The world premiere of Acosta Danza’s new double bill – Cuban Baroque – in collaboration with York Theatre Royal

The UK premiere of Cuban Baroque, a new double bill from Acosta Danza will take place at York Theatre Royal on Thu 1 October – Sat 03 October.

Blending the artistry of the Baroque period with the energy, creativity, and vibrancy of Cuban dance, the show will feature the world premiere of a new work, Pearls, by Andonis Foniadakis, followed by Goyo Montero’s Chacona.

The show, which is being produced in collaboration with York Theatre Royal will then tour to Sadler’s Wells in London and Norwich Theatre Royal with further 2027 dates to be added.

Carlos Acosta said: “I am very excited about this programme which will encapsulate the essence of Acosta Danza, fusing as it will, classical, Cuban and contemporary vocabularies and styles. I am, of course, a big fan of both choreographers and am delighted that Andonis will create a brand-new piece on my dancers. I look forward to seeing how that develops over the coming months. The flavour of the evening is summarised neatly by the title Cuban Baroque, but essentially this is a programme that anyone interested in any kind of dance can enjoy. I look forward, as always, to seeing how audiences react to the atmosphere this programme will create at its premiere in our first ever visit to the wonderful York Theatre Royal.”

Paul Crewes, CEO of York Theatre Royal said: “It is truly wonderful that York audiences will be the first to experience this phenomenally exciting dance programme on our stage and we are really looking forward to working in collaboration with Carlos Acosta and his company on the show.”

The show opens with the world premiere of a new work, Pearls, by Andonis Foniadakis, which explores the classic chaconne looping structure, cycling through phases of acceleration, fracture, and rebound. Set to Esteban Sallas’ Salve Regina, the score shifts from Baroque lyricism to Cuban drive, showcasing the fusion between memory and contemporary.

Andonis Foniadakis said: “The piece is being built as a chaconne in the broadest sense: a looping architecture that keeps circling back to the same theme like a mantra, each return opening a new variation in colour, density and impulse. Cuban rhythmic principles will seep into the texture (clave, layered pulses, dance-derived momentum) and begin to tilt the baroque theme from within — bringing Sallas’ music fully into the present. In this dialogue, contrast becomes fusion: baroque memory meets Cuban propulsion; choral breath meets percussive drive; live sound meets a discreet electronic halo — shaping a single energetic trajectory that stays clear, intense, and emotionally resonant.”

The second half features Goyo Montero’s powerful Chacona, originally created for the Staatstheater Nürnberg Ballet during Montero’s 17-year tenure as director. Chacona is the final movement of Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D Minor for violin, accompanied here by guitar and piano.  Classical in sound and contemporary in movement, the 16-dancer ensemble moves in complete cohesion in this physically and musically demanding piece.

Goyo Montero said: “This is going to be my fourth collaboration with Acosta Danza since 2015. To bring this work to them and adapt it to their fearless and exceptional dancers is something I am looking forward to very much. To restage this early work and revisit it for them will develop the work further and keep it alive, relevant and ever changing, a choreographer’s dream!”

Acosta Danza’s Cuban Baroque plays at York Theatre Royal Thursday 1 October – Saturday 3 October. Tickets are available here.