Move from passionate to poignant with powerful works by three incredible artists.

To kick off the festival we bring a mixed bill from a range of remarkable artists, including Germaine Acogny, Malou Airaudo, Louise Lecavalier, and Ben Duke.

A poetic and tender piece, common ground[s] is performed and inspired by the lives of two renowned dancers and, above all, women, mothers and granddaughters. Germaine Acogny, “the mother of contemporary African dance” and founder of École des Sables comes together with Malou Airaudo, who worked closely with Pina Bausch, performing leading roles in many of her early works.

This duet has travelled the world in a double bill with Bausch’s The Rite of Spring, and now performs in London for the first time.

Principal dancer of the Montreal-based company La La La Human Steps in the 80s and 90s and collaborator of David Bowie, Louise Lecavalier presents her work Minutes around late afternoon. Her extreme dance, filled with a fiery energy, caught the imagination of a whole generation.

Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Lost Dog Ben Duke, is creating a new work, White Hare, a trio for two dancers and a tortoise specially commissioned for the Festival.

Image description: Two performers embrace against an orange background. They are wearing dark clothes and the hair of one is pulled back into a slick bun. The performers are dimly lit against the orange background and so features and details are not clear. The image gives the feeling of safety and warmth.