World-Renowned Choreographer Celebrates 40 Years Of Community Dance Company

World-renowned choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne OBE visited Cardiff yesterday (Wednesday) as community dance company Rubicon celebrated its 40th anniversary. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Most famous for his all-male production of Swan Lake, Bourne was guest speaker at the event, which marked four decades of Rubicon delivering dance classes to people of all ages and abilities in Cardiff and Newport. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Hosted by the University of South Wales, the event saw Bourne recall his less-than-conventional route into the dance industry, having only started his training at the age of 22. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The five-time Olivier Award winner began as a professional dancer before becoming Artistic Director of Adventures in Motion Pictures, and launched New Adventures in 2002 – now the most successful and busiest dance company in the UK and a major exporter of British Dance across the world. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Bourne is the only British director to have won a Tony Award for both Best Choreographer and Director of a musical. His version of Swan Lake was first staged in London in 1995, and is now the longest-running ballet in the West End and on Broadway, having been performed all over the world. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Kathryn Williams, Director of Rubicon Dance, said: “All of us at Rubicon are immensely proud of reaching our 40th anniversary milestone. It is particularly exciting for us to celebrate this important occasion with Sir Matthew Bourne, whose New Adventures and Re:Bourne organisations have been key partners for Rubicon since our involvement with his Lord of the Flies production. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We are extremely grateful to the University of South Wales for supporting this event and we look forward to working closely with USW to continue to promote dance activity in Wales.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Julie Lydon, Vice Chancellor of the University of South Wales, added: “It is our greatest of pleasures to be working with Rubicon Dance as the company celebrates this great anniversary. It is so important that we make excellence in the arts available to talented performers of every background. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Our expanding creative industries campus will open for business in September, bringing together all of our creative courses in one great powerhouse for the arts, in brand new facilities in Cardiff. We look forward to welcoming students to our new dance courses and continuing our partnership work with Rubicon.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​