O2 Performance Wows Tbilisi

Yet another extraordinary event has been held within the frames of the UK Season2019 in Georgia: on October 5, Tbilisi hosted Studio Wayne McGregor and Tbilisi International Festival of Theater (TIFT) co-production O2. The semi-improvised performance from professional and amateur dancers was offered to the audience in the open-air. In partnership with the TIFT, the legendary Studio Wayne McGregor came to Tbilisi to create a stunning new site-specific participatory dance piece.

To create the extraordinary performance, artists from the London-based and internationally renowned company worked with Georgian choreographers, dancers and people of different ages, interests, and cultures. The creative process of professional and enthusiast individuals began in July 2019. The culmination of their moving work was seen last Sunday in Orbeliani Square, Tbilisi, where their art manifested in movement was presented to the audience. The Studio Wayne McGregor and the TIFT united to create a commissioned work that celebrates the people and the city of Tbilisi through dance, sound, and costume. The performance also featured a specially commissioned score by international artist Scanner.

Studio Wayne McGregor is the creative engine for choreographer and director Wayne McGregor CBE, and the home of his life-long inquiry into thinking through and with the body. Studio Wayne McGregor has a 20-year history of creating high quality, innovative participatory dance performances and Wayne McGregor has won many international awards. His approach has changed the way modern dance is viewed, radically redefining the contemporary dance culture. The British studio’s strong name and its high-quality reputation promised an outstanding performance in Tbilisi and it delivered nothing short of expectations.

“What makes our performances different and engaging is that we include everyone in our dance projects; those of different abilities, talents, and individualistic views,” said Jasmine Wilson, Director of Learning and Engagement at Studio Wayne. “What’s more, we don’t teach them how to move: they create the production of movements themselves.”

UKSeason in Georgia 2019 is a specially curated program of more than 60 events jointly presented by the British Council in Georgia and the British Embassy in Tbilisi, which will run from September to December 2019. The Season will include events in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi and other locations throughout Georgia and will showcase the best that modern, diverse, global Britain has to offer in culture, sport, education, and business. The British team draws on the shared values of both the UK and Georgia to deliver a program with a specific focus on diversity and inclusion.

The UK Season 2019 is funded by the British Council and the British Embassy working closely with a small group of sponsors including Georgia Capital, Bank of Georgia, BP, Adjara Group and Wissol.

By Nini Dakhundaridze