Canary Wharf Becomes London’s Dancing City For One Weekend Only – 01.09.22

  • UK’s leading outdoor dance festival returns to Canary Wharf on 10th & 11th September
  • 11 performances will take place on both Saturday and Sunday celebrating the power of sharing and togetherness
  • Highlight performances include the Royal Ballet’s SLEEPWALKER with disabled dancer Joe Powell-Main
  • Free to attend festival happening across the Estate

Canary Wharf is hosting a series of 11 dance performances as part of an annual takeover by Greenwich+Docklands International Festival.

The event is the UK’s leading free outdoor dance festival and will see Canary Wharf become a ‘Dancing City’ on Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th September. Visitors can expect high-energy and emotive performances which will combine acrobatics, martial arts, contemporary dance and circus skills accompanied by powerful backing music.

This year’s productions include SLEEPWALKER, an inclusive emotionally charged duet challenging perceptions of movement, presented by The Royal Ballet’s Kristen McNally, Alexander Campbell and disabled dancer Joe Powell-Main. Visitors can also see Spanish company Cia Maduixa use stilts and choreography to tell the story of female migrants fighting for a place to call home in MIGRARE, a poetic UK premiere.

The free to attend annual dance takeover has been thoughtfully curated with a repeat programme on Saturday and Sunday, so visitors can take in the entire programme in one day or enjoy a more leisurely pace across two days. Many of the performances will also offer the opportunity for the audience to participate in creating powerful moments through connecting with the performers.

Dancing City is part of the wider ongoing arts and events programme on the Estate and is supported by Canary Wharf Arts+Events, Arts Council England and Without Walls. The 24/7 city is a place where people can work, live and thrive and enjoy all the benefits; great transport links, access to green spaces and waterside living; and a huge range of activities and amenities.

For those looking to take in Dancing City alongside a bite to eat, visitors can choose from hundreds of cafés, bars and restaurants including new restaurant openings Feels like June, Patty&Bun and MMy Wood Wharf.

Click here to find out more about Dancing City at Canary Wharf

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Press Office
Canary Wharf Group plc
T: 020 7418 2166
E: pressoffice@canarywharf.com

Notes to Editors

Programme

Compagnie Yann Lheureux, “Flagrant Délire”, Canary Riverside, 1-1.25pm

A contemporary reimagining of the myth of Icarus that defies gravity and expectation.

Hold your breath as performer Tony Thich explores the construction of identity and territory through dazzling physical performance, choreography and acrobatics set to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.

Cia Maduixa, “Migrare”, Canary Riverside, 5.10-5.45pm

Four migrant women fight for a new place to call home.

After being driven from their homeland, they navigate a perilous journey, to arrive in country that doesn’t want them. Facing invisible boundaries and prejudices, they struggle to find a new place to put down roots.

Following their previous appearance at GDIF with Mulier (Women), Maduixa (Spain) return with this emotional and timely production is featuring poignant physical storytelling on stilts, set against the backdrop of the Thames.

Andriod X + MHz, “CROWD_CTRL”, Jubilee Plaza, 2.30 -3.05pm & 4.20-4.55pm

Afro street moved collide with tech and LED visuals.

4 dancers from London’s Drafonsquad busking crew (of oxford Circus fame) turn their personal history of Afrobeats movement into a futuristic Odyssey.

Featuring a cast of Afro-battle dance champions, digital storytelling, fresh motion graphics on an LED wall by graphic prodigy Wuzum, this inventive production is the creation of choreographer Androidx in collaboration with MHz scenography.

Joe Garbett Dance, “Get Lost”, Wren Landing, 2-2.20pm & 4.25-4.55pm

Help two happy hikers on their way and dive into a wholesome, high-energy dance adventure, where tents can dance and massive maps swamp the land.

Full of magical contact work, silly slapstick tricks and dramatic images, this playful and accessible piece invites you to follow your nose into a wriggly, giggly world

SAY, “The Album: Live”, Jubilee Plaza, 1.05-1.20pm & 5.30-5.45pm

In an explosive mix of fast-paced, slick dance routines and incredible music tracks, SAY celebrate the joy and innocence of making up dances to your favourite music.

