Leicester will for the fifth year play host to Serendipity’s Let’s Dance International Frontiers between 29th April – 18th May.
The international dancing event is set to showcase local, national, and international work over ten days. LDIF aims to raise the profile of dance throughout Leicester by offering a range of performances that reflect the diversity of the city and to give opportunities to new, emerging talent. The festival will be welcoming 100 artists and many of their supporters to Leicester from all around the world.
Artistic Director of Serendipity Pawlet Brookes comments on the benefit that LDIF will bring to the city, “Leicester is a young city and we are attracting people here that invest in [Leicester’s] cultural histories. The festival gives an opportunity for high quality professionals to show case their talents as well as the emerging artist.”
LDIF launches on Wednesday 29th April at The City Rooms in Leicester, where Serendipity opens the festival celebrating International Day of Dance. The headlining act for the festival opener is Maya Taylor, a contemporary dancer and choreographer who is currently rehearsal director for Marigny Opera House Dance Company in New Orleans.
There are multiple shows dotted around the city during the festival in various venues; The Curve, City Rooms, Guildhall, Phoenix Cinema, Embrace Arts, and Studio 79. Stand out acts that are returning to the event this year are Signature and Autograph which are two programmes that look at the development of an artist, along with Biography which is a new programme introduced this year. The three programmes will be showcasing their students at The Curve and Guild Hall between 8th May -13th May.
“People need to come and see ‘Abraham in motion’ of which is based on the work of Souls of Black Folk and Boys in the Hood; the act is a display of energy between Urban Dance and Contemporary” said Pawlet.
Autograph, in association with Dance4, is a showcase of work from selected previous participants of the Signatures programme. The artists in the programme were all chosen from last year’s performers, and have had the opportunity to develop their work and ideas further under the guidance of Serendipity and Dance4. This year, Autograph are welcoming back last year’s performer Chad Taylor to the evening with his performance of ‘Persistence’; an illustrative piece that combines hip hop and humour to express social, political, and environmental issues.
Biography, a new commission celebrating the careers of established choreographers and dancers will be collaborating with Brenda Edwards and Jackie Guy to bring a spiritual dance of contemporary and Caribbean dance styles.
LDIF will close the festivities on 18th May with ‘Blurring Boundaries’ which is a conference that implores open discussion to explore the current state of hip hop and urban dance in theatres and the fading boundaries between genres of dance. The conference welcomes practitioners and researchers to De Montfort University at 9:30 am for a morning of performances, discussion, and open debate.
When asked how Lets Dance International Frontiers is different from other dance festivals Pawlet said: “What makes us stand out is our investment in young people and our investment in new work; the fact that we collaborate the rich diversity in the UK and beyond.”
For more information on the festival and a full list of the acts during the ten days visit the website: www.ldif.co.uk
