Motionhouse show chosen for Marseille celebration

Motionhouse’s show Traction, which was created for the opening of the Spiceal Street development at Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham (pictured right) will be one of 400 performances, 60 exhibitions and 100 concerts involved in the La Folle Histoire des Arts de la Rue event in Marseille in May.

In the production, six Motionhouse dancers move in unison with three JCB diggers in a what the company describes as a “high voltage celebration of the powerful harmony of humans and machines”.

Audiences will see the performers on the beach at Marseille’s Prado Nord, as the city showcases the work of street artists from across Europe and the Mediterranean.

Motionhouse’s artistic director Kevin Finnan, who created the show, says it is “impossibly emotive and theatrically unforgettable, defying gravity and suspending disbelief”, as the diggers and dancers come together in a display of “extreme acrobatic partnering, animaline strength and startling unison”.

He said: “We are delighted to announce that Traction will be performed at La Folle Histoire des Arts de la Rue as part of the Marseille-Provence 2013 European Capital of Culture Celebrations.

“The combination of the raw power of machinery with the athleticism of our dancers is quite awe-inspiring and we are certain that visitors to the festival will be thrilled by the sheer spectacle of the performance.”

Visitors to the show, which takes place on May 10 and 11 at 3pm and 9.30pm on both days, will also be able to get on board an ‘Expo Bus’, on which they can gain an intellectual insight into the artistic process behind the production and watch a video interview with Mr Finnan which was filmed during preparations for the show’s premiere in Birmingham.

To find out more about Motionhouse, which is based in Spencer Yard, Leamington, and tours its productions around the world, visit www.motionhouse.co.uk or follow the company on Twitter @MotionhouseDT