INALA offers exciting workshop for dance enthusiasts

INALA

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

INALA are holding an exciting workshop for dance enthusiasts across Merseyside, featuring world-class current and former dancers from The Royal Ballet and Rambert, at the Liverpool Empire Theatre on Friday July 31 and Saturday August 1.

Following a phenomenal 2014 tour and sell-out runs at both the Edinburgh International Festival and London’s Sadler’s Wells, INALA brings together four-time Grammy Award-winning South African choral legends Ladysmith Black Mambazo and multi-award winning chorographer Mark Baldwin in this unique artistic collaboration for a creatively reworked production.

INALA, meaning ‘abundance of goodwill’ in Zulu, delivers a spiritually uplifting live experience, powered by a cultural explosion of music, song and dance. Featuring the aforementioned dancers from The Royal Ballet and Rambert, this critically-acclaimed production embraces an exhilarating fusion of South African and Western cultures live on stage, to create a unique, immersive experience that reflects both cultures.

INALA’s original score is composed by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Joseph Shabalala and British composer Ella Spira, who created the concept of INALA with First Artist of the Royal Ballet Pietra Mello-Pittman. Blending the intricate rhythms and infectious harmonies of their native musical roots with live percussion, piano and strings, Mark Baldwin’s choreography unites Zulu traditions with classical ballet and contemporary dance, performed by an exceptional company of 18 dancers and singers.

Liverpool Empire Theatre are delighted to announce that they will be holding a masterclass dance workshop led by Pietra Mello-Pittman on Saturday July 25 from 10.00-12.00 at Merseyside Dance and Drama Centre, Liverpool.

Pietra Mello-Pittman is the producer of the show and former ballerina with the Royal Ballet. For further information, visit www.pietramellopittman.com.

The workshop is suitable for all ages and levels of experience, and will enable participants to discover more about the show and learn some of the show's world-class repertoire. They will consist of the same work and repertoire at each venue, so if you want to come along you only need to attend one, either in Manchester on July 24 or in Liverpool on July 25.

The workshop costs just £13. Included in the price is a ticket to see INALA at the Liverpool Empire on Friday July 31 at 19.30.

To book your place on the workshop, download an application form by visiting www.atgtickets.com/Liverpool and clicking on the ‘Creative Learning’ tab. Forms need to be completed and returned to the Liverpool Empire by Thursday July 16.

Please return booking applications by email to laurentaylor@theambassadors.com, by post to Creative Learning, Liverpool Empire Theatre, Lime Street, Liverpool, L1 1JE, or drop the forms in to Liverpool Empire Theatre’s Box Office for the attention of Lauren Taylor, Creative Learning.

If you have any queries, please contact Lauren Taylor at laurentaylor@theambassadors.com or on 0151 702 7339.

Dance auditions to perform in INALA

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Do you dream of performing on stage alongside current and former members of The Royal Ballet and Rambert Dance Company?

The producers of the critically acclaimed UK Tour of INALA, which fuses the sound of Ladysmith Black Mambazo with classical and contemporary dance, are offering people the chance to take part in dance auditions in Liverpool. The auditions will lead to one person being given the unique opportunity to perform in the grand finale on stage at the Liverpool Empire on Friday July 31.

The auditions will be held at city centre venues in Liverpool on Sunday June 28, and are open to people aged 17 to 35 with previous dance experience.

The producers of INALA are asking people who would like to attend the audition workshops to pre-register in advance by completing the online application form which can be found at http://inala.co.uk/auditions. Alternatively, forms can be picked up and dropped off at the Liverpool Empire Box Office.

Registration forms must be received by the venue by 17.00 on Wednesday June 24. Successful applicants will be contacted by Friday June 26 and given the details of the workshop venue location in Liverpool and their allocated audition time.

Following a phenomenal 2014 tour and sell-out runs at both the Edinburgh International Festival and London’s Sadler’s Wells, INALA brings together four time Grammy Award-winning South African choral legends, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and multi-award winning chorographer Mark Baldwin, in this unique artistic collaboration for a creatively reworked production that starts a UK tour from June 2015.

INALA, meaning ‘abundance of goodwill’ in Zulu, delivers a spiritually uplifting live experience, powered by a cultural explosion of music, song and dance. Featuring world-class current and former dancers from The Royal Ballet and Rambert, this critically acclaimed production embraces an exhilarating fusion of South African and Western cultures live on stage, to create a unique, immersive experience that reflects both cultures.

