Tess by Ockham's Razor - Photo: Norfolk & Norwich Festival

A fresh raft of dance and movement-based shows have been announced for this year’s Norfolk and Norwich Festival, as part of a collaboration with Norwich Theatre.

An Accident / a Life is a new collaboration between choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and dancer Marc Brew that explores life-changing moments in their lives. The starting point of this movement performance was a car accident, in which Marc went from ballet dancer to paraplegic in a split second. The show is at Norwich Theatre Royal on May 24 and 25.

Mosh was created by Irish dance artist, Rachel Ní Bhraonáin and will make its UK premier at May’s festival. Mixing live music, real interviews, dance, and text, the cast of performers will delve into the culture and characters of the mosh-pit at Epic Studios from May 23 to 25.

Thomas Hardy’s classic Tess of the D’Urbervilles is adapted for the stage in Tess by Ockham’s Razor, blending circus and physical theatre to bring to life the loves and landscapes of Hardy’s heroine. The show will be performed at Norwich Theatre Royal on May 21 and 22.

an Accident a Life - Photo: Norfolk and Norwich Festival
an Accident a Life – Photo: Norfolk and Norwich Festival

Greek dance artist and director Xenia Aidonopoulou brings a show for younger audiences to The Garage venueon May 22 and 23. Skydiver is a multi-sensory dance experience that soars family audiences through the fluffy clouds where flocks of birds and butterflies flutter.

Norfolk & Norwich Festival’s work with communities around the region is represented by Fenland Elegy, a short film featuring Krump dance shot at sunset. Free screenings will take place at The Forum on May 18 and 19.

Norwich Theatre chief executive Stephen Crocker said: ”It has been remarkable to see such extraordinary appetite for new and different approaches to storytelling through movement from our audiences and how our Norwich Moves season is embedding a dance programme to rival any other UK city.

“We are pleased to bring this into Norfolk & Norwich Festival with a landmark production of a newly-shared story from a dance icon in An Accident / a Life and an imaginative retelling of an old story from one of the most exciting circus and physical companies in the UK today in Tess.”

NNF chief executive Daniel Brine said: “Mosh is particularly exciting and so relevant to audiences right now. Working together, we’ve been able to curate an immensely varied programme of work that showcases how dance and movement can tell powerful, pulsating stories.”