Aurora Orchestra break classical boundaries

13 July 2012, 16:57 | Updated: 13 July 2012, 17:25

The groundbreaking Aurora Orchestra have enlisted the help of break dancers to ensure their new battle-themed concert series is more exciting than ever.

The dynamic musicians of the Aurora Orchestra are committed to presenting classical music in exciting new ways. And there are few ways more exciting than including break dancers alongside an orchestral performance.

In the two years since they took up their New Moves residency at LSO St Luke’s, Aurora have collaborated with a range of performers, from tango and capoeira dancers to film-makers and theatre directors. It’s all part of their aim to break down the established conventions of classical music to make it more accessible.

Aurora's Nicholas Collon said it was a natural progression to include break dancers as part of their performances. Adding a dancer gives the audience another way to engage with the music, making every concert as relevant as possible.

“Break dancing is just another form of gestural language – using your body to express music,” he said. “The music that break dancers usually dance to is very rhythmical, very energetic, and highly inventive – and that shares a lot in common with orchestral music.”

The concert, which premiered at Dover Town Hall at the beginning of July as part of the Deal Festival, is inspired by the concept of a battle. It includes Biber’s Battalia for strings and harpsichord, Shostakovich’s war-inspired String Quartet No. 3, and ‘Venus’ and ‘Mars’ from Holst’s Planets.

“All our concerts have very varied repertoire, and they’re all events,” Nicholas added. “It’s more like you’re going to see a whole evening rather than a concert.”

Highlights from the programme will be performed outdoors at Canada Square Park in London on July 15 and as part of the City of London Festival. They are planning a UK tour in spring 2013.

Listen to Classic FM's interview with Aurora Orchestra's Nicholas Collon