DanceEast is pleased to announce the four choreographers who have been selected to take part in the first  LAB at the National Centre for Choreography. The choreographers selected by a steering group of dance professionals were selected from 35 applications from around the globe and they are Sagi Gross, Rosie Kay, Ash Mukherjee and James Streeter.

Internationally acclaimed director and choreographer Jonathan Lunn will be artistically leading the first LAB which takes place from 1-15 April 2012 at the Jerwood DanceHouse in Ipswich, Suffolk. 

The first Lab is focussing on narrative and story-telling in dance. There will also be guests from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, including film, theatre, design, music and the visual arts who will visit over the course of the two weeks for talks, workshops, meals, feedback and discussion. 

DanceEast’s Artistic Director & Chief Executive, Assis Carreiro, has worked for over two years to develop the National Centre for Choreography. On announcing the participants, she stated, 

'We were thrilled by the international response to our call for choreographers and have selected choreographers that are new to DanceEast and represent a range of backgrounds which will no doubt lead to powerful and challenging dialogue and experiences over the intensive two week period. This is a very new initiative that we hope will offer new ways of thinking about the making of narrative dance.’

This Choreographic LAB is aptly named, as it provides a rare opportunity for a dynamic group of up and coming choreographers to benefit from what a 'real' laboratory has to offer. It is a place for detailed research, experimentation and analysis, a place for mistakes and masterpieces, even a place where new cultures grow.' Jonathan Lunn

This exciting new initiative will fill a much needed gap in international choreographic development. The National Centre for Choreography heralds a strategic move for DanceEast, offering the UK’s only research and development for experienced choreographers to explore new areas and experiment freely with other artists without the pressures of producing a final product. 

The first three LABs are generously supported by Arts Council England and The Linbury Trust. English National Ballet will be supporting the National Centre for Choreography by providing dancers for each of the LABs.