RAFAEL BONACHELA
NEW ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER FOR RAMBERT

Rambert Dance Company is delighted to announce that its Artistic Director, Mark Baldwin, has invited RAFAEL BONACHELA to take up the position of Associate Choreographer at Rambert. Rafael will continue to dance for the Company but will also be given the opportunity to work on external projects and develop new work.

Rafael Bonachela
photograph by Tim Meara ©

Rambert Dance Company has famously nurtured choreographic talent from within its own ranks. Previous Associate Choreographers include Siobhan Davies and former Artistic Director, Christopher Bruce.

Mark Baldwin comments 'Rafael has been creating work for the Company for some time and has also picked up considerable experience from projects outside of Rambert. This has helped him develop his choreographic vocabulary and other skills necessary to produce powerful dance. I am extremely pleased with his new work 21 and I think we can safely expect great things from this talented young artist'.

Rafael said 'I feel honoured to have been offered this wonderful opportunity at Rambert. It is an important step in my development as a choreographer and will enable me to dance and create with some of the best dancers in the world'.

Rafael was born in La Garriga, Barcelona and trained at the London Studio. He danced with Lanonima Imperial before joining Rambert Dance Company in 1992. His first choreographic work for Rambert Three Gone, Four Left Standing received its London premiere at Sadler's Wells in May 1999 and he has subsequently created seven pieces for Rambert dancers. The most recent, 21, is a multi-media presentation of dance, music and film and sees him collaborating with William Baker and Alan Macdonald, Kylie Minogue's creative team. Incorporating a short projected film featuring KYLIE MINOGUE, 21 is performed to a specially written score by young British composer BENJAMIN W ALLFISCH. Rafael first worked with Kylie, William and Alan while choreographing the award-winning Fever world tour in 2002.

21 receives its London premiere at Sadler's Wells on 20 May 2003 and will tour the UK throughout the Autumn.