So You Think You Can Dance Choreographer comes to Ipswich this March!

DanceEast's Associate Company Bonachela Dance Company comes to Ipswich on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 March to the Jerwood DanceHouse to present, The Land of Yes and The Land of No. The Company received rave reviews in October 2009, when they performed an extract of this beautiful piece at the DanceHouse opening celebrations.  In The Land of Yes and the Land of No is Bonachela's first work for his own company since taking up the post of Artistic Director at Sydney Dance Company and it's his deepest exploration yet into the human psyche, the power of imagination and the body's ability to give physical shape to memory, experience and emotions.

Bonachela's instinctive, dynamic and highly physical movement is both beautifully abstract and intensely emotive, matched by a rich, expressive score from Italian composer Ezio Bosso. Bosso has previously worked across opera, film and dance (Christopher Wheeldon, Ballet Boyz) in addition to writing symphonic and chamber works. Designs come from long-time collaborator Alan Macdonald, best known for his work on feature films such as The Queen (2006), with director Stephen Frears, and the Dylan Thomas biopic Edge of Love (2008).

Rafael Bonachela recently appeared on BBC 1's So You Think You Can Dance, choreographing two pieces for the hit TV show. Rafael Bonachela founded Bonachela Dance Company in 2006 and is enjoying much success as the project's Artistic Director and choreographer. He is also Artist in Residence at the Southbank Centre in London where his company performs and Associate Company at DanceEast. Rafael has also recently been delighted to accept the appointment of Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company.

From being an outstanding dancer with Rambert Dance Company to being one of the world's most intriguing and inventive young choreographers, Rafael's career has seen him successfully bridge the divide between high and popular culture. His career has included being Associate Choreographer of Rambert Dance Company to being sought after by artists such as Kylie Minogue and Tina Turner.

Rafael's work has achieved critical acclaim worldwide and he is the recipient of numerous awards, most notably the inaugural Place Prize in London. Rafael's commitment to innovation has seen his work stretch to include film, musicals, television, live concerts, installation and theatre.

'The creation of this piece has been an incredible voyage in many ways, not least the close collaboration between the creation of movement and composition of music.'
Rafael Bonachela

'This is a company with strong dancers and a vivid sense of personality.'
The Times

Friday 19 - Saturday 20 March, 7.30pm, Jerwood DanceHouse
Tickets are £14 (£6 under 18s  and students). Box Office on 01473 295230

Notes to editors:
DanceEast: Based in the East of England, DanceEast is one of the nation's leading dance organisations.  From classes for people with physical and learning disabilities, through to professional master classes, DanceEast aims to bring opportunities to dance to everyone across East Anglia and to promote dance as a pastime for fun and fitness for everyone.  Working in partnership with theatres across the region, DanceEast brings world-class dance performances to the East of England, and supports Bonachela Dance Company and Wayne McGregor|Random Dance as Associate Dance Companies, along with Isobel Cohen and Heather Eddington as Associate Artists.

Bonachela Dance Company is a dynamic touring company under the artistic direction of award-winning choreographer Rafael Bonachela. Since its inception in 2006, Bonachela has choreographed two new evenings of work for the company - Voices, nominated for a 2007 Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Repertoire, Modern and Square Map of Q4, which opened the Venice Biennale for dance in June 2008.

Bonachela is widely recognised as one of the most exciting and talented voices working in contemporary dance in the UK. Founded on Bonachela's interest in the physicality and emotional impulse of the body, BDC brings together artists from diverse practices and influences to create work that communicates in vivid and powerful terms about the human condition and human relationships.

Since its inception, BDC has built a national and international reputation. In the past year alone, Bonachela Dance Company has toured to 25 venues in the UK and Europe, giving a total of 34 performances.

Rafael Bonachela founded Bonachela Dance Company in 2006 and is enjoying much success as the project's Artistic Director and choreographer. He is also Artist in Residence at the Southbank Centre in London where his company performs and Associate Artist at DanceEast. Rafael has also recently been delighted to accept the appointment of Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company.

Review from the Guardian - http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/oct/04/bonachela-dance-land-yes-and-no  

Bonachela Dance Company - The Land of Yes and The Land of No
Friday 19 - Saturday 20 March, 7.30pm, Jerwood DanceHouse
Tickets are £14 (£6 under 18s and students). Phone the Box Office on 01473 295230.