Presenting a breathtaking double bill, the Welsh contemporary company National Dance Company Wales restages Theo Clinkard’s much loved Ordinary Courage alongside a new work from the Olivier nominated Alesandra Seutin, Untamed. We sat down with Bakani Pick-Up, Artistic Director of NDC Wales.
Tickets here: National Dance Company Wales – Blue | Glas – Sadler’s Wells East
- What attracted you to taking the helm of National Dance Company Wales at this point in your career?
It’s an exciting time to be with the company, across the industry organisations are thinking about what repertoire companies look like in the present day. How do we reflect the contemporary world? As an independent artist you constantly adapt as the world changes, and this is no different for dance companies. I think in my career and as an organisation, our paths crossed at a point that felt right. NDCWales is a company of the now, and has always reshaped itself and taken creative risks and as an artist this makes it the ideal environment to work collaboratively.
- How has your journey from Zimbabwe to the UK shaped the way you approach movement, identity and storytelling?
I have had the experience of working internationally which in itself is a massive privilege, but also I am an immigrant, all I have learnt about dance here in the UK and abroad has been so different from the world I grew up in in Zimbabwe. I used to think that dance was a social activity that people did, I have since learned that it can also be an act of activism, well-being and philosophy. NDCWales has a long history of working internationally; performing in other countries and bringing international artists here to work in Wales. Between the history of the company and my experiences, there’s a shared understanding that we are at our best when we listen, share and learn not just what is happening locally but around the world too.
- What do you hope audiences will discover about themselves through Blue | Glas?
Blue | Glas invites us into worlds that feel profound, whether this is about loss or an urge to run, they have put dance to where words cannot reach. The dance on stage speaks straight to the soul and offer something not just for the senses but the heart too.
You’ll experience beautiful, powerful dance from some of the world’s best dancers. You’ll be moved by extraordinary music and enter two visceral worlds with powerful lighting and gorgeous costume design.
One of the most exciting things about contemporary dance is that it is constantly immersed in interdisciplinary perspectives and collaboration essential to how we make work.
NDCWales performances include cutting-edge costume, set and lighting designers, musicians and other collaborative artists. Dance is a place where these artists can let their creativity soar, and for us it’s integral that they’re included from the very start of the making process to shape our worlds on stage.
We work with sculptors, fashion designers, composers, electronic musicians, folk dancers, story tellers, theatre makers and more. The company also offers long-term support for artists of other artforms who are interested in moving into contemporary dance practice.
For our current tour Blue | Glas, both choreographers worked with local Welsh artists to support the realisation of the two works. For ‘Untamed’ Alesandra and her long-time collaborator Randolph Matthews came together with Welsh Musician Sam Fox and local singers to create a soundtrack that is of the African diaspora and incorporates Welsh language and the Pibgorn, and ancient Welsh instrument.
- What have you learned from bringing Theo Clinkard’s Ordinary Courage to a new generation of NDCWales dancers?
I asked Theo Clinkard to come and restage ‘Ordinary Courage’, he originally made this work in 2012 after his mother passed, it explores themes of grief, loss and care. Although the work is 14 years old, the themes are ever present in all our lives and champions the importance of human connection which I know will touch something inside those that experience it in a profound way.
- What drew you to Alesandra Seutin’s Untamed, and what does it bring to the company’s repertoire?
I am also thrilled to have been able to commission Alesandra Seutin to make a new piece for the company. She’s an incredibly influential voice in dance and was nominated for an award at the 2026 Olivier Awards and is currently a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist. Her work is really visceral and energetic. ‘Untamed’ takes the idea of running and asks ‘what are we running from and towards’ literarily, socially & spiritually.
- As you begin your tenure, what would you like to see NDCWales become over the coming years?
Wales has an abundance of creativity whether this is music, opera, theatre or dance. I am especially fascinated by how different art forms are brought together to create distinctive works. What I enjoy the most is how Welsh multiculturalism exists in so much work being made, particularly through the Welsh Language. This is something we embody through our artistic residencies, collaborations and commissions. We want to continue to champion young Welsh people to be proud of where they’re from whether this is through our Young Associates training programme or the work we do in Penrhys. Being able to express my Zimbabwean culture through the work I make is a really special feeling, so cultural identity intersecting with art feels very familiar and profound.
We see a future where Welsh artists are in abundance not just here at NDCWales but on the international stage. We can’t do this alone, but we fly the flag for Wales wherever we are, and nurture Wales’ passion for dance.
I would say that having more young people from diverse backgrounds join our Young Associates and we’re on the right track, an indicator that the work we are doing feels like it can be for anyone.
We are always thinking about how to demystify contemporary dance. We want to give more people the confidence to experience dance in different ways on and off the stage.