Blending a cappella singing with expressive movement, Gesualdo Passione is a modern creation inspired by 17th century composer Carlo Gesualdo’s work, by choreographer Amala Dianor and Les Arts Florissants, conducted by Paul Agnew.
In this story of suffering and love, the body is central. Amala Dianor’s choreography seamlessly blends classical, modern and hip hop movement vocabularies, mirroring the contrast within the music. Six singers from Les Arts Florissants and four dancers from Compagnie Amala Dianor unite past and present in this unique stage creation.
Dance Umbrella audiences will remember Amala’s critically acclaimed past creations – Emaphakathini, commissioned by South African company Via Katlehong in 2023 at Sadler’s Wells, and before that presented his own company’s work somewhere in the middle of infinity in 2019 as part of a mixed bill of works at the Linbury Theatre at Royal Opera House.
£10 tickets
At Dance Umbrella we understand that cost can be a barrier, so we’ve made a limited number of £10 tickets available for every Dance Umbrella show.
To access £10 tickets, click here.
-
Amala Dianor
Choreographer & Dancer
Credit Jérome Bonnet
Amala Dianor (he/him)
Choreographer & Dancer
Dakar (Senegal) / Angers (France)
Previous Dance Umbrella credits: Emaphakathini, part of Via Injabulo with Via Katlehong (2023, Sadler’s Wells); somewhere in the middle of infinity, part of DU: The Future Bursts In (2019, Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House)
Amala Dianor, a self-taught hip hop dancer, trained at the Centre National de Danse Contemporaine d’Angers, graduating in 2002.
Amala Dianor, a self-taught hip hop dancer, trained at the Centre National de Danse Contemporaine d’Angers, graduating in 2002. For a decade, he performed across various styles before founding his company in 2012 after winning two prizes at the 2011 Reconnaissance competition for his debut choreography, Crossroad.
Known for his elegant and fluid style, Dianor blends different movement techniques, stripping them of spectacle to focus on raw expression. His work fosters dialogue between art forms, collaborating with musicians, visual artists, actors and writers. Since 2014, he has worked closely with electro-soul composer Awir Leon.
In 2021, he co-created CinéDanse, a collection of short dance films, and in 2022, he was selected by the Big Pulse Dance Alliance. That year, he also presented Siguifin, showcasing West African artists, and choreographed for South Africa’s Via Katlehong. His 2023 works include Love You, Drink Water, a filmed dance concert, and DUB, a large-scale piece for 11 dancers.
With 21 works and six short films in his repertoire, his company tours internationally. Honoured with the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2019 and promoted to Officer in 2024, Dianor remains a prolific force in contemporary dance.
-
Paul Agnew
Tenor and Conductor
Credit William Beaucardet
Paul Agnew (he/him)
Tenor and Conductor
Glasgow (UK)
British tenor and conductor Paul Agnew is internationally renowned as both a performer and teacher.
British tenor and conductor Paul Agnew is internationally renowned as both a performer and teacher. A specialist in 17th- and 18th-century music, he is the leading interpreter of high-tenor roles in the French Baroque repertoire. After studying at Magdalen College, Oxford, he met William Christie in 1992, becoming a close collaborator with Les Arts Florissants while also working with conductors such as Marc Minkowski, Ton Koopman, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Emmanuelle Haïm.
In 2007, Agnew began conducting for Les Arts Florissants, leading a complete cycle of Monteverdi’s madrigals (2011–2015), which earned a Gramophone Award in 2016. He has since directed productions including Rameau’s Platée (Opéra Comique, Lincoln Center) and Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo. Artistic director of the Festival de Printemps – Les Arts Florissants since 2017, he also co-directs Le Jardin des Voix, mentoring young singers.
As a guest conductor, Agnew has led ensembles including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Recent projects include Bach, A Life in Music, Messiah and The Fairy Queen. In the 2024–25 season, he will conduct Jephte and Resurrezione, continuing his work in Baroque masterworks.
Cast & Creative +
- Paul Agnew
Musical Direction - Amala Dianor assisted by Alicia Sebia Gomis
Choreography - Xavier Lazarini
Lighting - Hannah Morrison, soprano; Miriam Allan, soprano; Melodie Ruvio, contralto; Sean Clayton, tenor; Edward Grint, bass
Singers from Les Arts Florissants - Damiano Bigi, Dexter Bravo, Clément Nikiema, Elena Thomas
Dancers from the Amala Dianor Company
Credits +
Production
Dance delegated production
Kaplan / Amala Dianor Company – subsidized by the State-DRAC Pays de la Loire and the City of Angers. The Amala Dianor Company is regularly supported in its projects by the Institut Français and ONDA. The company has been supported by the BNP Paribas Foundation since 2020.
Singing delegated production
Les Arts Florissants
Coproducers
Philharmonie de Paris; Le Volcan, National Stage of Le Havre; Les Nuits de Fourvière – International Festival of the Lyon Metropolitan Area; MC2-Grenoble
Venue & Access +
Venue
Address
Access information
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS
The Barbican Hall is located within the main Barbican building. Head to Level G and follow the signs to find your seating level.
Mobility
Spaces for wheelchair users in row U at the rear of the stalls (up to sixteen, depth of row 180cm) and the back row of the circle (four), both with fold-down companion seats. Some seats in row S of the stalls for people with very limited mobility.
Assistance Dogs
Assistance dogs may be taken into the concert hall where there are a limited number of suitable seats in row G of the stalls. If you prefer, you may leave your dog with a member of the cloakroom staff during the performance.
Hearing facility
There is an induction loop in the concert hall. You can use this by adjusting your hearing aid to the ‘T’ setting.
For more access information, please visit the Barbican website.
You might also like ...
2 Oct - 30 Nov 2025
DigitalAmala Dianor Company & Grégoire Korganow Nioun Rec
A film blending urban, contemporary and African dance in a modernist architectural masterpiece
8 - 9 Oct 2025
Live performance
Barbican Pit
Lilian Steiner & María del Mar Suárez/La Chachi Change Tempo
Double bill featuring a solo that plays with seduction & illusion, and a raw, electric flamenco duet
2 - 3 Oct 2025
Live performance
Sadler's Wells East
Andrea Peña & Artists BOGOTÁ
A brutalist landscape with movement inspired by Colombia’s political and spiritual heritage