We commissioned choreographer Balbir Singh and his company to create Peacock Lake a ground-breaking, ambitious and innovative multicultural flagship performance piece on ice, a modern take on Tchaikovsky’s classic Swan Lake.
Peacock Lake features a 200-strong cast of professional contemporary and Kathak dancers, musicians, top world ice skaters, including 80-strong community cast and 5 traditional dance companies, taking part in Billingham Festival.
The piece was premiered at Billingham Ice Arena on 19th and 20th August 2017 with music by BSDC’s Composer Jesse Bannister, who draws on the existing melodic themes of Swan Lake, as well as bringing new Russian, Indian and British folk themes into the score.
Balbir’s Singh choreography is inspired on Swan Lake’s narrative and musical legacy, creating a contemporary piece reflecting the diverse musical and choreographic traditions of East and West and was complemented by collaboration with Russian ice choreographer Tatiana Tarasova.
Peacock Lake provides an unprecedented opportunity for local people to be part of this extraordinary event. The production engaged 60 local skaters age 5 to 70 from Billingham Ice Skating Club, led by local coaches Christine Eskildsen and Lindsey Fox, and 20 local dancers age 7 to 15, led by Amy Cairney from Tapshoes and Tutus, and Zoe Bellamy from Bellamy Dance Company, rehearsing to live music alongside professional performers and traditional dance companies.
Five traditional dance companies from Taiwan, Chile, Tahiti, Ghana and Egypt took part in the production, with Taiwan Youth Dance Company performing their own version of traditional peacock dance. Peacock Lake celebrates the artistic talent of all its participants from diverse backgrounds regionally, nationally and internationally.
Olga Maloney, Producer
