Ghost Peloton is a ground-breaking collaboration between Glasgow-based public arts organisation NVA (they of the light suits and 2012 event Speed of Light) and Leeds based dance company Phoenix Dance Theatre.
As night falls on the Friday 16 and Saturday 17 May an audience of over 3,000 people in Leeds will watch a ghost peloton of 30 synchronised cyclists dressed in LED light suits. The company will commit to mass choreographed movement in a live performance that fuses endurance sport, dance and public art.
The work will unite the live action of the cyclists with film projection of the 10 illuminated dancers interacting with a nationally reputed ‘flatline’ BMX stunt cyclist. This film also includes the Ghost Peloton blazing a trail through iconic locations drawn from the Tour de France route through Yorkshire as spectators pedal along three national cycle network routes across Leeds.
This stunning event of movement patterns is also made up of volunteer cyclists taking part in the performance, lead by Phoenix Dance Theatre Artistic Director Sharon Watson and NVA Creative Director Angus Farquhar. Ghost Peloton is a central part of the Yorkshire Festival 2014, the first cultural festival in the Tour de France’s 111 year history. The piece draws on talented and diverse artists to provide the audience with creating something unique and engaging on many levels.
Directed by Farquhar and choreographed by Watson, Ghost Peloton is inspired by the wheel in motion. The work fuses performance cycling with choreography performed by the Phoenix Dance Theatre dancers on film with the varied landscapes of Yorkshire. Each ghost rider, bike and performer will be lit by a fantastic lighting design by Phil Supple, using bespoke LED suits which can instantaneously change colour, flash rate and luminosity. The lights are set to a stunning electronic score.