Founded in London in 2008 by choreographer Hofesh Shechter, the company’s cinematic choreography, prominent use of music and constant interest in mixing disciplines has made it one of the leading English touchstones in contemporary dance. Famous the world over, he is one of the many talents that England has given to the world, and one of the most prominent on the dance scene. And who better to talk about their country than they? By they we mean the young members of Shechter II, the Hofesh Shechter Company’s professional development programme for young performers aged 18 to 25, like those who will be on stage in this show. They are charged with telling us about this complex, beautiful country, with its open-minded, generous-hearted people, but with a dark history and a strong attachment to the past and traditions.
The music, one of the show’s key elements along with movement, combines poignant melodies by English composers with frenetic rock, mixed with choral music and electronic sounds in a kind of avant-garde cacophony. The result is a piece that is sometimes playful and joyous and other times bloody and mournful. It is a look into the heart and soul of a country as beautiful and rich as it is complicated, by a company that has not been to Barcelona since the 2014 Grec Festival with Sun.
Produced by Hofesh Shechter Company and co-commissioned by Château Rouge, Scène conventionnée - Annemasse, Espace 1789, Scène conventionnée danse - Saint-Ouen, Scène nationale de Bourg-en-Bresse, Düsseldorf Festival! and Escales Danse, with production support from Théâtre de la Ville Paris, Fondazione I Teatri Reggio Emilia and a production residency at DanceEast, Ipswich.
From England with Love premièred on 11 February 2021 at the Zuiderstrandtheater in The Hague, Netherlands, and was originally performed by Nederlands Dans Theater 1.
The Hofesh Shechter Company gratefully receives support for the realisation of Shechter II 2024. This includes core funding from the John Ellerman Foundation and the Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation and project funding from the Jerwood Foundation for Jerwood SII – a new professional development opportunity for dancers.
The Hofesh Shechter Company receives public funding from Arts Council England and benefits from project development support from the BNP Paribas Foundation.
Choreography and music: Hofesh Shechter. Lighting design: Tom Visser. Costume concept: Hofesh Shechter. Additional music: English compositions by Edward Elgar, Tomas Talis, Henry Purcell and William H. Monk
