Turner Prize Artists Team with Royal Ballet For Olympiad Event

Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 is set to pair Turner Prize artists with Royal Ballet choreographers for National Gallery ROH collaboration for the Cultural Olympiad.

In a celebration of British creativity, this unique collaboration between The Royal Ballet and the National Gallery is part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and the London 2012 Festival and opens on Saturday 14 July 2012.
According to organisers, it will aim to bring British artists and dancers together to celebrate some of the most valuable paintings in the National Gallery’s collection.
Seven choreographers will join forces with three artists to create three new works in response to three great paintings by Titian: Diana and Actaeon, The Death of Actaeon and Diana and Callisto. The sets will be designed by leading contemporary artists who will also be creating new works of art at the National Gallery, also in response to the three Titians. The paintings, inspired by scenes from Metamorphosis by the Roman poet, Ovid, will be displayed together at the National Gallery from June to September 2012.

The contemporary artists chosen are Chris Ofili, Conrad Shawcross and Mark Wallinger.  Original music will be commissioned from British composers. Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and poet Simon Armitage are also reported to be involved in the ambitious collaboration.

The line up of  choreographers includes classicists Christopher Wheeldon & Alistair Marriott, the younger team of rising stars William Tuckett, Liam Scarlett and Jonathan Watkins and international cutting edge choreographers Wayne McGregor and Kim Brandstrup. Work by all seven choreographers is a regular feature of the Royal Ballet’s repertoire.

These performances also mark the last programme in Dame Monica Mason’s tenure as Director of The Royal Ballet.  It is the perfect way to end The Royal Ballet’s 80th Season and to mark Monica Mason’s great contribution to the Company over more than 50 years.

“The collaboration with the National Gallery for Titian 2012 is a very exciting finale for me with seven choreographers coming together with some of the greatest contemporary artists working in the theatre for the very first time. It’s a huge adventure to see what happens when you combine brilliantly talented people. I’ve no idea what will happen that night. I’m looking forward to an absolute blast to finish with,” commented Dame Monica Mason.

Titian 2012 has four performances only with one performance being screened as part of the BP Summer Big Screen programme.

The programme runs from Saturday 14 July until Friday 20 July. – Text: Margo Brush

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