Windrush: Movement of the People is a contemporary dance piece commemorating the 70th anniversary of the arrival of SS Empire Windrush, the ship that brought the first large group of immigrants from the Caribbean to the UK in 1948 – it opens at West Yorkshire Playhouse this week, running from Wednesday 7th to Saturday 10th February before going on tour.
“I’m very excited about this new piece of work,” says Choreographer and Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance, Sharon Watson. “This event is a monumental part of UK history and it had a huge effect on our cultural landscape. To retell a version of the story in dance has been incredible to work on.”
Fusing music and dance to create the production uses a multi-cultural cast to tell an international story and celebrates a culture that is now part of the country’s fabric.
From 1948 to the present day; from Calypso to RnB via Blues, Ska and Reggae, composer Christella Listras supports the story with an original soundtrack to the lives of the Caribbean British people and wider Black British Communities.
Windrush will be presented alongside Shadows by Christopher Bruce and Calyx by Sandrine Monin.
The World Premiere of Windrush: Movement of the People is at West Yorkshire Playhouse.
7 – 10 February 2018 at 7.30pm
Windrush: Movement Of The People, 5th February 2018, 12:01 PM