Acosta Dance Foundation (ADF) will present a special showcase of three diverse works performed by Acosta Advanced Training Hub dancers on 24 October at 7:30 pm at South East London’s Woolwich Works in Royal Arsenal.
Acosta Advanced Training Hub (AATH) is the only pre-professional ballet programme in the UK that offers up to 10 free places. The October showcase – First Call – is one of a number of important public performance opportunities for AATH dancers who are laying the foundations for professional dance careers.
The First Call programme comprises three spectacular pieces, including classical, contemporary and a Cuban twist, giving the dancers the opportunity to venture into unique territories with their technical training.
The dancers will captivate audiences with excerpts from Carlos Acosta’s passionate 2024 adaptation of the classical Carmen, including the iconic tavern scene. This is a unique opportunity to bring to life a piece from Carlos’ celebrated repertoire, which forms an essential part of ADF’s training programme.
London-based New Zealand choreographer, dancer and movement director Cameron McMillan’s contemporary work, Constellations, sees shifting constellations falling in and out of the orbits of ideas and relationships. The dynamic and highly physical piece explores the myriad connections that can be traced between the points between people’s bodies, identities and histories.
First Call will also include the world premiere of a new classical work, In Line, by Acosta Advanced Training Hub’s Artistic Lead and former Royal Ballet dancer and choreographer, Ludovic Ondiviela. In Line brings the electric energy of an audition to a classical ballet piece.
Acosta Dance Foundation Managing Director Javier Torres says, “Our October showcase, performed by our new cohort of AATH dancers, offers a unique opportunity to see the breadth of emerging talent we nurture at the Acosta Dance Centre. The programme spans the classical and contemporary repertoire, challenging our dancers in unique and imaginative ways. The three pieces were selected to push our dancers beyond their comfort zones, encourage creative risk-taking, and celebrate both their individuality and their unity as an ensemble. This performance is a milestone in a year-long journey that reflects our commitment to excellence, diversity, and the artistic growth of every dancer.”
The Showcase has been curated by Ondiviela, who will be working alongside Aydmara Cabrera, recently appointed ADF’s Head of Training Programmes. Cabrera joins the Foundation from her role as School Director at Princeton Ballet School. She began her ballet studies at the National Ballet School in Havana before embarking on a professional dance career which has included international ballet festivals and worldwide tours, as well as performing lead roles in all classical and contemporary ballets with the National Ballet of Cuba and Ballet Hispanico of New York. She founded her own school in Miami and, synergistic with Acosta Dance Foundation’s philosophy, has developed a training curriculum that incorporates her Cuban roots.
First Call is a one-night only showcase. Tickets will be on sale soon, via the Acosta Dance Foundation and Acosta Dance Centre websites.
