Reckonings, Cunningham/Seutin/Seva, Sadler's Wells

Sadler’s Wells has been in its present location for a very long time, but this year marks the 20th anniversary of a complete refurbishment, which turned the theatre into arguably London’s most vibrant dance venue.

It’s an anniversary worth marking, then; and in keeping with its mission to bring new, cutting edge work to the stage, Sadler’s Wells has commissioned three very diverse young choreographers to create work under the collective name of Reckonings.

Julie Cunningham came to choreography after a long and distinguished career as a contemporary dancer with Merce Cunningham and Michael Clark. As a dancer she was mesmerisingly perfect; as a choreographer she’s been slowly developing her own style over the past couple of years or so.

Cunningham’s focus is on gender issues; expect a work that continues her exploration of identity and its relationship to gender and our mutual perceptions.

Botis Seva’s dance language is that of hip hop. This year’s guest artistic director of the National Youth Dance Company, Seva is interested in experimenting and breaking barriers. He wants to present hip hop in a bright new light and wants dance to transmit a social and political message.

Harare-born Alesandra Seutin was raised in Brussels is now based in London, where she had her dance training. Her work seamlessly blends African influences with contemporary dance languages in an exhilarating and thought-provoking way.

Reckonings promises to be a fresh and varied programme shedding light on some of the most exciting trends in contemporary dance-making.

Post-show discussion Thursday 11 Oct.