Dance superstar Carlos Acosta returns to Birmingham

Following critically-acclaimed previous performances at Birmingham Hippodrome, the much-loved dance superstar Carlos Acosta returns to the theatre for three performances only with his new production Premieres Plus later this month. 

Premieres Plus features new works and collaborations with major UK and international choreographers, dancers and musicians, and celebrates Acosta’s astonishing dance vision.  This enhanced staging, devised by Acosta himself, combines his outstanding classical technique with some of the most celebrated contemporary works of recent years.

Premieres Plus also features The Royal Ballet principal Zenaida Yanowsky who partnered Carlos in ‘Premieres’ in 2010 and Birmingham-based Godiva Awakes Choir, formed as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

NEW WORKS for Premieres Plus include:

• Will Tuckett’s On Before, originally created for the Ballet Boyz’ Bill Trevett and Royal Ballet principal Zenaida Yanowsky, and now performed for the first time by Carlos and Zenaida to John Adams’s masterwork Christian Zeal & Activity.
• Acosta making his solo debut in Memoria by Rambert Dance Company’s Miguel Altunaga with a score by Mexican electronic composer, Murcof.
• A newly revised version of Simon Elliott’s The Emotional Architecture employing emerging digital technology and spectacular 3D animation. 

Premieres Plus comprises a packed evening of nine major pieces including: 

• Russell Maliphant’s masterpiece Two, originally created for Sylvie Guillem, and regarded as one of Maliphant’s most original and inventive pieces. 
• Kim Brandstrup’s Footnote to Ashton from Brandstrup’s Two Footnotes to Ashton, created for the Royal Ballet in 2005 during the Ashton centenary and is a solo for Zenaida Yanowsky set to Handel’s beautiful aria Per te lasciai luce from the cantata Amoroso Delirium. 
• Simon Elliot’s Falling Deep Inside, a multimedia commission accompanied by live singing from the Birmingham-based Godiva Awakes Choir. 
• Edwaard Liang’s Sight Unseen, created in 2006 for Hubbard Street 2 in Chicago, and Hand Duets with George Cespédes & Carlos Acosta, a commission from George Cespédes – nominated for an Olivier Award 2011 for his work with Danza Contemporanea de Cuba – to a score by Cuban composer Omar Puente. 
• Morton Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium sees Zenaida and Carlos perform together with the Godiva Awakes Choir. 

Birmingham Hippodrome is particularly delighted to be one of only three UK venues to be presenting Carlos Acosta’s Premieres Plus.  His performances here in Tocororo in 2004 and last year with Ballet Nacional de Cuba (part of International Dance Festival Birmingham 2010) were hugely successful, and Premieres Plus promises to be a major dance highlight for 2011.

>> WIN tickets to see Carlos Acosta in Birmingham here <<

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Premieres Plus is showing at Birmingham Hippodrome between Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 August 2011, at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced £16-£45 and are available online at www.birminghamhippodrome.com or telephone 0844 338 5000.  Performance times 7.30pm. 

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