Organised by the British Council Vietnam, this is part of the East Asia tour of the acclaimed James Cousins dance company. James Cousins and his dancers will hit the Youth Theatre in Hanoi in a one-night-only show on 22 October; they will then bring their productions to IDECAF stage on 25 and 26.
A graduate of London Contemporary Dance School, James Cousins founded the dance company in 2012 with creative producer Francesca Moseley to explore new ideas with his team of collaborators and to tour his critically acclaimed productions throughout the UK and internationally. Also in 2012, James Cousins won the inaugural Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Choreography Award. James Cousins has recognised by Time Out magazine as one of the future faces of dance.
Apart from staged performances, James Cousins and his dancers will deliver a dance workshop with choreographers and dancer students at the Vietnam’s Military University of Culture and Arts on 23 October.
Without Stars and There We Have Been are two touching and emotionally charged pieces of work with intense folding, wrapping and balancing. They were created based on the inspiration from the troubled relationships beautifully portrayed in the novel Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. Below is how There We Have Been was beautifully reviewed by Laura Dodge for Londondance.com.
“In low lighting, dancer the female dancer was held constantly off the floor by her male partner. She was supported through all manner of poses from high leg extensions to seated embraces and wrapping her body around her companion.
“Always progressing fluidly but with varying speed of movement, the couple’s relationship was open to infinite viewer interpretations, but the female’s dependence on the male was unrelenting. The piece reached a haunting end as the female fragile figure hovered in the air, gesturing towards her partner and he walked away, finally free.
“It was simply one of the most stunning contemporary dance pieces I have ever seen. So mesmerising, its 20-minute length passed by in what seemed like seconds.”
Cherry Gough, Country Director, British Council Vietnam said: ‘We’re delighted to be bringing the best of British contemporary dance to Vietnamese audiences. James Cousins is a graduate of the London School of Contemporary Dance, and is widely considered to be one of the brightest new stars of contemporary dance in the UK. We hope audiences in Vietnam will be both entertained and inspired by this beautiful and thought-provoking performance.
