Northern School of Contemporary Dance’s VERVE is the twelve-strong postgraduate performance company of the school, and for 2015 will be presenting a robust and highly physical tour of four contemporary dance works choreographed by celebrated artists: Kerry Nicholls, Theo Clinkard, Douglas Thorpe and Luca Silvestrini. This year’s programme features UK-based contemporary dance choreographers and shows the VERVE dancers in particularly physically demanding and theatrical work.
VERVE provides postgraduate students with experience working as a member of a professional dance company, following static training at NSCD in Leeds which is a world-class institution providing conservatoire level studies to the most talented and committed students regardless of their background. Providing the dance world with such skilled, strong dancers in such a physical and varied programme will be a delight for audiences.
The 2015 tour takes VERVE across the UK and Europe. Beginning in Leeds, the tour includes performances in Italy, Austria, Switzerland and London, presenting a dynamic and eclectic mixed bill of contemporary dance works. It will see Nicholls push the dancers to their limits with fast and intricate movement language that results in an energetic work. Leeds-based artist, Thorpe, creates his first work for the company, usually known for explosive, powerful and compelling dance theatre. Clinkard’s choreography sees the dancers’ transitions to professionals, and Silvestrini completes the programme with his unique style of dance theatre combining choreography, text, humour and social commentary to present the everyday in a revealing and subversive way.
VERVE is committed to pioneering new dance development and commissions both established dance artists and upcoming national and international choreographers to offer a dynamic, passionate and varied repertoire for its dancers and audiences. The company aims to create thought-provoking choreographic journeys that entertain, inspiring other young dancers to take to the stage.