The Place

The Place’s 40th anniversary celebrations kick off on Fri 11 and Sat 12 September with Taste The Place, a weekend of free dance classes in a huge range styles: from ballet to Bharatanatyam, ballroom to break-dancing. Over 1,000 people will take part, with classes for all ages and experience levels led by artists and teachers from The Place and other organisations and companies with whom we work closely.

Throughout the year, key figures from The Place’s history will contribute to exhibitions, interviews, debates and master classes, sharing their experience of what dance can do. A new website – whatdancecando.com – will be live from September, presenting this work online, and give the public the chance to join the discussion, adding their own thoughts and reflections about dance and The Place.

The Place’s legacy of presenting distinctive and memorable dance works will be reflected in the repertoire for Richard Alston Dance Company’s tours of the UK and US, and the autumn and spring programmes for The Place’s Robin Howard Dance Theatre. This inheritance will also be acknowledged in the performance work presented by students of London Contemporary Dance School and The Place’s youth dancers during the year and in the recreational courses for adults for Easter 2010.

From 15-23 May 2010, a series of specially created performances and events will feature leading figures from The Place’s history and select groups of independent dance artists and young people. Throwing new light on the development of contemporary dance in the UK, and offering new insight into The Place’s work today, the series aims to inspire audiences and artists about what dance may do in the future.

The Place’s anniversary celebrations will conclude with end-of-year performances by its graduating students and young dancers, and by hosting (with the University of Surrey) the annual international conference of the Society of Dance History Scholars.

Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp, Chief Executive of The Place, said:
“The Place’s 40th anniversary is a chance to celebrate four decades of outstanding, pioneering work in dance. It’s an occasion to look back at the growth of contemporary dance in this country, in which The Place has played such a vital role. It’s also a time to think about the future, about what can dance do for everyone. We hope to engage and inspire a renewed dance community to take the art form forward for the next 40 years.”

More details about events and initiatives celebrating The Place’s 40th anniversary will be released in the lead up to the programme commencing in September 2009.

For further information contact:
Tim Wood, Director of Communications 020 7121 1021

Farah Lyner, Press Manager  020 7121 1025 

EDITORS’ NOTE

For forty years, The Place has explored what dance can do: engaging with audiences and participants, championing the best ideas, and creating inspiring conditions for artists and enthusiasts to realise their potential. The Place combines London Contemporary Dance School, Richard Alston Dance Company and the Robin Howard Dance Theatre, together with pioneering learning, outreach, recreation and professional development projects. Our approaches to participation, education, creation and performance inform each other, respond to today’s world, and embrace risks. Our goals for the future build on the achievements of our history: to transform and enrich lives, to continue to create the future of dance.