Tom Sapsford
Tom Sapsford
Type of Work
Contemporary dance with a focus on new media technology
Company policy
Tom Sapsford trained at The Royal Ballet School after which he danced with the
Michael Clark Company, performing and touring internationally. Tom then joined
the Royal Ballet, where for the next eight years he performed a wide variety of
classical roles. Throughout his dancing career Tom has also gained a wealth of
experience dancing with modern choreographers such as Siobhan Davies and Mark
Baldwin. In 2000 Tom created a role in Symbiont(s) by Wayne McGregor, a production which won the Time Out Award for outstanding
achievement in dance. Tom has recently been seen in Jordan Town - a collaboration
with composer/musician/singer Errolyn Wallen - at the Linbury Studio Theatre and
also in the Royal Opera House's Wind in the Willows in December 2003. He also returned to dance with Michael Clark in 2003 in Should, Could, Can and Oh my Goddess! at the Barbican and Sadlers Wells Theatre respectively.
As a choreographer, Tom was involved in the opening of the Royal Opera House's
Clore Studio Upstairs with his signature piece - Live at Carnegie Hall. He has also created two works, Last Night at the Empire and last tic(k), for the highly successful Cohabitants series at the Clore. Tom's work has been
presented by - amongst others - The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera House, the
Fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists in Toronto and Dance Umbrella.
Tom was the first recipient of the Virtual Incarnations commission, an award which focuses on development, support and investment to encourage choreographic collaboration with digital artists. For this he created his current piece, Hypnos, which premiered at the ICA in May 2003.
“Sapsford is a fine artist in every way: a prolific and enterprising choreographer, an articulate and brave dancer.” The Independent
“Watch out for this rising talent.” Dance Europe
Production highlights
Commissions have included classical ballets, theatre and musicals, site specific work and film.
Hypnos
A dance piece choreographed by Tom Sapsford with visuals by the Honey Brothers, combines choreography and film to explore the mystifying subject of hypnosis. Based on material captured whist the dancers were under hypnosis the piece reveals the movement that literally lies within all of us and charts the subsequent discovery of freedom of movement whilst the mind is in a state of hypnosis. Hypnos is a Virtual Incarnations Commission. Virtual Incarnations is a programme realised through a partnership between Dance Umbrella, shinkansen/Future Physical and the ICA.
Tic[k]
Clore Studio, The Royal Opera House, Spring 2002
Jordan Town
National tour 2002/03
Last Night at the Empire
Clore Studio, The Royal Opera House, 2001
Live at Carnegie Hall
fFIDA Dance Festival, Toronto, Summer 1998
Man in the Moon Theatre, London, Spring 1999
Dance Umbrella and NOW99 festivals, UK, Autumn 1999
Clore Studio, Royal Opera House, London, Spring 2000
Mardi Gras Arts festival, ICA, London, Summer 2000
Horseplay [1998], All Nighter [1997], Odalisque [1996]
Royal Ballet Dance Bites Tours
Where Her Voice
Bloomsbury Theatre, London, Spring 1995
The Place Theatre, Dance Umbrella, Autumn 1995
Tom is joined by dancers Ben Ash, Pari Naderi and Lorena Randi; film/visuals are by the honey brothers and music by Joby Talbot (Divine Comedy, The League of Gentlemen).
1 – 5 depending on project
Contact details
TOM SAPSFORD is managed by CUE
PO BOX 563
Banbury
OX16 6AQ
Tel: + 44 [0]1869 338458
Email: info@cueperformance.com
www.cueperformance.com
Tom Sapsford is based in London even though the contact address for the company manager, Gwen Van Spijk, is in Banbury.
