RNCM ArkEnsemble with Company Chameleon at RNCM

Dance and music are inextricably linked, each amplifying the other’s power to evoke emotion and tell a story. The RNCM’s new theme, Dance:Music, gets to the heart of this symbiotic relationship, demonstrating how music and movement can, together, create something greater than the sum of their parts. Enter ArkEnsemble and Company Chameleon, two visionary collectives who unite this December to produce an immersive experience that transcends the ordinary.

ArkEnsemble was established in 2016 by the RNCM’s own Rob Buckland, drawing on his experiences as an internationally renowned saxophone soloist and creative chamber musician working across genres from classical and contemporary to jazz and improvised music. The ensemble’s performances run the gamut of genres and styles, from Mozart to Moondog, with striking presentation at the forefront. Individual concert dress, stylish lighting designs, and elements of the theatrical are key to the ArkEnsemble experience.

This keen awareness of the physicality of performance makes the ensemble ideally suited for a collaboration with Company Chameleon, an internationally renowned dance company based in Openshaw. Formed in 2007 from the collective vision of Co-Artistic Directors Anthony Missen and Kevin Edward Turner, Company Chameleon are renowned for stunning physicality and deft choreography, with the Guardian describing one of their recent performances as “Beautifully revealing… unforgettably good”.

Together, ArkEnsemble and dancers from Company Chameleon will create a fusion of dance-theatre and evocative musical soundscapes. Transforming the stage into a vibrant, living canvas of artistic expression, they’ll explore the intricate connection between music and dance to unveil the profound emotions and stories that lie within each note and movement.

With Rob Buckland directing and Anthony Missen heading the choreography, expect an awe-inspiring performance in which dance and music push each other’s limits.