News - Dane Hurst presents: Animalis

Award-winning dancers are bringing old master works to life in a dramatic new intervention at Dulwich Picture Gallery in London...

Renowned choreographer, Dane Hurst, has worked with a diverse team of award-winning dancers and designers, to bring powerful theatre to Dulwich Picture Gallery’s new exhibition Ribera: Art of Violence (on until 27 January 2019).

Entitled ‘Animalis’ (the Latin word for breath or soul), Hurst’s performances will respond to the shocking and sensational work by the Spanish Baroque artist, Jusepe de Ribera. Taking place in the intimate setting of the Gallery’s mausoleum, a trio of dancers will give form to the emotional tensions, psychological resonances and physical impulses captured on the artist’s 17th-century canvases, resulting in a powerful interpretation of human suffering. Visitors can see the performance as part of their ticket on Sundays throughout the exhibition’s run.

Hurst will also work with a group of young people from Southwark, aged 14 -25, to connect with the themes in the show in their own ways. They will choreograph the November dates as well as a special performance at the Ribera Late ‘Under the Skin’ on 23 November.

Dane Hurst, said “It’s been an interesting and complex challenge to create a contemporary dance performance in response to images that are nearly 300 years old. I’m very much moved and intrigued by the timing and urgency of this exhibition in relation to what it is that we’re experiencing in society today. Whilst Ribera may be an old master, his works connect to a deep, dark power that is as present and prevalent today as it was back then. I hope that visitors who see the work will get a sense of this power and find the beauty in its complexity”

Jennifer Scott, The Sackler Director of Dulwich Picture Gallery, added “I am thrilled to welcome Dane Hurst back to Dulwich to create an unforgettable experience for our visitors, drawing inspiration from the dramatic theme of our Ribera exhibition. ‘Animalis’ interprets the intensity behind Ribera’s artworks, forging a link between the past and present, and adding another dimension to the extraordinary works of the great Spanish master. It is not to be missed!”

Animalis follows Hurst’s previous sold-out performances at the Gallery: the critically acclaimed Prud’hon: The Moving Body (2015) and Exodus (2016). Here's a look at some of the highlights from  Prud'hon

Animalis is on Sundays until 27 January 2019 
Included with Ribera: Art of Violence Sunday ticket
Performances are on the hour from 10:30am (last performance 4:30pm) and last
15 minutes
Spaces are on a first come first served basis

Ribera: Art of Violence is also on until 27 January 2019
£16.50 adults; £15.50 senior citizens; £8 concessions
Free for under 18s and Friends

Find out more at Dulwich Picture Gallery