“There We Have Been”. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/CCP

MANILA, Philippines—The Cultural Center of the Philippines and the British Council Philippines present the James Cousins Company in a dance performance billed as “Without Stars | There We Have Been” on October 11-12 at 7:30 pm at the CCP Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater).

“Without Stars | There We Have Been” was inspired by Haruki Murakami’s dark but beautifully tender novel, Norwegian Wood. For this piece, Cousins took the themes of love, loss and friendship from the Japanese story, and added his own unique quality to them, thus creating a rich and powerful double-bill.

For their performance of “Without Stars | There We Have Been”, the James Cousins Company was hailed by critics for its “outstanding… visually breathtaking” performance and “one of the most stunning contemporary dance pieces”.

In the space of a few short years, James Cousins has achieved more than many choreographers manage in a lifetime. A graduate of London Contemporary Dance School, he has moved seamlessly from performing work to creating it, quickly finding himself in demand with dance companies at home and abroad.

The inaugural winner of Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Choreography Award, Cousins was chosen for his “refreshing desire to entertain” – the same reason those who see his work are hungry to return.

Like Bourne, Cousins knows how to communicate with an audience. He thinks outside the box, finding new and interesting ways to move the body and bring dancers together. Abstract yet utterly accessible, his choreography is dynamic, emotional and clever, with a complexity that provokes admiration rather than confusion.

Having created work for the National Ballet of Chile, Scottish Ballet and the Royal Ballet of Flanders amongst others, Cousins’ reputation as a dance maker worth watching grows by the hour. But the desire to work without compromise, with dancers of his own choosing, has led to the exciting creation of James Cousins Company, and its first UK tour.

James Cousins will also give a Contemporary Dance Workshop on October 11 and 12 (Saturday & Sunday), 9 p.m. -12 p.m. at the CCP Little Theater. This is open to dancers and choreographers. Workshop is also open to observers.

Tickets for both evening performances and workshops are Php500, and workshop fee for observers is Php200.

For ticket inquiries, please call 832-3706 or Ticketworld at 891-9999. For inquiries regarding the workshop, please contact the Artist Training Division at 832-1125 loc. 1604/1605 or email [email protected]