Elixir Festival, Sadler's Wells

Elixir Festival is Sadler's Wells annual celebration of older performers; and for a couple of weeks this April the entire space of the north London dance house, both physical and digital, will be given over to live performance, workshops, talks and films by and about international dance artists. Hailing from 12 countries as far apart as Senegal, Canada, Tunisia and Australia, the performers will entertain the question, how do we express our changing bodies and minds as we grow and age?

Here's the performance line up:

-- 10 April at 19:30 main stage – Germaine Acogny & Malou Airaudo, common ground[s] / Louise Lecavalier, Blue/Ben Duke, White Hare
Acogny, founder of the École des Sables, is known as 'the mother of modern African dance'; here she duets with longtime Pina Bausch collaborator Malou Airaudo. Lecavalier was the Canadian dance sensation of the 1980s and 90s; Ben Duke's new commission is a trio for two dancers and a tortoise. Yes, you read that right – a tortoise.
All details and tickets here

-- 11 April at 20:00 Lilian Baylis – Mohamed Toukabri, The Power (of) The Fragile
The Tunisian dancer Mohamed Toukabri invites his mother, Latifa, to step on stage and dance with him.
All details and tickets here

-- 12 April at 20:00 Lilian Baylis – Susan Kempster and Charlotta Öfverholm, Mother/In a Cage of Light
In an intimate double bill, the artists explore how we view our bodies as we age
All details and tickets here

-- 13 April at 15:00 and 18:00 Lilian Baylis – Company of Elders & ZooNation Youth Company, The Exchange
The UK's oldest troupe meets one of the youngest; and the audience is invited to join in in a post-show jam session
Returns only. Details here

-- 17 April at 20:00 -– Lilian Baylis – Dance On Ensemble, London Story/Never Ending (story)
This Berlin-based company brings its own riff on two Merce Cunningham pieces, re-imagining them for the present day
All details and tickets here

As well, there will be a full programme of workshops and talks; and Sadler's Wells Digital Stage presents the Elixir Festival Cinema Club in the Fox Garden Court Cafe, a free showcase of films by internationally acclaimed artists.

For all the information on the Elixir Festival consult the website