On this hallucinatory rollercoaster you’ll be swept along by the intense emotions and collective euphoria of a committed party crowd, their innermost selves laid bare through intoxicating movement.
To the pulsating ebbs and flows of a techno-trance soundtrack, 15 mud-splattered individuals dance with articulate and stylised precision. Ritualistic scenes are slowed down to reveal moments of love, violence, intimacy and aversion amid exhilarating shifts in rhythm and pace.
Drawing on her own experiences in Berlin, Gisèle Vienne expertly harnesses the undulating, stuttering, liquid physicality of the club scene to magnify the interactions of a group of revellers. This trippy slice of life opened Dance Umbrella 2019 and represented a debut at Sadler’s Wells for the French choreographer, director and visual artist.
Nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Dance at the 2020 Olivier Awards.
Presented by Dance Umbrella in partnership with Sadler’s Wells
Supported by the Institut français as part of FranceDance UK
“A dazzling piece, transfixing and strangely resonant”
Gallery +
Photos: Estelle Hanania
Creative team & performers +
Creative team
- Gisèle Vienne
Conception, Choreography & Scenography - Anja Röttgerkamp and Nuria Guiu Sagarra
Assistants to Gisèle Vienne - Underground Resistance, KTL, Vapour Space, DJ Rolando, Drexciya, The Martian, Choice, Jeff Mills, Peter Rehberg, Manuel Göttsching, Sun Electric and Global Communication
Music - Peter Rehberg
Edits, playlist selection - Stephen O’Malley
Sound Diffusion Supervisor - Adrien Michel
Sound Engineer - Patrick Riou
Lighting Designer - Gisèle Vienne in collaboration with Camille Queval and the performers
Costumes - Richard Pierre
Technical Manager - Antoine Hordé
Stage Manager - Arnaud Lavisse
Light Manager - Gisèle Vienne and Denis Cooper
Dramaturgy - Margret Sara Guðjónsdóttir and Louise Bentkowski
Special Thanks
Dancers
- Philip Berlin, Marine Chesnais, Sylvain Decloitre, Sophie Demeyer, Vincent Dupuy, Massimo Fusco, Rehin Hollant, Georges Labbat, Oskar Landström, Theo Livesey, Louise Perming, Katia Petrowick, Jonathan Schatz, Henrietta Wallberg and Tyra Wigg
Performers
Awards & Nominations +
Olivier Awards 2020
Outstanding achievement in dance (nominated)
Gisèle Vienne for her choreography of Crowd, presented by Dance Umbrella at Sadler’s Wells
National Dance Awards 2020
Best Modern Choreography (nominated)
Gisèle Vienne for Crowd
Press +
Nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Dance at the 2020 Olivier Awards
“A dazzling piece, transfixing and strangely resonant”
★★★★ The Guardian
“Bold, visually arresting dance designed with cinematic flair”
★★★★ The Stage
“You have to marvel at the skill and precision of the dancers”
★★★★ Dance Tabs
Credits +
Presented by Dance Umbrella in partnership with Sadler’s Wells
Supported by the Institut Français as part of FranceDance UK
FranceDance UK, presented by the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, is aunique contemporary dance festival running from August to November 2019, during which 16 leading institutions throughout the UK will host over 50 performances by 14 young and promising French artists. With a focus on creation and innovation, the festival particularly highlights diversity and the work of women choreographers, many of whom are present in the UKfor the first time.
FranceDance UK is supported by the Friends of the French Institute Trust, with particular acknowledgement to Aline Foriel-Destezet and Stéphanie and Jacques Gabillon.
The Company Gisèle Vienne is supported by Ministère de la culture et de la communication – DRAC Grand Est, la Région Grand Est and Ville de Strasbourg
The company is supported by Institut Français for international touring
Gisèle Vienne is associate artist at the Nanterre-Amandiers, centre dramatique national and at the Théâtre National de Bretagne, Direction Arthur Nauzyciel
Coproducers Nanterre-Amandiers, centre dramatique national / Maillon, Théâtre de Strasbourg – Scène européenne / Wiener Festwochen / manège, scène nationale – reims / Théâtre national de Bretagne, direction Arthur Nauzyciel / Centre Dramatique National Orléans/Loiret/Centre / La Filature, Scène nationale – Mulhouse / BIT Teatergarasjen, Bergen
Support CCN2 – Centre Chorégraphique national de Grenoble / CND Centre national de la danse
Venue and access information +
Venue
Address
Rosebery Avenue
Clerkenwell
London EC1R 4TN
Sadler’s Wells has been located in Islington, near Angel, since 1683. The site has two theatres; Sadler’s Wells Theatre and the Lilian Baylis Studio.
Getting there
By Bus
Numbers 19, 38 and 341 travel from the West End to the theatre’s own bus stop. Many buses travel from Waterloo, Liverpool Street, Euston and Kings Cross stations to the Angel.
By Tube
Angel (Northern Line City Branch) is a 250-metre walk from Sadler’s Wells. Trains run every few minutes northbound to Kings Cross and Euston, and southbound to Bank and London Bridge.
By Bike
There are plenty of bike racks outside and opposite the theatre. There are several Cycle Hire stations within 5 minutes walk.
By Car
There are no turns into St. John St from Pentonville, City and Goswell Roads. The easiest route is from Pentonville Road into the west side of Claremont Square and down Amwell Street.
Access information
Sadler’s Wells commits to making their spaces and artistic programme accessible.
Visit Sadler’s Wells website for detailed access information.
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If It Were Love A Documentary by Patric Chiha. Based on Gisèle Vienne’s Crowd
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