When Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu walked into a New York nightclub in 2008, she froze. Locals were dancing with such carefree confidence that the professional choreographer’s own self-belief was immediately zapped. She cowered against a wall alone until one unrelenting regular ushered her into a crowd of ravers, who applauded as she twirled. “They were just boosting me up,” she says. “I felt like Janet Jackson. And then I danced the whole night.”
Now Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s work based on the encounter, Our Mighty Groove, which incorporates the choreographer’s blend of club styles – house, waacking and vogue – as well as African and contemporary dance, will serve as the inaugural show at Sadler’s Wells’ new powerhouse dance theatre: Sadler’s Wells East, opening this February.
The theatre, backdropped by West Ham’s London Stadium in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is part of the £1.1bn East Bank development. Neighbours include BBC Music Studios, London College of Fashion, UAL, University College London East and V&A East, and the purpose-built dance space features six breezy studios, an elegant 550-seat auditorium, two Eva Rothschild tapestries, and a cafe-side dance stage for community classes.
“Sadler’s Wells East is part of the regeneration of this part of London – the Olympic legacy still living on,” says Sadler’s Wells executive director Britannia Morton. “We are very focused on making sure that we’re providing a facility for local people,” she adds, standing opposite the theatre’s beckoning neon “You Are Welcome” sign.
The new theatre will host national and international dance companies that haven’t had a place to perform in London before. First season highlights include an adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel Inside Giovanni’s Room by Leeds-based company Phoenix Dance Theatre. “There aren’t many buildings that are purpose-made for dance,” says Morton. “It’s really important that dance gets the infrastructure to create the best work – and we think this is it.”
A “flexible” auditorium, Sadler’s Wells East’s main space can be transformed into a skatepark, club dancefloor, photography studio or – in Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s case – an immersive rave. In Our Mighty Groove’s second act, the lower-level rows of seating fold out of sight to make way for audience members to join in the dance performance and groove themselves. “It’s a space where you can just thrive being yourself,” says cast member Dani Harris-Walters. “And I’m gonna advise everyone to bring a spare top,” he jokes of the sweat-filled evenings ahead.
Following the request of Sadler’s Wells’ artistic director Sir Alistair Spalding, Our Mighty Groove is performed by a community cast from East London alongside professional dancers from Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s company, Uchenna. “For me, it made total sense,” reflects the choreographer. “This group is around that age range where they’re too old to be classed as youth per se, but they haven’t had enough experience to really feel professional… I’m very much working with them in a way where they’re an artist too,” she adds. “I care about what they think.”
Sadler’s Wells East is as much about getting emerging dancers on stage as it is showcasing professional companies. The theatre is home to the UK’s first hip-hop school, Academy Breakin’ Convention, for 16-19-year-olds. Rose Choreographic School, which supports artists as they work on research projects with supervision from choreographers like Alesandra Seutin and William Forsythe, is also housed here.
Ultimately, Igbokwe-Ozoagu has the same goal as the new Sadler’s theatre with her work: to get people moving. “There’s so much craziness in the world,” she says. “Whatever I put out, I hope it brings joy to someone and encourages each person that’s touched by it to find more joy… I just want the audience to have a good time and be on the edge of their feet.”
‘Our Mighty Groove’ opens at Sadler’s Wells East on 6 February. 20,000 tickets are available for £25 or under, as well as £10 Barclays Dance Pass tickets for 16-30-year-olds for every performance.
