Forest Revived
By Alison Kirkman for Dancing Times

In 1994 Britain's first and largest contemporary dance company, London Contemporary Dance Theatre, lost its Arts Council funding and was forced to shut down. It is an event many in the dance world regard as unforgivable. With it, literally hundreds of works were put to rest, never again to see the light of day...until now.

Phoenix Dance Theatre, whose Artistic Director, Darshan Singh Bhuller, trained with London Contemporary and was a member of the company for 15 years, will present the revived Forest, choreographed by Robert Cohan, to coincide with Cohan's 80th birthday next month.

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<small>[ 10 February 2005, 12:43 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

press release


"See Blue Through" by Phoenix Dance, choreography by Didy Veldman
Image by Anthony Crickmay

Phoenix Dance Theatre proudly presents

inter vivos

‘A gift from one living being to another, often of different generations’

PHOENIX DANCE THEATRE
UK Tour Spring 2005 - 9 Feb to 14 June

Phoenix Dance Theatre returns to the national touring circuit in Spring 2005 with a fresh and powerful triple bill spanning three decades of dance. The tour premieres on 9 February at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds. The company will tour to fifteen venues including Sadler’s Wells in London on 18 & 19 March.

Alongside the incisive new work, "Eng-er-land" by Phoenix Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Darshan Singh Bhuller, the triple bill also features the UK premiere of "See Blue Through" from former Rambert dancer and choreographer Didy Veldman and the revival premiere of Robert Cohan’s 1977 landmark work, "Forest".

Robert Cohan’s seminal work "Forest", is a contemporary classic. By turns meditative and explosively energetic, this abstract dance work was created in 1977 and is set to a soundtrack that evokes a forest environment. Robert Cohan is credited as one of the founding fathers of British modern dance; he co-founded The Place and London Contemporary Dance Theatre and was a former dancer with Martha Graham. This Phoenix revival of Forest has been timed to celebrate Robert Cohan’s 80th Birthday and he will work very closely with seven Phoenix dancers on its re-staging.

Following the emotionally charged "Planted Seeds" and "Requiem" by Artistic Director, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Phoenix presents "Eng-er-land", his latest theatrical dance work, based on contemporary urban culture. Performed against the backdrop of a computer-generated, virtual city, the performers interact with further multi-media projections, both created by KMA. A soundtrack containing original and sampled music, produced and mixed by young British DJ Max Blessed provides the pulse for Darshan Singh Bhuller’s exposé of the UK’s binge culture.

The UK premiere of Didy Veldman’s otherworldly "See Blue Through" completes the Phoenix Dance Theatre Spring 2005 triple-bill. See Blue Through is a piece for seven dancers and is inspired by the movement of sea creatures through an underwater world. Flashes of movement are reflected in an array of suspended mirrors, evoking the broken surface of the sea.

Spring 2005 Tour Schedule

9 – 12 Feb West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds 0113 213 7700

18 – 19 Mar Sadler’s Wells, London 0870 737 7737

30 March Southend Cliffs Pavilion 01702 351135

8 – 9 April The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury 01227 787787

13 April The Lowry, Salford 0870 787 5793

Wed 20 April Island Arts Centre, Lisburn 028 92 509 254
(Earthquake Festival)

Fri 22 April Market Place Theatre, Armagh 028 3752 1821
(Earthquake Festival)

29 – 30 April Nottingham Playhouse 0115 941 9419

5 May Grand Theatre, Swansea 01792 475715

13 – 14 May York Theatre Royal 01904 623568

17 – 18 May Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield 01484 430528

24 May Macrobert, University of Stirling 01786 466666

26 May Eden Court, Inverness 01463 234234

7 June The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham 01242 572573

10 – 11 June Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield 0114 249 6000

14 June Wyvern Theatre, Swindon 01793 524 481

Further UK dates will be announced for Autumn 2005.

www.phoenixdancetheatre.co.uk

<small>[ 10 February 2005, 06:40 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Phoenix
By Donald Hutera for The Times


THE umbrella title of Darshan Singh Bhuller’s third mixed bill as artistic director of Phoenix Dance Company, Inter Vivos, translates from the Latin as “between lives”. In part this refers to Bhuller’s regard for his mentor, Robert Cohan.

Four decades ago the American-born choreographer, 80 this year, became one of the chief architects of British modern dance as co-founder of London Contemporary Dance School and Theatre and its adjacent venue, The Place.

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<small>[ 15 February 2005, 05:03 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Phoenix Dance Theatre
By David Dougill in The Sunday Times

As the centrepiece, it is lovely to see again a memorable work from the great days of London Contemporary Dance Theatre (long gone, sadly, but Bhuller was one of its stars): Robert Cohan’s Forest, of 1977. Such eloquent choreography, calm in mood, with an air of magic and mystery. Brian Hodgson’s accompaniment of natural sounds — wind, rain, thunder, distant bird, animal, insect noises — and Norberto Chiesa’s dappled costumes locate us in a sheltered world where elegant creatures skip, bound, pause, listen.

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<small>[ 20 February 2005, 01:35 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Inter Vovos
By Kevin Berry for The Stage

The inclusion of Robert Cohan’s Forest, his seminal work from 1977, in Phoenix Dance Theatre’s touring triple bill Inter Vovos has aroused much interest. It was the idea of the company’s artistic director Darshan Singh Bhuller and dance enthusiasts will want to thank him.

Forest is fresh and exciting and timeless. The dancers create moments of peace, beauty and quiet intensity with a score of shimmering natural sounds. The sounds follow the dancers’ movements. Tiia Ourila’s solos are exquisitely paced and sweetly drawn. Her duet with Yann Seabra is outstanding.

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I tried to book tickets for next Saturday night's performance on Sadlers website. It is showing sold out! There does appear to be tickets available on the Friday but I particularly wanted to go on the Saturday. Anyone know of any other place offering tickets?

I'd check with the Box Office, cf. Phoenix don't usually sell out at Sadler's - it will be a great sign for the future of the art form if it is sold out.

Inter Vivos
By Graham Williams for The Stage


In contemporary dance circles, Phoenix Dance Theatre - helmed by artistic director Darsan Singh Buller - is renowned not only for its diversity but also for its unerring ability to capture the imagination of those to whom the genre might otherwise seem challenging and difficult.

This thrilling and totally absorbing triple bill comprises works that differ wildly from each other and which serve to demonstrate the extremes to which the vocabulary of dance can be stretched in the hands of those whose passion and energy enable them to establish an immediate rapport with the audience.

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