THE CEDAR DANCE THEATRE

Founded in the early 1970’s by Choreographer/Artistic Director Janet Randell, with a background in contemporary dance (The Place, London and Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, New York) and ballet, national and historical dance (Associate, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing). The Cedar Dance Theatre (formerly Cedar of Lebanon Dance Company) emerged in the 70’s as one of the leading small to medium scale professional dance companies performing in London theatres and on UK tours, giving educational workshops, residencies, master classes, lecture demonstrations and TV performances.

The Company has always attracted leading dancers who are interested in being challenged by choreographer Janet Randell to explore her range of modern dance styles, which extend the boundaries of experimental, independent and innovative dance. Company dancers of mixed background include former members of Rambert Dance Company, London Contemporary Dance Theatre, Royal Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, Nederlands Dans Theatre, Dutch National Ballet, Extemporary Dance, Hong Kong Ballet. The aim of the Artistic Director is to create expressive works of dramatic or abstract appeal, related to a wide range of subjects such as mythology and social/historical/religious/Christian issues. The Company was one of the first to pioneer in performing professional dance in churches throughout the UK and to encourage community church dancing (see Publications and Cedar Dance in Worship). The home rehearsal venue and platform for workshop performances/classes has been the crypt of the world famous St Martin in the Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, Central London since 1975.

Arts Guardian: “Miss Randell is the one who really and truly has got something. She is exploring where, in our times, only Martha Graham has, to any great extent, explored before. A genuine distinctive choreographic imagination.”

Daily Telegraph: “Performing with variety and maturity…
reached new standards of polish and vitality…
astonishing variety and styles and moods in
Janet Randell’s choreography.”

Selection of works performed by the Cedar Dance Theatre throughout the UK (including The Barbican Concert Hall, London; The Young Vic, London; All Souls, Langham Place, London; Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds; Theatre Clwyd, Mold; Essex University Theatre, Colchester; Cheltenham College; Gwent College; Sherman Theatre, Cardiff; St. Mary’s Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, The Leeds Armouries, BBC, ITV):

Contact: Cedar Dance Theatre, 42 Gunton Road, London E5 9JS
email: janet_randell@lineone.net