UTOPIA May 2, 2010

Charged and vibrant, this folkloric celebration is a brand new commission for our 2010 Festival.

Directed by Arthur Pita, contemporary dancers will form a brand new dance company collective alongside Russian, Spanish, Indian and African folk dance groups, all moving to the turbo-folk Gypsy and Balkan beats of Birmingham’s very own band The Destroyers.

Spells will be conjured up as wild rhythms draw pulsating movement from this international spectrum of exceptional dances. Horned figures in gleaming gold make their presence felt while rituals, fire and a relentless stampede of exotic dances and frenzied songs bring together this riotous 40-strong cast in a 30 minute outdoor extravaganza unlike any other!

Arthur said: “There’ll be bits of furniture all over the place and basically it’ll look like 40 people, plus the band, have attacked the square! It’ll be very vibrant and a real cross-cultural event, but you won’t necessarily see an Irish section then a Cossack section – it’ll be completely mixed up.”
Click here to visit Arthur’s website and find out more about his work
http://www.arthurpita.com/

Max Gittings from The Destroyers can’t wait for Utopia to begin: “It’s been a while since our last dance extravaganza, so we’re very excited to be part of Utopia. Being at the heart of a fully staged outdoor spectacular involving dance groups and musical sounds from across the world, whilst collaborating and forging new links with exciting and talented artists, is the very essence of what The Destroyers are all about.”
Click here to visit The Destroyers website
http://thedestroyers.co.uk/

Folk dance companies featured: Barynya (Russian), Temperamento Español (Spanish), Janavak (Indian), Vocab Dance Company (African)

Contemporary dancers: Kristina Alleyne, Jordi Calpe Serrats, Elisabetta D’Aloia, Lisa Hood, Edd Mitton, Keil Morris, Mikah Smillie, Noi Tolmer, Joe Walking

Official Website: http://www.idfb.co.uk/whats-on/utopia