Aisha and Abhaya

Aisha and Abhaya

© Uldus Bakhtiozina

Dance

Aisha and Abhaya

Ballet Rambert

German premiere
World premiere 23.01.2020, Linbury Theatre, London

“Aisha and Abhaya” unites the imagery of director Kibwe Tavares with the universe of sound and movement of choreographer Sharon Eyal and her long-standing partners Gai Behar and Ori Lichtik, and the sombre dance-hall music of GAIKA. A contemporary tale of hope, courage and love, this powerful dance work combines visually stunning film, animation and live performance.

  • 1 h, without interval

Originally inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl”, ”Aisha and Abhaya” is the story of two sisters. The setting is a fantastical world, but one riven with familiar troubles and dangers. Seeking refuge from their homeland, the sisters struggle and fight to survive in a new country

Director Kibwe Tavares combines his training as an architect with his love of storytelling and animation to create futuristic 3D animated / live action films with social and political depth, creating detailed vivid, and kinetic visual environments.

Sharon Eyal, former Resident Choreographer at Batsheva Dance Company, has been working with dance companies around the world since 2009. Her productions include “Killer Pig” (2009) and “Corps de Walk” (2011) for the Norwegian company Carte Blanche, “Too Beaucoup” (2011) for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, “Sara” (2013), “Bedroom Folk” (2015), and “Salt Womb” (2016) for Nederlands Dans Theater as well as “Half Life” (2016) for the Royal Swedish Ballet. In 2013, Sharon Eyal founded her own company L-E-V together with her long-standing creative partner Gai Behar. With “Killer Pig”, which was presented as part of “MEGA ISRAEL” by Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart, she visited Berliner Festspiele in 2018.

Ballet Rambert is one of the world’s leading contemporary dance companies. Known for its diverse programme and international outlook, it is also a British national institution with loyal audiences throughout the UK.

Ballet Rambert is innovative and forward-thinking, spearheading the direction of contemporary dance. It has been a home to the great modern choreographers of the 20th and 21st centuries. From Frederick Ashton to Christopher Bruce to Wayne McGregor, early choreographic opportunities were commissioned by Rambert. Today, the world’s most diverse ensemble of dancers take on these great works as well as giving a platform to the new voices of contemporary dance. After 17 years, Ballet Rambert now returns to Berlin.

Cast

Director Kibwe Tavares
Choreography Sharon Eyal
Choreography co-creator Gai Behar
Soundtrack design and original music Ori Lichtik
Additional original music GAIKA
Costume Designer and Style Supervisor Uldus Bakhtiozina
VFX / Projections produced by Factory Fifteen
Animation Designer Paul Nicholls
Projection Designer Gillian Tan
Films produced in association with Fruit Tree Media

Performed by Ballet Rambert

A co-production between Ballet Rambert and The Royal Ballet, in association with BBC Films and Robin Saunders. It is supported by PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund, Cockayne – Grants for the Arts and The London Community Foundation. This production was possible thanks to the support of members of the Rambert Commissioning Council.
The performance in Berlin was made possible by Inga Maren Otto.