INALA’s original score is composed by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Joseph Shabalala and British composer Ella Spira, who created the concept of INALA with First Artist of the Royal Ballet Pietra Mello-Pittman. Blending the intricate rhythms and infectious harmonies of their native musical roots with live percussion, piano and strings, Mark Baldwin’s choreography unites Zulu traditions with classical ballet and contemporary dance, performed by an exceptional company of 18 dancers and singers.

Pietra Mello-Pittman commented: “We brought many different styles to the table and this wonderful fusion happened as a result of the exchange of ideas from within the company. INALA is very accessible to all ages because it joins so many different elements together, appealing to so many different tastes. For anyone who may be interested in seeing a broad spectrum of ages performing side-by-side equally, then we have an age range from 17 to the mid-60’s, who are all playing to their strengths. Topped with amazing music and dancing, INALA makes for an incredibly feel-good show.”

Ella Spira added: “The group had never annotated its music before, so writing the score for INALA was in itself a challenge, but the passion and culture of Ladysmith soars through and brings the narrative of the ballet to life”.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo were brought to international acclaim through their collaboration with Paul Simon on his 1986 album, ‘Graceland’. They went on to win four Grammy Awards, including their latest in January 2014 for Best World Music Album.

Joseph Shabalala said: “It has always been our mission to spread our South African culture as widespread as possible, so it is very important for us to bring INALA to the UK and the rest of the world. We look forward to giving our audiences a new experience”.

As well as the dancers who have been appointed, Inala has an award-winning creative team who are making their theatre debut with the UK tour.

Sound designer Adrian Rhodes is a BAFTA Film Award winner who has previously worked on The Gruffalo, Skellig, Wallace and Gromit; A Close Shave, A Matter of Loaf and Death and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Death at a Funeral, The Queen, The Four Feathers, Dirty Pretty Things, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, The Full Monty, The Avengers, Tomorrow Never Dies and The Borrowers.

Set Designer and Story Board Artist Temple Clark has worked as a Storyboard artist and Concept artist on over 100 feature films and television productions over the past 20 years, including Gravity, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Coriolanus, Cold Mountain and The Reader.

INALA

INALA

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Grammy Award-winning South African legends Ladysmith Black Mambazo in the UK tour of Inala featuring world-class current and former dancers from The Royal Ballet and Rambert

Tickets on sale now for the Liverpool Empire shows from Friday July 31-Saturday August 1 2015

Following a phenomenal 2014 tour and sell-out runs at both the Edinburgh International Festival and London’s Sadler’s Wells, INALA brings together four time Grammy Award-winning South African choral legends, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and multi-award winning chorographer Mark Baldwin, in this unique artistic collaboration for a creatively reworked production that starts a UK tour from June 2015.

INALA, meaning ‘abundance of goodwill’ in Zulu, delivers a spiritually uplifting live experience, powered by a cultural explosion of music, song and dance. Featuring world-class current and former dancers from The Royal Ballet and Rambert, this critically acclaimed production embraces an exhilarating fusion of South African and Western cultures live on stage, to create a unique, immersive experience that reflects both cultures.

INALA’s original score is composed by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Joseph Shabalala and British composer Ella Spira, who created the concept of Inala with First Artist of the Royal Ballet Pietra Mello-Pittman. Blending the intricate rhythms and infectious harmonies of their native musical roots with live percussion, piano and strings, Mark Baldwin’s choreography unites Zulu traditions with classical ballet and contemporary dance, performed by an exceptional company of 18 dancers and singers.

Pietra Mello-Pittman commented: “INALA is influenced by Zulu dancing and South African stories and cultures, creating a new language of dance that respects the traditions of ‘pure’ classical dance training of all our dancers”.

Ella Spira added: “The group had never annotated its music before, so writing the score for INALA was in itself a challenge, but the passion and culture of Ladysmith soars through and brings the narrative of the ballet to life”.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo were brought to international acclaim through their collaboration with Paul Simon on his 1986 album, ‘Graceland’. They went on to win four Grammy Awards, including their latest in January 2014 for Best World Music Album.

Joseph Shabalala said: “It has always been our mission our spread our South African culture as widespread as possible, so it is very important for us to bring Inala to the UK and the rest of the world. We look forward to giving our audiences a new experience”.

INALA runs in the Liverpool Empire Theatre from Friday July 31-Saturday August 1. For ticket information, click here.

You can learn more about INALA by clicking here.