Choreography through Rambert
The oldest contemporary dance company in the UK, Rambert, is set to introduce a new choreography fellowship in order to help dancers move into the profession. Becoming a professional choreographer can often seem like a catch 22; experience is required however the opportunity is therefore required in order to gain the experience. Over the next three years, the Leverhulme Choreography Fellowship will support three professional dancers in making the transition from dancing to full-time choreography.
The Fellowship forms part of Rambert’s 90th anniversary. 2016 marks this milestone year for the company, which has also commissioned a nationwide programme of events to mark the celebrations. Rambert’s anniversary season will launch with the premiere of a new dance staging of Haydn's The Creation, choreographed by artistic director Mark Baldwin for a cast of more than 50 performers. It will eventually transfer to Sadler’s Wells in London, which will also see a triple bill presented, under the title of Contemporaries.
In terms of the Leverhulme Choreography Fellowship, this will see the fellows each spend a year with Rambert as part of the programme, which will run alongside the company's existing music fellowship and choreographic development programme. The opportunity to engage with the company in its 90thyear is an achievement in itself, providing the chance to develop work and move into choreographic territory.
Additionally during the year, Rambert will embark on a £333,500 community engagement project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This will develop an archive resource charting Rambert's role in establishing British dance. The archive will form just part of the nationwide programme, which will also include education projects for young people, older people and families. As a result, exhibits from Rambert's archive will be available to view at a special exhibition by specially commissioned contemporary visual artists.