It's time to start filling out that brand new calendar – and we've got just the thing.
After yet another year of outstanding attitudes and arabesques, London's stages are readying themselves for a new thundering of dancing shoes. The best of ballet and contemporary in the capital brings tributes to Isadora Duncan and Jacqueline du Pré, as well as fantastical journeys into unknown lands.
Here are our top picks for the dance shows you shouldn't be missing in 2020.
Aisha and Abhaya, Royal Ballet and Rambert
Aisha and Abhaya are sisters in a fantasy world, with dangers not too dissimilar to our own. They’re in search of refuge in this co-production between the Royal Ballet and Rambert, created by director Kibwe Tavares with choreography by Sharon Eyal.
January 21-February 9, Royal Opera House, roh.org.uk
Message in a Bottle
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie choreographer Kate Prince has sculpted Sting’s musical catalogue into a new dance show. Songs such as Roxanne, Every Breath You Take, Fields of Gold and Shape of My Heart feature in this story of hope as three parted siblings have their own adventures.
February 6-March 21, the Peacock, peacocktheatre.com
The Cellist / Dances at a Gathering
Cathy Marston choreographs her first work for the Opera House’s main stage in this double bill: The Cellist is inspired by virtuoso musician Jacqueline du Pré. the second piece, Dances at a Gathering is set to Chopin's music, as five couples dance Jerome Robbins’s movements.
February 17-March 4, Royal Opera House, roh.org.uk
Alina Cojucaru
Lead principal dancer of the English National Ballet, Romanian ballerina Alina Cojucaru will be joined on the Sadler’s Wells stage by some special guests, including Danish ballet star John Kobborg. They will be dancing newly choreographed pieces as well as the classics – Sir Frederick Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand is among them.
February 20-23, Sadler’s Wells, sadlerswells.com
Isadora Now, Viviana Durante Company
Viviana Durante makes her first solo appearance for a decade in this tribute to American dancer Isadora Duncan. Her rarely-seen piece Dance of the Furies will be performed as the opening number, showing the sort of daring not appreciated from female dancers when it was created in 1905.
February 21-19, Barbican, barbican.org.uk
Swan Lake, Royal Ballet
The Royal Ballet’s new production of Swan Lake made waves when it debuted in 2018 (the Standard gave it a five star review: “nothing short of a triumph”), and now it’s back. Liam Scarlett adds choreography to Marius Petipa’s in what is one of the most loved classical ballets.
March 5-May 16, Royal Opera House, roh.org.uk
Kaash, Akram Khan Company
Akram Khan is back at the Southbank Centre after 18 years with his company’s first ever full length production. The piece was created in 2002 in collaboration with artist Anish Kapoor and composer Nitin Sawhney.
May 22-25, Southbank Centre, southbankcentre.co.uk
DROWNTOWN, Rhiannon Faith Company
Rhiannon Faith’s 2018 piece Smack That shone a light on domestic abuse. Her new work DROWNTOWN is holding up a mirror to a society on the edge. It’s a dance theatre piece, containing autobiographical testimony as well as movement, as six strangers go to a coastal land and have nothing but each other to rely on.
June 30-July 4, Barbican, barbican.org.uk
