Danza

When I meet John Neumeier in Vienna in the late afternoon, he explains immediately that he is feeling a little discombobulated (my word not his). He is currently choreographing and filming for the New Year’s Day Concert and his working hours are 8pm until 4.30am. His sleep patterns are feeling a tad muddled. In spite of this, he looks supremely elegant and relaxed.

At this year’s Edinburgh International Festival, acclaimed choreographer Kim Brandstrup unveiled his latest work: Breaking Bach, danced to music by JS Bach. Nothing unusual about that, but if I said that it was a collaboration between six professional dancers, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE), and seven hip-hop dancers from a secondary school in north London, you might be surprised.

Pancho was just 21 when she started the company in 2001. “I wasn’t really aware of what it would actually take. I think I was very naïve,” she reflects. “If I’d had any idea of how much work it would be, I probably wouldn’t have done it, but each step has been a surprise. I learned how to do it but I’m still not sure I really know how to do it.”