Inside Giovanni’s Room Cast Sheet
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Phoenix Dance Theatre – Inside Giovanni’s Room
About the work
Phoenix Dance Theatre presents Inside Giovanni’s Room, a full-length dance production inspired by James Baldwin’s ground-breaking 1956 novel Giovanni’s Room.
Set in 1950s Paris, Giovanni’s Room tackles themes of love, sexuality, guilt and self-acceptance. Baldwin was known for writing about the African American experience and was warned by his publishers that his exploration of sexual identity and depiction of same-sex relationships could alienate his audience and potentially end his career. Today the novel is celebrated as one of the most important literary works of the 20th century.
To mark Baldwin’s 100th birthday, choreographer Marcus Jarrell Willis unpacks this thought-provoking novel in a narrative adaptation that examines how its themes are still poignant and relevant today.
Founded over 40 years ago by three young Black British men, Phoenix Dance Theatre’s new production builds on their legacy of pushing cultural boundaries and using dance as a platform to ask questions that get to the very heart of what it is to be human.
About Phoenix Dance Theatre
Phoenix Dance Theatre makes contemporary dance that is audacious, imaginative and adept. We take seriously our wider responsibility to the company’s Black heritage, our communities and the sector. That is why we seek to create opportunities for artists and audiences, to create a meaningful dialogue with our communities and to create space for diverse voices and perspectives. With Phoenix you will see work from those who don’t ordinarily have a platform, you will see us create and collaborate with out of the ordinary partners and you will see an extraordinary commitment to learning and development opportunities for young people, both on and off stage.
We are Phoenix Dance Theatre.
We create extraordinary dance.