aberystwyth and Cardiff. It marks a new phase for NDCWales under newly-appointed Artistic Director Fearghus Ó Conchúir.
Comprising of four dance pieces, the tour also involves interactive bonuses such a family-friendly workshop for 7-12-year-olds. Three of the four pieces will be performed at each venue, offering a rich variety of themes, ideas and interpretations. Brazilian choreographer Fernando Melo’s Afterimage uses mirrors to reflect its themes of appearance and disappearance, whilst Tundra, a mainstay in NDC’s repertoire, puts a contemporary spin on Russian folk dance, revolution and the USSR in a piece that won Best Dance Production in 2017’s Wales Theatre Awards. Revellers’ Mass draws on iconic paintings and events in history to stage a dinner party for an unlikely group of guests, and is choreographed by NDCWales’s Resident Choreographer Caroline Finn, who took home the award for Best Female Dance Artist, also at the 2017 Wales Theatre Awards.
In addition to its interactive workshops, other participation opportunities along the tour include chances to learn more about the backstage side of dance performance and watch how the dancers prepare, in addition to post-show talks with the company and the prospect of engaging with what it means to be a dancer.
Following a year which involved a UK tour and performances in Austria and Germany, ahead of the spring dates, Ó Conchúir has said the tour’s variety “shows the versatility of the company and its ability to offer audiences diverse perspectives on the world.” Certainly, then, Awakening embodies the company’s aim to provide engaging productions for a variety of audiences. With this concept for 2019, it proves their commitment to the cause and should add up to a run of special performances. They’ll be hitting up Newport’s Riverfront (Fri 1 Mar), Theatr Hafren in Newtown (Thurs 21 Mar), Taliesin Arts Centre in Swansea (Thurs 4 Apr), Aberystwyth Arts Centre (Wed 24 Apr), and Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre (Wed 1 May).
words Chloë Edwards
Various locations across Wales and England, Fri 1 Mar-Wed 1 May. Tickets: £10-£30. Info: www.ndcwales.co.uk