Dancers from across the globe will take part in the fifth International Dance Festival Birmingham.
Fiona Allan, Birmingham Hippodrome chief executive and co-artistic director of IDFB, said, “here at the Hippodrome we’re hugely proud to have one of the best stages for dance in the UK. It’s a great time to experience something new and exciting.”
The Hippodrome will welcome three major dance companies and a ballet superstar.
Eighteen dancers aged between 18 and 23 from Nederlands Dance Theater 2 will present a mixed bill on 3 and 4 May of I New Then by Johan Inger which features songs by Van Morrison, the UK première of Edward Clug’s Mutual Comfort, Solo by Hans van Manen and Alexander Ekman’s Cacti.
Cuba-born ballet superstar Carlos Acosta will perform his final programme A Classical Farewell from 5 until 7 May.
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan which performed in 2008 returns with Songs of the Wanderers, a “visually stunning piece set to soulful Georgian folk songs”, on 10 and 11 May.
Contemporary ballet company Ballet BC, based in British Columbia, makes its Hippodrome debut on 20 and 21 May with a programme by three leading female choreographers: Bill by former Batsheva Dance Company member Sharon Eyal, 16 + a room by the company’s artistic director Emily Molnar and Solo Echo by Crystal Pite, who has previously choreographed works for Birmingham Royal Ballet.
International Dance Festival Birmingham, which runs from 1 until 22 May, uses traditional spaces across the city including The Patrick Centre, Birmingham REP and Crescent Theatre. It will also go to venues further afield including Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry.