Hussein Chalayan to present first dance work

By

Cajsa Lykke Carlson

Published
May 29, 2015

Hussein Chalayan, the fashion designer and artist known for his groundbreaking, avant-garde creations, is choosing another medium for his vision this autumn: dance.

Chalayan's first dance production will be shown at London's contemporary dance studio Sadler's Wells from October 28-31. Called "Gravity Fatigue," it is directed and designed by Chalayan, working with choreographer Damien Jalet. The work is inspired by themes of identity and displacement.

Hussein Chalayan said: "I feel very honoured to be given this opportunity at Sadler’s Wells, to be able to extend my interests and world view into the realms of performance and dance. Fashion for me is a very important part of culture, however, in many cases clothes can limit the expression of certain ideas. This production will allow me to showcase ideas which I have been collecting for many years and to build narratives around and with the body in a much broader context than ever seen before in my work."

In autumn 2000, Chalayan's fashion show After Words was presented at Sadler's Wells, and the designer has also previously created costumes for productions at Sadler's Wells.

Sadler’s Wells’ Artistic Director and CEO Alistair Spalding said: "It is in Sadler’s Wells’ DNA to support ground-breaking collaborations between dance makers and artists from other fields, so I was very excited when Hussein Chalayan accepted my invitation to take the artistic lead on the choreographic process in his first dance production."