Featuring the impressive talents of UK champion MC Zani, The Album brings together live beatboxing, break-through music artists and contemporary dance.

Set to an incredible soundtrack from Juliana Yazbeck; spoken-word artist Holly Williams; South Africa’s hottest duo Tina Redmxn & L Tune ‘Chillin’ and more.

Guaranteed to leave you feeling hyped-up and inspired.

Motionhouse, “The Female Knot”, Adams Plaza, 1.30-1.45pm & 3.55-4.10pm

Extreme physicality, awe inspiring lifts and contact choreography come together in this emotional duet that explores the twists and turns of relationships.

Inspired by Salvador Dali’s Metamorphosis of Narcissus, Knot lays bare the many facets of human connection as balances shift from one dancer to another.

James Wilton Dance, “Four Seasons”, Westferry Circus, 2-2.20pm & 3.55-4.15pm

Fusing capoeira, acrobatics, martial arts and classical dance, this uplifting performance is characterised by intense physicality and driving energy.

Set to a specially recomposed version of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons by Max Richter, with costume designs by Vibeke Andersen, this unmissable show creates a kaleidoscopic feast of sweeping beauty.

The Royal Ballet with Joe Powell-Main, “Sleepwalker”, Columbus Courtyard, 1.35-1.55pm & 3.55-4.15pm

The Royal Ballet challenges traditional perceptions of ballet with this new duet featuring disabled dancer Joe Powell-Main.

This inclusive and emotionally charged performance is a contemporary reimagining of La Somnambula (The Sleepwalker) and is directed by Alexander Campbell with Choreography by Kirsten McNally and music by Sophie Cotton.

Pagrav Dance, “DEVA”, Westferry Circus, 3.15pm & 4.30pm

Playfully questioning perceptions, Urja Desai Thakore and Hetain Patel put classical Indian dance right in the heart of the city, reframing movement with sound and text to reveal insights and surprises at every turn.

In this newly commissioned show, Kathak, music, fashion and spoken word will disrupt the everyday and invite you to think again about your own assumptions.

Centre Chorégraphique National de Caen en Normandie , “Vivace”, Columbus Courtyard, 2.30-3.05pm & 5.10-5.45pm

In music Vivace means lively. The same word in French is used to describe perennials, (the plants that come back every year). The dancers in this joyous UK premiere, discover a new kind of vitality and resilience, driven by high energy and constantly surprising pop, Baroque and electro beats.

New Adventures, “Ding Dong”,  Jubilee Place mall, 2.15-2.25pm & 5-5.10pm

An unexpected friendship unfolds in this joyful and theatrical dance duet as a set of parcel deliveries breaks down social barriers and preconceptions.

Returning once more to Canary Wharf, New Adventures, Matthew Bourne’s dance-theatre company, bring this accessible dance piece set during the unprecedented times of the pandemic.

New Adventures, “High Tide”, Harbour Quay Gardens, 1-1.30pm & 3.20-3.50pm

Set against the backdrop of Canary Wharf’s South Dock, this London premiere follows the surprising journey of 5 individuals on their voyage to find happiness. Featuring New Adventures’ characteristic theatrical invention, this is a boat trip you don’t want to miss!

About Canary Wharf Group:

Canary Wharf Group (CWG) is the developer of the largest urban regeneration project in Europe. CWG develops, manages and currently owns interests in approximately 9 million square feet of mixed-use space and over 1,100 Build to Rent apartments. 

CWG is the largest sustainable developer in the UK and also excels operationally as it has purchased 100% electricity from renewable sources since 2012 and sent zero waste to landfill since 2009. 

CWG has created a 24/7 city where people can live, work and thrive on the Canary Wharf estate and enjoy all the benefits: great transport links, access to green spaces and waterside living; and a wide range of amenities including an award-winning arts and events programme. Canary Wharf’s retail offering comprises over 300 shops, including grocery stores, pharmacies, health clubs, bars and restaurants, all within 15 minutes’ walk. 

The Company’s current £2bn construction activity and pipeline includes more than 500k square feet NIA of commercial properties and over 2,300 new homes for sale and rent.

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