The streets of Hull will come alive with dancing this summer as Luca Silvestrini’s Protein brings its outdoor spectacular (In)visible Dancing to the city as part of UK City of Culture 2017.
The company will work with five Hull-based dance apprentices and five musicians to create the 12th edition of (In)visible Dancing, featuring dance artists, skateboarders, parkour and street performers and a host of performance groups from the region.
Growing out of everyday street life the performance will gradually become more visible and culminate in a huge outdoor dance theatre finale on 1 July 2017 in Hull city centre.
First staged in Birmingham in 2010, and since in cities all over the UK, each performance of (In)visible Dancing begins as a small event and increases in size every time it appears, growing in number of performers and choreographic complexity.
Over several days, what looks like random incidental behaviour on the streets will develop into a fully-fledged dance performance with live music that engages with the location and behaviour of passers-by, culminating in a finale that brings together over 100 performers, including any passers-by who have learned the steps.
Speaking about the company’s participation in Hull UK City of Culture 2017, Luca Silvestrini said:
“We are really excited to contribute to the UK City of Culture 2017 celebrations in Hull, and to renew ties with the region. We are looking forward to working with Hull’s practicing artists and with the next generation of creatives in the city.”
Martin Green, director at Hull UK City of Culture 2017, said:
“(In)visible Dancing is going to turn the city into a performance playground, animating the streets of Hull as never seen before. We’re all very excited to see how each performance progresses and involves the people who live in, work in and visit the city. It’s definitely going to be something that must not be missed.”
Hull was announced the winner of UK City of Culture 2017 in 2013. The award is given every four years to a city that demonstrates belief in the transformational power of culture. Throughout the year, the city will celebrate with a huge range of events spanning music, dance, theatre, art and film.
Formed in 1997 and currently one of the most distinctive voices in British dance theatre, Protein uses a blend of original choreography, humour and music to entertain and provoke audiences. Artistic Director Luca Silvestrini’s desire to connect theatrical experience with real-life stories results in witty shows, both on- and off-stage, that reflect the absurdity in everyday situations and experiences.
