Freddie's breakthrough, award-winning Silence Speaks Volumes weaves a rich, multicultural movement vocabulary with powerful partnering and expansive gestures to create a dance that is elegant, evocative and explosive. The soundscore by Sarah Shanson and Fried Dähn combines sampled lyrics from the traditional Ghanaian Asante tribe music with cello strings.
Direction and CHOREOGRAPHY: FREDDIE OPOKU-ADDAIE & PERFORMERS
Performers: Maggie Ho-Ki Kwan (by kind permission of Springs Dance Company), Christina Kalliafa, Chris Rook, Freddie Opoku-Addaie, Louise Tanoto
SOUNDSCORE: SARAH SHANSON & FRIED DÄHN
COSTUME DESIGN: JOANNE PLUM & NATASHA LEWIS
LIGHTING DESIGN: ANDY DOWNIE
Running time: 18 min; Number of Performers: 5
Silence Speaks Volumes was commissioned by The Place Prize for dance 2006 sponsored by Bloomberg. The 2009 revival was supported by Arts Council England, The Place and ROH2.
Tour Dates
| 14 MARCH | CAMBRIDGE, THE JUNCTION |
| 19 MARCH | HAMBLETON, FORUM |
| 25 MARCH | LONDON, STRATFORD CIRCUS |
| 10 APRIL | CARDIFF, DANCE HOUSE |
| 22 APRIL | BRIDLINGTON SPA, THE SPA |
| 23 APRIL | MANCHESTER, THE GREEN ROOM |
| 24 APRIL | LEEDS, RILEY THEATRE |
| 05 MAY | NEWBURY, CORN EXCHANGE |
| 06 MAY | LUTON, THE HAT FACTORY |
| 12/13 MAY | NORWICH, THE GARAGE |
Biography
Freddie Opoku-Addaie is one of the most sought-after choreographers of the new generation of UK dance artists. His work has been presented at Royal Opera House, The Place, South Bank Centre, Goldsmiths University, Richmix, as well as on a national tour of Spain. As a dancer and choreographer he has been involved in a range of projects in Ireland, Italy and the USA.
His work has been described as ‘fresh, confident dance making’ (Donald Hutera). Drawing on such varied sources as his upbringing in multicultural East London, his early participation in seminal projects with Saburo Teshigawara and Wayne McGregor, and working collaboratively with his dancers, composers and designers, Freddie Opoku-Addaie’s performances speak for the new generation of urban experience. Direct in its movement vocabulary, sophisticated in its structure, and generous in approach, Freddie’s work engages the audience through bold vision and visceral emotion.
Freddie Opoku-Addaie creates works for his own company as well as for commissions. He is currently Associate Artist at the Royal Opera House from 2009-2011. In autumn and winter 2009/10 he will create a new work for The Ballet Boyz 2010 national tour, as well as choreograph the solo of The Chosen in the Rite of Spring, commissioned by the BBC from the Ballet Boyz.
Born and based in London, Freddie Opoku-Addaie trained at the London School of Contemporary Dance and has been working as a freelance artist since 2002. As a dancer he has performed and toured with
Candoco Dance Company, Saju Hari, Clod Ensemble, Rashpal Singh Bansal, Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, and Jonzi D. He was also a participant in the Jerwood Bank Project with Siobhan Davies Dance Company (2008). In October 2009 Freddie will perform in the international production Shift...centre by Kenyan choreographer Opiyo Okach as part of Dance Umbrella 2009.
Freddie’s choreographic breakthrough was the quintet Silence Speaks Volumes (2006), which became a finalist and frequent ‘audience favourite’ at The Place Prize 2006. It went on to win the first prize at the VI Certamen Internacional de Coreografia, Burgos (2007). Silence Speaks Volumes has since been revived for Spring Loaded at The Place in May 2009 and will go on national tour in 2010 as part of the National Dance Network tour of young choreographers’ work.
In 2008 Freddie collaborated with acclaimed dancer Jorge Crecis (Candoco, Cie Thor – Belgium) to create Bf – a personal exploration of the male psyche. Bf has been presented at The Place, South Bank Centre, Richmix, Stratford Circus, Swindon Dance and Richmond Adult Education College. In summer 2009 Freddie and Jorge created a female version of the work Bf-f, which has been presented at the ROH2 Summer Collection and at Latitude Festival.
In 2009 Freddie received the much coveted Robin Howard Commission, with which he created the trio Mis-thread. The work premiered in May 2009 as part of a full-evening repertoire at Spring Loaded 2009. Mis-thread has since been included in the Bloom festival by ADAD (Association of Dance of the African Diaspora) in the Purcell Room and decibel Performing Arts Showcase in Manchester. Freddie received a Trailblazer award from ADAD in 2008 and participated in the international choreographic research programme Choreoroam.
Freddie has also worked in the commercial sector. He has choreographed and performed for Bailey’s, Ford, MTV and other promotional and corporate events in the UK and internationally.
Press Quotes
"Talent-spotters take heed: you will be hearing more about Freddie Opoku-Addaie."
Donald Hutera, The Times, May 2009
“Addaie has created a genuinely new and distinctive dance work with a relevant, urban, Multicultural sensibility. His vision has come into its own.
Ballet Magazine
"Silence Speaks Volumes gives notice of potentially major talent, boldly mixing and matching disparate dance styles and making them work.”
Keith Watson, Metro
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