James Cousins, Where We Have Been / Without Stars, The Place

The show: There We Have Been / Without Stars is a double bill based on Haruki Murakami’s iconic novel, Norwegian Wood. It loses none of that author’s cool tenderness, as Cousins plots out the strange foursome at the centre - Toru, his dead friend Kizuki, Kizuki’s sweetheart Naoko and another, a protective barrier of positivity in the trio of sadness.
Without Stars is a duet for the Naoko and Toru figures, as the latter tries to save Naoko from her own enveloping grief. Through slow arcs and careful, intricate lifts, he never lets her touch the ground.
The artist: A dancer and choreographer with a gift for floatingly restrained movement, Cousins has already been singled out by Matthew Bourne’s inaugural New Adventures choreographer award, and will be joining some of the best new dance artists in a new Sadler’s Wells choreography project this year. With several international commissions under his belt, he is well on his way to being a sought-after dance artist.

Sponsored by The Place.