Friday 23 – Sunday 25 July 2010

This July, the Piccadilly Partnership is delighted to be supporting the third Urban Moves international dance festival, presenting an outstanding line-up of dance from the UK and Europe.

Urban Moves has put together three days of professional, contemporary dance performed outdoors, in Piccadilly and other areas of the city centre.

Twenty companies from the UK and Europe will perform in variety of venues, including: Piccadilly Gardens, Piccadilly Station, Castlefield, St Ann’s Square and Exchange Square.

The weekend’s highlights in Piccadilly include:

Cascade (UK)
Motionhouse brings a submerging house to Piccadilly Gardens in a thrilling and enthralling look at one families scramble to keep their heads above water, with a combination of falls, slides and tumbles as they ascend through the levels of their domestic life.

Forgotten Ghosts
Performed by local company Resonance Dance. This Urban Moves brand new commission journeys back in time and brings a taste of romance to the escalators of Piccadilly Station.

Unknown Negative Activity
Rootless Roots present psychological tension and physical danger in a dark view of the world, communicated though extreme physical theatre and breaking boundaries with singing, dancing and the spoken word.

Other highlights around the city include:

Transports Exceptionnels
Beau Geste from France present the ultimate children’s fantasy - a duet between a dancer and a giant mechanical digger!

La Vitrine
Aspecto’s shop window in The Triangle comes to life as Etant Donne from France takeover with naughty antics, as dancers mercilessly take a subversive look at fashion, magazines and marketing.

The Bicycle Ballet
A 30 minute dance performance, celebrating the dance that is cycling. See bicycles dance in a performance reminiscent of Busby Berkeley’s stunning synchronized film choreography, celebrating the highs and lows of city cycling. The performance is funded by Manchester City Council as part of the Cultural Olympiad open weekend.

Urban Moves is funded and supported by Arts Council England Grants for the Arts, Manchester City Council, Piccadilly Partnership, Instituto Cervantes, Bury MBC, The Met Bury

For performance times and a full programme:

Visit www.urbanmovesdance.co.uk
Follow Urban Moves on twitter @manchesterdance

Performance locations:

Manchester City Centre: Castlefield, Exchange Square, St Ann’s Square, Piccadilly Gardens, Piccadilly Station

Bury: Market Square, Kay Gardens, The Rock