Malta's national contemporary dance company, ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble, will launch its first season with erbgħa, a premiere featuring four dances by four choreographers. The mixed bill will present distinctive works that demonstrate the versatility and diversity of the company within its Euro-Mediterranean context and sensibility.
The premiere will be held on 13 March at the MITP in St Christopher's Street in Valletta. Previews will be held on 11 and 12 March and the programme will be performed again on 14 and 15 March and on 21 March at the Astra Theatre in Gozo. A masterclass for trained dancers will also be held in Gozo. Tickets for the premiere will be by invitation only.
"My vision for this company is that while it carries international repute and embodies the highest contemporary quality benchmarks, it remains a company for and by the Maltese people. Understanding the required legacy of Malta's first national dance company is a responsibility that I take very seriously," says ŻfinMalta's artistic director Mavin Khoo.
Mr Khoo's work as a dancer and choreographer is of international critical acclaim. Trained in Malaysia, India, New York and London, he has worked with major 21st century dancemakers such as Akram Khan and Wayne McGregor and has been commissioned by the Royal Opera House and Southbank Centre in London on several occasions as well as the prestigious Venice Biennale and Canada Dance Festival, among others. The last few years have seen him committed to the development of dance in Malta while he was a faculty member of the Dance Studies Department at the University of Malta. He has also maintained his international profile actively as a touring dancer/choreographer and as rehearsal director and choreographic assistant to the acclaimed Akram Khan Company.
Newly-commissioned works for the premiere include Selah by UK-based Spanish choreographer Jose Agudo (new music by Vincenzo Lamagna), Iż-Żmien by Maltese choreographer Francesca Tranter (music Walter Micallef) and a company ensemble work by artistic director Mavin Khoo (performed to a Stabat Mater by 18th century Maltese-Italian composer Girolamo Abos). The premiere concludes with a piece that is being re-staged for the company, a duet, Kick the Bucket by Dutch-based international choreographer Ivan Perez (music by Aaron Martin).
"It is my aim to build an ensemble that is recognised, both internationally and nationally, for its high quality, world-class, cutting edge work that over a period of time will be unmistakably Maltese, appreciated and welcomed by a broader public. My dream is that dance and the prowess of ŻfinMalta's dancers will be a source of pride to Malta. The task we have at hand is to place this dream within the reality of the industry and make it happen," says Mr Khoo.
The Gozo masterclass will be held at the Xewkija Visual and Performing Arts Centre on 19 March between 11.30am and 1pm. Booking is on a first-come first-served basis; send a mail to [email protected]. The masterclass is free of charge and is open to trained dancers (16+) at intermediate level or equivalent.
Tickets at €15 each for all the performances except for the premiere, which is by invite only; concessions €8 only for 11 and 12 March and for the Gozo performance. All performances commence at 8pm. More info and tickets from www.zfinmalta.org