Novo

June Moon: Sivan Rubinstein

A double-exposure image in warm red and brown tones features a dancer in mid-motion overlaid with a soft, floral silhouette. A vertical stack of golden line-art symbols, including a crown, an eye, and a heart, is centered over the figure.
Photo by Jurga Ramonaite

About Novo

At the heart of NOVO lies the belief that the body is not separate from the universe, but an expression of it. The Chakras help to map the body and re-connect to its living portals of sensation, memory, and motion. Through her signature blend of dance and philosophy, artist and choreographer Sivan Rubinstein deepens her ongoing inquiry into the body as home: a vessel for creation, loss and transformation.

Audiences can deepen their engagement with the performance’s themes through the exhibition in the bar and the pre-show talk.

A relaxed matinee you can bring your baby to
There will be a relaxed morning performance that you can bring your baby to followed by an opportunity to meet the artist and gently move to live music with your baby. Designed for up-to-2 parents/ carers per child (pre-walkers and crawlers). Please ensure that both adult and baby tickets are booked at the same time.

Sivan Rubinstein will be teaching Professional Class at The Place from Monday 8 - Friday 12 June, 9-10.30am. Find out more here.

Exhibition in the bar

An extract from Embodied Activism is presented in the bar throughout the show run. Working fluidly across dance, projection and installation, this transformative body of work is centred on the idea that out of destruction comes life. The project was originally realised as a three-month exhibition at Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth, co-curated by Sivan Rubinstein and Ricardo Reveron Blanco.

A film will be shown in the bar via headphones and a screen, made in collaboration with Sivan and Dr Margarida Cardoso Moreira of the Francis Crick Institute. It is informed by her research in her lab, which works on studying an exceptional organ: the placenta.

Pre-show talk

There will be a pre-show panel discussion offering insight into Sivan Rubinstein’s research process, joined by collaborators Dr Sarah Fine Associate Professor of Philosophy Fellow of Corpus Christi College University of Cambridge, Ricardo Reveron Blanco award winning writer, curator , Dr Margarida Cardoso Moreira of the Francis Crick Institute and Christina Elliot, Head of Programming and Producing at The Place. The conversation will reflect on practices of creation and collaboration, and explore the body as a site and tool for research.

About Sivan Rubinstein

Sivan Rubinstein is a London-based choreographer, director, and researcher creating highly visual works at the intersection of performance, visual art, and academic research. Her practice combines artistic collaboration with research-based inquiry. This year, she continues developing her Neurodivergent Methodology for dance during a residency at Versiliadanza, Italy, as part of Open Dialogo, while exploring research and participatory practice, The Body as a Home, as Artist in Residence at PDSW and Cambridge University. She was previously Artist in Residence at The Place and King’s College London.

June Moon is a creative engagement company connecting academia and the arts through interdisciplinary practice, workshops, talks, and performances, bringing research to communities and creating spaces for dialogue and learning.

Cast & creatives

Choreographer: Sivan Rubinstein

Composer: Liran Donin

Dramaturg: Xenia Aidonopoulou

Light Designer and Production Manager: Zoé Ritchie

Botanical Set Design: Alina Dheere

Costume Designer: Zi Kim

Research and Development Collaborators: Lou Moria, Masako Masuchita, Dr. Sarah Fine

Understudy: Lydia Walker

Producer: Treacle Holasz

Assistant Producer: Zöe Grain of Treacle Makes

Marketing and Digital Content Support: Upright Fools

Creative Consultant: Ricardo Reverón Blanco

Graphic Designer: Maya Cohen

Photographer: Jurga Ramonaite

credits

Novo was created as part of Sivan’s artist residency at Cambridge University and commissioned by The Place. It was made with support from JW3, Queen Mary University, Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement, Valle Gaudia, Pesero 2024 and Amat, Dance East and Dugdale Arts Centre.

  • A dancer in a white top and red wide-leg pants performs on a dark stage. Three bright blue spotlights cut through a hazy atmosphere, illuminating the dancer and casting long shadows across the textured floor.
  • A profile of a person standing in a dimly lit space filled with red and purple light. They are wearing a white ruffled blouse and red pants, with their arms bent upward and hands crossed behind their head in a moment of reflection or preparation. A cool blue light hits their arms and hair, creating a sharp contrast against the warm, hazy background.
  • A person performs a dynamic contemporary dance on a dark stage. They are captured in mid-motion, balanced on one foot with the other leg extended high to the side. They wear a long, rust-red garment with a white fabric wrap around the waist. Their arms are raised toward the upper left, with one hand open and reaching, while their head is tilted back. Dramatic lighting highlights the dancer's form and the flowing textures of the fabric against the solid black background.