Russian director at EchoEcho

Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company has welcomed Russian dancer Andjela Doni to its Waterside dance studio to begin working with the local dance ensemble.

Andjela is a friend and colleague of Steve Batts, Artistic Director of Echo Echo, and during her two weeks in the City she taught and directed local dancers, preparing a performance to show tonight, January 20, at 8pm.

Andjela Doni is a dance improviser, choreographer and a teacher of contact improvisation and contemporary dance. She is also the organiser of the internationally renowned Annual Moscow Contact Improvisation and Performance Festival.

She has created a remarkably warm and creative dance and movement improvisation scene in Moscow, drawing on all her experience as a modern dancer and choreographer, as well as many years as a fearless explorer into the more unusual areas of movement.

Steve Batts said: “We are very lucky to have been able to have Andjela spend two weeks guiding and teaching us. She is a long standing colleague and someone whose work as teacher, organiser and performer has been an inspiration to me since we first met 8 years ago.

“Echo Echo has expanded in the last year or so. There are more of us, who live in Derry, regularly dancing, creating, learning and teaching together. This is the first time that we'll be performing together in that bigger ensemble. Joining us for the performance will be two other visitors from Moscow, Tonya Sheina and Masha Grudskaya. They came from Russia especially to dance with us on this project.

“I am really looking forward to it. It will be a relatively informal performance in the Echo Echo Dance Studio. Come along with an open mind and I'm sure you'll find plenty to enjoy in the skilful, playful, tender, passionate and varied movement world that we will create for you."

The Echo Echo Dance Studio Performance will be held in the Echo Echo Dance Studio at the Waterside Theatre tonight, Wednesday, January 20, at 8pm. Admission is 3.

For more information, contact the office on 028 7134 2266, email [email protected] or visit www.echoechodance.com

Supported by The Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

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