Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili is to use Royal Ballet dancers as living canvases for a piece at Deloitte Ignite 2014, painting their bodies for his collaboration with choreographer Aakash Odedra.
Inspired by the myth of Prometheus, the work combines contemporary and classical Indian dance. It will have its premiere as part of Sampling the Myth at the Season-opening festival next month alongside extracts from Mikhail Fokine’s The Firebird and The Dying Swan, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake,George Balanchine’s Apollo and Wayne McGregor’s Raven Girl; and the world premiere of a new dance piece by Rambert’s Miguel Altunaga.
‘Collaborating with Chris Ofili is an integral part of the overall aesthetic of the evening,’ says Aakash. ‘There is an interesting part in Prometheus about the first man made of clay, and so the idea of having a substance on you and why it is relevant is interesting to explore. He has also been giving me ideas to enhance choreographic process.’
Watch Aakash Odedra rehearsing the piece with Royal Ballet dancers
Deloitte Ignite, curated by The Royal Ballet with the National Gallery’s Minna Moore Ede, runs from 5–28 September and includes a wide range of free and ticketed events. Tickets are still available.
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