Yorke Dance Project, launched in the UK during 2009, present their new programme of work for 2010 – AMERICANA. Yolande Yorke-Edgell, Artistic Director, previously a dancer with Rambert Dance Company and subsequently a leading dancer with the Bella Lewitzky Dance Company in LA, creates CITY LIMITLESS, a new multi media dance work that traverses the life and work of Beat writer Jack Kerouac. The programme of 4 dance works featuring the legendary Lewitzky’s META 4, also sees dance maverick Wendy Houstoun’s first work for Yorke Dance Project.

Awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton, the grand dame of West Coast modern dance, Lewitzky passed away in 2004 leaving her legacy in the hands of her daughter Nora Reynolds, herself a gifted dancer and choreographer. Veteran Lewitzky dancer, John Pennington will assist Yorke-Edgell in remounting META 4.

Yorke- Edgell will remount POST ETIQUETTE, originally created for her company in LA, and create a new multi media work – CITY LIMITLESS, based on the life and work of Jack Kerouac. The company is delighted to again feature some of the UK’s leading dancers including Pari Naderi (Richard Alston Dance Company, Siobhan Davies Dance) Caroline Hotchkiss (Mark Bruce Company) and Greig Cooke (Charles Linehan, Cholmondeleys and Featherstonehaughs).

During Autumn 2010, Yorke Dance Project will tour to venues in the South West of England before presenting 2 performances in London at the Bloomsbury Theatre.

The company is again producing their innovative Youth Leaders’ Programme for 5 youth dance leaders in the South West, who will join the company for 2 weeks. These youth leaders go onto create the curtain-raiser performances with their own youth dance groups for Yorke Dance Project performances. There will be a platform event at the end of the tour where all the youth dance leaders will gather to take masterclasses and workshops with the company and take part in a facilitated discussion on the whole creative project.

The programme is produced by Cath James, previously producer for Siobhan Davies Dance Company amongst others.

Bella Lewitzky

“must surely be one of Ms. Lewitzky’s best works…”, “infused with emotional power…” – Jack Anderson, New York Times: March 24, 1992

Yolande Yorke-Edgell

“Yorke-Edgell’s powerful work brought beauty, grace and real emotion…” – Victoria Looseleaf, Los Angeles Times March 22, 2003

“such beautiful dancing could neither be resisted nor denied” – Donald Hutera, The Place Website: January 19 2008

“We were still buzzing when we got home…” – Audience member, The Flavel, Dartmouth, October 2009

Wendy Houstoun

“A maverick to the tip of her toes, [Houstoun] seems to reinvent herself for each new work…it’s daringly brilliant.” The Independent

“Smart and funny…” Judith Mackrell, The Guardian