Sadler’s Wells provides update on digital festival Dancing Nation

Photo credit: Emma Kauldhar

Sadler’s Wells, in partnership with BBC Arts, have today provided an update on their upcoming all-day digital festival Dancing Nation, following on from the new restrictions put into place earlier this week. 

Dancing Nation was originally intended to be broadcast on 14 January but will now take place on 28 January, in order for the broadcast to be compliant with new coronavirus guidelines. It will be available to UK viewers via BBC iPlayer and to audiences worldwide via the Sadler’s Wells website, with all performances and interviews captured in advance and shared as three fully pre-recorded programmes. This change to the original plans allows all staff and artists to work safely with current guidelines. 

The programmes include big-name dancers and choreographers alongside up and coming talents in ballet, contemporary and hip-hop dance styles, performing throughout Sadler’s Wells; on its stages, studios and foyer spaces in a ‘take-over’ of the famous building. It will be available in three hour-long programmes with each episode hosted by BBC presenter Brenda Emmanus. Each episode will be available for 30 days, followed by a 90-minute highlights programme that will be available for 12 months. Full programme details for each episode will be released at a later date ahead of the event, along with timings for each episode. 

Highlights of the planned programming include Matthew Bourne’s early piece Spitfire, two of the world’s most celebrated dancers Akram Khan and Natalia Osipova (performing together for the first time), Birmingham Royal Ballet’s recent work Lazuli Sky and Oona Doherty’s award-winning dance-theatre tour de force Hope Hunt & the Ascension into Lazarus among many other performances. 

Dancing Nation is part of BBC Arts Culture in Quarantine, a virtual celebration of the arts rooted in the experience of the national lockdown, supporting the UK creative sector during the pandemic and providing access to arts for all. 

For more information, please click here.