HENRI OGUIKE DANCE COMPANY

Contemporary dance, Live music

SIZE OF COMPANY
16–18 on the road

SCALE OF VENUE
Middle- to large-scale

PERMANENT STAFF
Artistic Director/Choreographer/Dancer
Henri Oguike

General Manager
Isabel Tamen

Tour Manager/Education Officer
Jenny Hammond

Marketing and Development Manager
Manisha Thaker

Production Manager
Steve Hawkins

Media Consultant
Tony Shepherd

International Agent
Gillian Newson

ARTISTIC POLICY
Henri Oguike Dance Company produces and tours contemporary dance of the highest standard, with a commitment to live music, and thus serves to increase and develop the audience for contemporary dance and cultivate a greater appreciation of the art form. The company channels its knowledge and aspirations into dance education, thereby enriching the experience and understanding of a wide range of participants.

REVIEW EXTRACTS
‘Oguike’s musicality, wit and intelligence are just blinding.’ The Daily Telegraph

‘Henri Oguike, one of Britain’s classiest young choreographers, has an innate ability to strike the right balance between art and entertainment.’ The Times

‘Already he’s proved himself one of the most versatile dance-makers in the business.’ The Guardian

CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
The following productions are offered in a number of different combinations as Mixed Bill Repertoires. (120 mins approx, 2 intervals, 15–16 on the road.)

Little Red A wild and explosive work for six women. They strut the stage in red velvet in passionate dialogue with Vivaldi’s violin concerti. (21 mins, 8 on stage.)

Green in Blue Iain Ballamy’s playful composition, performed live on stage, possesses the dancers, sending them into a flurry of charged elasticity. (16 mins, 11 on stage.)

Second Signal A powerful work resonating with the primal rhythms of traditional Japanese Taiko drums, played live by one of the UK’s leading Taiko drumming groups Taiko Meantime. Features live music. (22 mins, 11 on stage.)

Expression Lines Set to the quietly beautiful Saharan blues of guitarist Ali Farka Toure, Oguike evokes the harsh contrasts of equatorial sand and sky in an intense yet reflective solo. (10 mins, 1 on stage.)

Tiger Dancing Inspired by Blake’s poem The Tyger, the plucked strings and springy lines of Steve Martland’s score are reflected in the dancers’ sinuous and feline movements. (16 mins, 8 on stage.)

Front Line Oguike’s signature piece, the searing and poignant Front Line unfolds against the vivid setting of Shostakovich’s 9th Quartet. Featuring live accompaniment from the Pavão Quartet. (20 mins, no interval, 10 on stage.)

Touching All (working title) A defining new duet crafted by Oguike. (Premieres January 2008.)

All Around (working title) A new work choreographed by Oguike. (Premieres January 2008.)

WRAP-AROUND
Workshops, residencies, lecture-demonstrations and masterclasses available on request.

RECENT INTERNATIONAL WORK
2007 Austria, China, Portugal, USA (Mixed Bill)
2006 Germany, Italy (Mixed Bill)
2005 France, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands (Mixed Bill)

TOURING AVAILABILITY
January 2008 onwards