Photo credit: © Tony Nandi 2012

Compass is a compelling new work produced by Sadler’s Wells Creative Learning department, Connect. It brings together an impressive creative team with a cast of over 100 dancers, including the critically acclaimed Company of Elders, students from leading dance schools and community groups from East, South, West and North London.Set to an original score composed by Hannah Peel and Donna McKevitt and accompanied by arresting visual imagery by film maker Tal Rosner, Compass shows us that although we live in one city, within that city can be many worlds, and as many routes to ‘home’ as we choose.Choreographed by some of Sadler’s Wells’ finest associate and visiting companies, including Jasmin Vardimon Company, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Eastman and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, this exciting performance promises to be a true reflection of the capital’s cultural diversity in its Olympic year.


Connect is the Creative Learning department for Sadler's Wells with a track record for producing innovative and imaginative projects. It aims to inspire and excite people about dance through its activities for individuals, organisations, schools and youth clubs.

Thursday 15 March 2012

Diary Entry, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch and Centres of Advanced Training and Vocational students, Esther

A short description of the first rehearsal for the educational project of sadler's wells with the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch

February 10am on a saturday morning,  22 dance students, from three different London based dance schools, were welcomed by a number of artists in the Ashton Studio at Sadler's Wells; Pascal Merighi and Felix Bürckle, two dancers from Tanztheater Wuppertal-Pina Bausch, the writer Yemisi Blake and the composer Hannah Peel. This group of artists represented only a small part of a group, standing at the beginning of  the Sadler's Wells project Compass, bringing together 100 dancers from all age groups and different levels of experience.

At the beginning of the workshop the students were full of nervous excitement and curiosity, everyone was looking forward to finally getting an idea about the forms, this project would take.

Two intensive days of getting used to new people and new ideas of movement, concentrating on urban life in a mega city like London, could not have passed any quicker and left the group with strong ideas inspired by personal experiences, that had been explored through different tools; In stillness or accompanied by music, movement, stories, words and imagination were at the center of the working process.

The tasks, given by Felix and Pascal, were precise and yet allowed freedom to follow personal interests and space for individuality. To point out the intensity of this weekend, it might be of interest that each movement task, leading to a short solo, was performed in front of the whole group, whilst a camera was recording the material, for future reference. The tasks were demanding and sharing the work in front of many unknown faces, made some people forget their material, but at the same time during these moments of sharing personal work, the studio was filled with spirit, which had been carried by the energy, sensitivity and alertness in which Pascal and Felix guided and witnessed the working process, and the concentration and commitment in which the students followed their ideas. The level of intensity made the group come closer together, in a very short amount of time.

From tape, pencil and paper, personal stories, about journeys through urban landscape, to creative partnering exercises, group improvisations and creating set material, inspired by the word Moloch, this weekend has been full of creativity, question marks, stories and new faces and a very exciting first glimpse on Sadler's Wells stage. It has been a very enjoyable time, promising many more unforgettable moments to come in future rehearsals.

Friday 9 March 2012

Rehearsal Footage, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui - Eastman with Community Group

Diary Entry, Jasmin Vardimon Company with Youth Group, Tamara

It's 25 February and today was my first day of dance. I signed in and went to the studio on level 5 and I saw everyone already engrossed with the task and I just got along with it. They were walking along the spot and were doing some movement. This was kind of different because I wasn’t introduced to her but the way she taught was different because it wasn’t at a slow pace. It was really fast. During this session I put in the work and tried my best to do the moves, especially the floor movements. When we settled after lunch our dance teacher asked us to show our talents and Sam had showed us some dance moves, Cindy was beat boxing and singing which was amazing. Then a group sang a song. Then everyone just danced a little bit more, well we made our own dance routine. Sam’s was really good and our dance teacher said we had to do our dance routine like we were being electrocuted which was really funny. That’s all for today. Tamara