Richard Alston Dance Company

The genius of Richard Alston has graced the stage for nearly five decades, and the dance world has been following his music and steps all along the way. Often seeming “out of touch,” he has revitalized his dance company with the introduction of Chacony.

The medium-sized dance company, formed in 1994, follows Chacony starting in 1945. The backstory of the show lends to the show’s dance-theatre appeal. The story begins with Benjamin Britten touring Germany.

Britten put on performances for the survivors in concentration camps and was unable to talk about the horrors he saw for years.

Chacony is a response to Britten’s String Quartet No. 2, which is a musical peace that he wrote as homage to Henry Purcell.

Chacony is the company’s main attraction this year, with Alston wanting to make a dance to the music to show the resilience of the human spirit.

The Richard Alston Dance Company is also performing several other shows this year, with key shows including:

• Carnaval: A work inspired by Schumann’s music, Carnaval offers brilliant piano pieces that are designed to encompass the complexity of Schumann’s personality. Fonti Dimou, an award-winning designer, makes all of the performance’s vibrant costumes.
• Gypsy Mixture: A show dedicated to the traveling people of the world. The show features music from Electric Gypsyland and costumes by Peter Todd. The performance includes ancient dance from India Spain and Morocco.
• Madea: Featuring an ancient Greek legend, Madea is about passion and revenge. The performance follows a stranger in a strange land that is angry and mad at their circumstances. Madea transports the viewers from ancient Greece into Europe to provide a complex performance.
• Outlands: Contemporary dance is the key behind the Outlands performance which is commissioned by the 2Faced Dance Company. Outlands is a one-off program that features work from the UK and India. The show melds cultural ties between the UK and India in a cultural dance event to remember.
• Until We Stand: A city divided, Until We Stand is all about rebuilding. The work features 45 dancers that are tasked with exploring community in a deep story that is surrounded by grieving, rebuilding and survival.

Richard Alston Dance Company is a premiere dance company that often features one-time performances and new works by several other companies. The company has numerous shows in December to celebrate the Christmas holiday.

Alston’s instinctive musicality shines in every performance, with his musical genius at the forefront of a majority of the company’s performances.