This autumn, Sadler’s Wells presents the UK premiere of Emanuel Gat’s FIVE DAYS IN THE SUN, running Tuesday 3 – Wednesday 4 November. This new work set to the music of Gustav Mahler marks a significant chapter in the choreographer’s 30-year career.
At the start of 2026, he formed a new company of 12 international dancers based in Marseille, bringing together artists from Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Israel and Belgium who have developed this new work together.
FIVE DAYS IN THE SUN moves from darkness to light, despair to joy, and tension to release. Across five acts, the dancers navigate a layered choreographic voyage, tracing ideas of transformation, resilience and catharsis. Distinctly human, the piece reflects Gat’s ongoing exploration of the performer’s presence, with dancers remaining acutely aware of themselves on stage and the emotional resonance generated through movement.
The performance is set to Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, which was composed 125 years ago. One of his most celebrated works, the symphony was written following a near-death experience and his whirlwind romance with Alma Schindler. This encounter with mortality and love shapes the emotional landscape of the score, which in turn underpins the journey of the performance.
Following the success of LOVETRAIN2020 at Sadler’s Wells in 2023, Gat returns with FIVE DAYS IN THE SUN, a new work which premiered at Montpellier Danse before touring internationally, including a presentation at the Biennale di Venezia.
Emanuel Gat said, “FIVE DAYS IN THE SUN is all about the fleeting experience it offers. Like life, there’s no specific meaning to look for beyond the possibility of maybe accessing, even if for just a brief moment, the full experience of things happening and time passing. It opens up a space where the experience of life itself is amplified and shared between dancers and audiences.”
Born in Israel in 1969, Emanuel Gat began dancing at age 23 and became an independent choreographer in 1994. He founded Emanuel Gat Dance in 2004 and has since created a diverse repertoire of works presented at leading dance venues and festivals worldwide. His work includes the Bessie Award-winning The Rite of Spring, which was presented at Lincoln Center Festival in New York in 2006. Gat has also created works for companies including Paris Opera Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, Staatsballett Berlin and Scottish Dance Theatre. In addition to choreography, he designs the lighting for his works and has developed a photographic practice, presenting installations alongside his stage work.
Five Days in the Sun by Emanuel Gat Dance will be presented at Sadler’s Wells, EC1, on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 November 2026. Tickets start at £15 and are available at www.sadlerswells.com.
