There are two amazing dance productions coming to Manchester - actually The Lowry in Salford. Both are in the enormous Lyric Theatre. And neither appear to be selling.
No amount of good reviews and sell-out performances in other venues seem to make a jot of difference to Manchester's Matthew Bourne-loving dance audience.
Both shows are completely and utterly worth-seeing and likely some of the best dance coming to the city in 2018.
No amount of good reviews and sell-out performances in other venues seem to make a jot of difference to Manchester's Matthew Bourne-loving dance audience.
Both shows are completely and utterly worth-seeing and likely some of the best dance coming to the city in 2018.
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| Ballet BC |
- British Ballet Columbia aka Ballet BC | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 20-21 March
With choreography by Ballet BC's Artistic Director Emily Molnar, Crystal Pite and Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar, Canada's leading contemporary dance company are a must-see.
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| Swan Lake / Loch na hEala | Michael Keegan Dolan & Teaċ Daṁsa |
- Swan Lake / Loch na hEala | Michael Keegan Dolan & Teaċ Daṁsa | The Lowry [Lyric Theatre] | 19-20 May [part of: Week 53]
British Dance Award-winning and a massive hit everywhere it has appeared the Lowry's website suggests that very few tickets have been sold. It's even part of The Lowry's new biennial Week 53 festival, which is meant to spice up the venue's artistic chops after several years of (probably necessary) commercial slide.
The thing is, if these shows don't sell, how much longer are programmers or companies going to bother risking a visit to the city? Ballet BC's tour is promoted by the excellent Dance Consortium, who provide one of the few opportunities for audiences outside London to see large-scale international work. The Lowry are extensively using social media to promote it to no apparent effect and it's front page on their website. But it's still showing at least half empty for both nights.
Dance audience. Use it or lose it.
"Not a seat to be had at Sadler’s Wells this week where Ballet British Columbia was making its London debut with a trio of contemporary works by Crystal Pite, Sharon Eyal and artistic director Emily Molnar." - The Times
"There’s a gorgeous energy about Ballet British Columbia’s triple bill, touring the UK this month. The programme includes a superb work by star choreographer Crystal Pite, but it’s also a fine introduction to a smart, very contemporary company. The dancers have both individuality and shared muscular strength, powering through a programme of works by female choreographers." - The Independent
"Not a seat to be had at Sadler’s Wells this week where Ballet British Columbia was making its London debut with a trio of contemporary works by Crystal Pite, Sharon Eyal and artistic director Emily Molnar." - The Times
"There’s a gorgeous energy about Ballet British Columbia’s triple bill, touring the UK this month. The programme includes a superb work by star choreographer Crystal Pite, but it’s also a fine introduction to a smart, very contemporary company. The dancers have both individuality and shared muscular strength, powering through a programme of works by female choreographers." - The Independent