New Adventures (dance company)

New Adventures
Formation2001
PurposeDance company
HeadquartersSadler's Wells Theatre
Location
  • Islington, London
Region served
UK and internationally
Artistic Director
Matthew Bourne
AffiliationsSadler's Wells Theatre
WebsiteOfficial website

New Adventures is a British dance-theatre company. Founded by choreographer Matthew Bourne in 2001, the company developed from an earlier company Adventures in Motion Pictures, now dissolved.

History

Adventures in Motion Pictures (AMP) was established in 1987 by a group of students from London's Laban Centre,[1] including Matthew Bourne, Catherine White (now Malone), Emma Gladstone, Susan Lewis, Carrollynne Antoun, David Massingham and Keith Brazil. AMP's productions like Spitfire (1988), parodied the manners of romantic ballet dancers.[1]

By 1991, the original members of the company were working outside of AMP,[2] and Bourne held auditions for new dancers, forming a company with six core dancers, including Scott Ambler (later founder artistic associate), Etta Murfitt (now associate artistic director), Ben Wright, Ally Fitzpatrick and Jamie Watton. Their first piece together was Town & Country (1991).[2] Subsequent AMP productions included Nutcracker! (1992), Highland Fling (1994), Swan Lake (1995), Cinderella (1997) and The Car Man (2000).

In 2000, Bourne formed New Adventures with producer Robert Noble, who became co-director of the company.[2] New Adventures Limited was incorporated in January 2001.[3] New Adventures Charity (incorporated in 2008)[4] is a registered charity (charity number: 1125342) that works "To advance the education of young people, dance practitioners and the general public particularly but not exclusively through the provision of workshops and classes with specific but not exclusive reference to the dance choreography of Matthew Bourne".[5]

New Adventures has been a National Portfolio Organisation receiving funding from Arts Council England since 2015.[6]

Awards

Laurence Olivier Awards

AMP or New Adventures have received 12 Laurence Olivier Awards nominations, winning six.[7]

Category Production Year Nomination/Win
Outstanding Achievement in Dance (Most promising small dance company to present a West End season) Town and Country 1992 Nomination
Best New Dance Production Nutcracker! 1994 Nomination
Best New Dance Production Swan Lake 1996 Win
Outstanding Achievement in Dance (Lez Brotherston - Set Design & Costume) Cinderella 1998 Win
Outstanding Achievement in Dance (Matthew Bourne - Concept and Dramatisation) The Car Man 2001 Nomination
Best Lighting Design (Paule Constable) Play Without Words 2003 Nomination
Best Entertainment Play Without Words 2003 Win
Best Choreography in Theatre (Matthew Bourne) Play Without Words 2003 Win
Best New Dance Production Cinderella 2011 Nomination
Outstanding Achievement in Dance (Lez Brotherston - Set Design & Costume) The Sleeping Beauty 2013 Nomination
Best Choreography in Theatre (Matthew Bourne) The Red Shoes 2017 Win
Best Entertainment The Red Shoes 2017 Win

Other awards

Other awards won by AMP or New Adventures productions
Award Category Year
Swan Lake
The Manchester Evening News Award Best Touring Dance Production 1996
Gay Times Readers Poll Outstanding Live Performance 1996
Time Out Dance Award Adam Cooper for his performance as Swan/Stranger 1996
Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards Best Choreography 1997
The South Bank Show Award Matthew Bourne for his Swan Lake 1997
The Evening Standard Ballet Awards Adam Cooper for his performance as Swan/Stranger 1997
Dramalogue Awards Musical Director (David Frame) 1997
Dramalogue Awards Outstanding Performance (Adam Cooper and Scott Ambler) 1997
Dramalogue Awards Director (Matthew Bourne) 1997
Dramalogue Awards Producer (Katherine Doré) 1997
Dramalogue Awards Set and Costume Design (Lez Brotherston) 1997
Tony Awards Best Choreography[8] 1999
Tony Awards Best direction of a Musical[8] 1999
Astaire Award Special Award for Direction, Choreography & Concept 1999
Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Director of a Musical (Matthew Bourne)[9] 1999
Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Choreography (Matthew Bourne)[9] 1999
Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Set Design of a Musical (Lez Brotherston)[9] 1999
Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Costume Design (Lez Brotherston) 1999
Drama Desk Awards Unique Theatrical Experience 1999
Outer Circle Critics Awards Outstanding Director of a Musical (Matthew Bourne) 1999
Outer Circle Critics Awards Outstanding Choreography (Matthew Bourne) 1999
Outer Circle Critics Awards Outstanding Costume Design (Lez Brotherston) 1999
The Car Man
Evening Standard Award Musical Event[10] 2000
Los Angeles Drama Critics Award Best Choreography[10] 2000
Edward Scissorhands
Drama Desk Award Unique Theatrical Experience[11] 2007

References

  1. ^ a b "Adventures in Motion Pictures". Oxford Dictionary of Dance. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Macaulay, Alastair (2011). Matthew Bourne and His Adventures in Dance. London: Faber and Faber ltd. pp. 400–403. ISBN 978-0-571-23588-9.
  3. ^ "New Adventures Limited: Company number 04144828". Companies House. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  4. ^ "New Adventures Charity: Company number 06548321". Companies House. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  5. ^ "NEW ADVENTURES CHARITY - Charity 1125342". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  6. ^ "The data: 2018-22 | Arts Council England". www.artscouncil.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  7. ^ "Olivier Awards with MasterCard - Previous Winners | #BeInspired". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  8. ^ a b "CNN - Full list of 1999 Tony winners - June 7, 1999". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  9. ^ a b c "1999 Drama Desk Awards". www.infoplease.com. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  10. ^ a b "Matthew Bourne's The Car Man at The Royal Albert Hall - June 2021". LondonTheatre1. 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  11. ^ "Drama Desk Awards 2006-2007 winners announced". New York Theater Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2021-06-18.