DESTINO

PREMIERED AT SADLER'S WELLS THEATRE on Thursday 12th & Friday 13th March 2009

Sadler’s Wells and Dance United joined forces to present Destino – a landmark collaboration between the worlds of professional and non-professional dance.

There is no blueprint for a project like Destino. Instead there's a vision and it's one that is shared by Dance United and Sadler's Wells - that dance can be a wonderfully enriching and transformative experience in people's lives.

Dance United's unique approach began as a project with street children in Addis Ababa; the company now works at the heart of the criminal justice system in the UK.  Sadler’s Wells is renowned for its contemporary dance productions and its community and education programme, Connect, has built an unparalleled reputation.  Destino brought the energy, talents and beliefs of both companies to the Sadler’s Wells main stage.

The UK premiere featured new choreography by Sadler’s Wells associate artists Hofesh Shechter, Russell Maliphant and Adam Benjamin.  Their work introduced London audiences to the rising Ethiopian dance stars, Junaid Jemal Sendi and Addisu Demissie.  These remarkable artists have forged successful international careers from literally nothing: they were both on the streets of Addis Ababa until they joined that original Dance United project.  Jemal Sendi won the prestigious Rolex Arts Initiative Dance Award in 2004 and went on to work with the acclaimed Japanese choreographer Saburur Teshigawara.

The centerpiece of Destino was an exciting new work choreographed by Dance United Artistic Director Tara-Jane Herbert, and Susannah Broughton to Leonard Bernstein’s On the Waterfront and Samuel Barber’s First Essay for Orchestra, played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Over 120 dancers filled the stage: diverse groups of young people from across London, and also members of the Sadler's Wells Connect programme who range from over 60s to primary school children, young people with learning difficulties, graduates from Dance United's Bradford Academy and experienced youth dancers. For some of the cast the Sadler's Wells stage was the first they had ever been on. For professionals and non-professionals alike, Destino is a landmark.