We are honoured to announce that a new Ballet Nights Commission will be supported by the Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement. Set up in 1991 by eminent photographer Anthony Crickmay, in memory of Abdou Doulaki who was his partner in life until his untimely death in 1982; the charity aims to provide life-changing career development opportunities for creative artists associated to the world of dance, while advancing the career and life work of Anthony Crickmay.
"Ballet Nights is all about telling the story of the artists, and to have support like this from Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement means our mission can go that one step further, bringing another new voice, a new idea and a brand new creation to the platform. We look forward to our partnership on this project, aligned in creating work that will go further as our network of international landings for the show continues to grow." - Jamiel Devernay-Laurence, Ballet Nights Founder & Artistic Director.
The new commission, ‘String Theory’, brings to life a duet; a partnership between live musician and dancer that explores synergies at the line between contemporary dance and contemporary music. With collaboration at its heart, the piece of moving music brings together two artists; one musician, Dominic Stokes, and one choreographer, Jordan James Bridge, each with an extraordinarily unique approach to their respective artforms.
Dominic Stokes is a violinist, composer, and creative, who has established himself as one of London’s leading young contemporary artists. His passion and musical facility has led him to work with groups at the forefront of the contemporary new-music scene; working with The Riot Ensemble, The Manchester Camerata, and 12 Ensemble among others. Dominic is dedicated to opening up classical music to a wider audience, to make it more accessible, changing the way it is perceived by the modern listener. Founder and Creative Director of the Rothko Collective, the platform is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible within the concert format, having commissioned over 20 new works.
Working with Dominic, is Ballet Nights Star, multi-award winning dancer and choreographer, Jordan James Bridge. Having worked for Alexander Whitley Company, Tavaziva Dance, Michael Clark Company, and Studio Wyane McGregor, he was nominated for ‘Emerging Artist’ as both dancer and choreographer at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards 2024, choreographing his first full length, ‘Falling into Jupiter’, as part of a double bill for the 45th Opening Gala of The Györi Ballet, Hungary. A consistent creative entity of Ballet Nights, his much loved works include, ‘And So the Rhythm Goes’, ‘Heisei 9’, ‘TERRA | ASTRA’, and ‘September, in the Rain.’
“Ballet Nights means a lot for people like me with minds like mine. I am offered the freedom of creation, the stage to showcase the work, and the team to promote and share to the ever-growing community. There is nothing like Ballet Nights in the UK and I’m incredibly proud to be a small part of a continually expanding entity that is all for the art and the artists” - Jordan James Bridge
We are extremely grateful to the Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement for facilitating such an exciting collaboration. Stay tuned to hear more about where you can see the World Premiere of ‘String Theory’!
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