This month sees the first performances at Sadler’s Wells East, a brand-new cultural venue in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The new venue features a 550-seat auditorium, six state-of-the-art dance studios and a public performance space for free shows.
It will be home to the Rose Choreographic School and Academy Breakin’ Convention, a new school for talented 16-19 year olds, dedicated to hip hop theatre.
The action kicked off with Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu's immersive dance production Our Mighty Groove, in which a community cast of young dancers from east London joined Vicki’s company, Uchenna Dance, in a celebration of the power of the dance with a blend of club styles – house, waacking and vogue – fused with African and contemporary dance.
Next up is Birdboy by Emma Martin, which will run 20-22 February. The work is a tribute to all the “weird kids” left on the sidelines, starring performer Kévin Coquelard.
Using the metaphor of a bird, and its perceived freedom, the piece burrows inside the chaotic and vivid inner world of someone who doesn’t fit in.
Through a child’s eyes and combining dance, sound and objects from ethereal balloons to disguises, Birdboy is a journey through a frenzied and beautiful landscape of fear, isolation, fantasy and letting go.
Later in the month you can see bharatanatyam artist Mythili Prakash alongside an all-female cast exploring the relationship between “femininity” and “purity”.
Officially opened on 6 February 2025 by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, new purpose-built theatre promises to be a gamechanger for dance, providing inspiration and opportunities for performers and people across the capital.
Sadler's Wells East
East Bank
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
