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Dancing with the Shadow

Alberga discovers the world of modern dance.

Eleanor Alberga is a quietly rebellious composer. She draws inspiration from Jamaican folk songs, children's fairytales, ancient mythology - even chemistry. She was one of the first pianists to take modern dance seriously. And as a student, she arrived to performances on a motorcycle. This week, Alberga joins Kate Molleson and takes us on a journey from Kingston to London and beyond.

In today's programme, Alberga tells Kate Molleson about her first real job, at a dance studio, where she was introduced to a kind of movement she’d never encountered before, made up of abstract shapes and gestures. It was while improvising for these modern dancers that she finally realised: she was a composer.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Mirror's Dance
Taliesin Orchestra, conducted by Peter Ash

Dancing with the Shadow
Lontano Ensemble, conducted by Odaline de la Martinez

Clouds
Eleanor Alberga, piano

Ice Flow
Eleanor Alberga, piano

Produced by Alice McKee for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Audio

Release date:

59 minutes

On radio

Wed 8 Oct 2025 16:00

Broadcast

  • Wed 8 Oct 2025 16:00

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