Stratford is getting a new spring in its step…
….thanks to the second outpost of dance institution Sadler’s Wells, set to open in February 2025 with a stronger focus on hip hop and celebrating underrepresented artists.
It’s happening as part of the new £1.1bn East Bank development in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Now that London 2012 is a thing of the past, the plan is to turn the space into a new cultural quarter – a sort of South Bank spin off, which will also see a new branch of the V&A, a couple of BBC Studios (including a purpose built recording studio and performance space) and an impressive new home for the London College of Fashion.
It won’t be quite as big as the Islington original, however Sadler’s Wells East will still pack in a 550 seater theatre, multiple dance studios and a big outdoor dance space (presumingly for the most energetic of shows). It will also be home to two initiatives pretttty impressive in size.
The first is the Hip Hop Theatre Academy, teaching kids between the ages of 16 and 19 everything from beat-making and rap to DJ’ing and, of course, dance. Spearheaded by Jonzi D (the brains behind the existing hip-hop festival and arts initiative Breakin’ Convention), the aim is to solidify hip hop as a theatrical art form, skilling up kids to perform at an international level. The second is the Choreographic School, which will give 13 up-and-coming dancers to work with leading choreographers, developing their own personal style and practice.
Skatepark – credit Pierre Gondard
And now that the opening date’s been confirmed, the first few dozen shows have also been announced, with public booking opening on 25th September. It all kicks off with Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s Our Mighty Groove, an immersive production which basically sounds like you’re getting to go clubbing with a troupe of really, really amazing dancers fusing waacking, vogue and African styles. Other highlights include a high-octane show on skateboards from Danish choreographer Mette Ingvartsen; a dark balletic retelling of Snow White told from the ageing queen’s perspective, in an adaptation by poet Carol Ann Duffy; a defiantly erotic dance show from leading Disabled performer-producer Dan Daw; and a charged duet from brothers Anthony and Kel Matsena, inspired by the first murder in human history.
KABEL – Matsena © Laurentina Miksys
Ivan Michael Blackstock will also be reprising his Olivier award-winning examination of Black masculinity, TRAPLORD; Carlos Acosta’s next generation of young ballet dancers are popping down from Birmingham; the legendary Phoenix Dance Theatre will stage their adaptation of the novel Giovanni’s Room; and Alexander Whitley will present The Rite of Spring, which will seem even more frenzied than usual thanks to an imaginative blend of dance and digital that includes live motion capture.
It should be a great way to kick off the season…
NOTE: Sadler’s Wells East opens on 6th February 2025. Tickets for the opening productions go on sale on 25th September – you can find out more, and book, on the Sadler’s Wells East website.
Sadler’s Wells East | Stratford Walk, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, E20 2AR
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