Announcing Five New Choreographic and Curatorial Commissions

18 July 2025

Chandenie Gobardhan, Clara Bajado, Chris Reyes, Kumari Suraj, Jade Hackett

We‘re thrilled to announce that we have commissioned five amazing artists to bring incredible work directly to you.

Choreographic commissions have been given to Chandenie Gobardhan, Clara Bajado and Jade Hackett to create innovative dance works, and commissions for Chris Reyes and Kumari Suraj will allow each to curate week-long takeovers of the Talent House. 

“We are proud to be offering these commissions to artists from both the Global Majority and queer community, at different critical points in their artistic journeys, giving them the opportunity to experiment, realise their visions, explore their heritage and celebrate their communities through innovative performance work and curated communal experiences.” Tia Hassan and Kate Scanlan, Joint CEOs and Artistic Directors, ELD.

Our choreographic commissioning programme SPACE 2 CREATE is supported by The Linbury Trust and Arts Council England. This year’s iteration is a co-commissioning partnership with The Place.

Our building takeover programme OUR HOUSE is supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Arts Council England.

Both programmes illustrate East London Dance’s unwavering commitment to support the creativity and career progression of creatives, artists and producers from, living in and working in east London.  

Find out more about the works we are commissioning below and read the full press release HERE.

Caught Again in the Net of Rebirth by Chandenie Gobardhan

A retelling of Trimurti – the Vedic cycle of creation, preservation, and destruction – this full-length dance work traces the unravelling of identity, where past, present, and future selves intersect, and different timelines of a single life meet in one moment.

“It’s a dream come true to bring the vision of a full-length production to life. I’m deeply grateful for the support. Creating work takes a village and backing for ambitious projects like this is rare, which makes ELD’s support all the more meaningful. Their belief in the work fuels not only the work but also my personal growth.” Chandenie Gobardhan

Anak by Clara Bajado

This solo dance performance rooted in Clara’s journey to reconnect with their Filipino heritage, merges traditional Filipino dance with House dance to a soundtrack fusing tribal sounds and modern beats.

“This commission allows me a major step in my artistic journey, giving me the time, space, and support to deepen my choreographic practice and allowing me to contribute to ELD’s artistic ecosystem as a creator beyond my previous work with them as an educator. My hope is that this work will inspire others to explore their own cultural roots and celebrate where they come from.” Clara Bajado

Boxxed Up by Jade Hackett

Set in a vehicle this high energy and intricate dance work sees a cast of four Hip Hop dancers perform to Grime and Drill music, in an exploration of the experiences of the unfortunately large demographic of young black and brown men that are greatly affected by British law.

“I am hugely grateful to ELD for supporting me to tell this important story. The aim of the piece is to challenge the ethical nature of the law, as well as humanising the experience of these young adults when presented with impossible decisions, that they are forced to make quickly, in dealing with the infrastructure that penalises them regardless of whether they are right or wrong.” Jade Hackett

Boxxed Up is a co-commission with The Place.

House of Suraj – OUR HOUSE building takeover (22-28 September 2025)

A vibrant celebration of queer resilience, resistance, wellness, and fantasy, this week of workshops, discussions, and events to uplift and connect, culminates with performances inspired by Dionysian revelry, nature worship, disco, and unapologetic fluidity promising a night of lavish celebration, sensuality, and healthy escapism. 

“House of Suraj’s goal is to offer our Queer, Trans and Non-binary community a joyful retreat from daily challenges—where they can feel loved, appreciated, and genuinely entertained… I’ve created a brave space with ELD to remind us of our superpowers… We need this. We need us” Kumari Suraj

Find out more HERE

Chris Reyes – OUR HOUSE building takeover (9-15 March 2026)

Focused on cultural themes surrounding colonialism, identity, migration & displacement this programme will explore new artistic work that delves into the untold stories of the Filipino experience, and their effect on the diaspora communities.

“This project emerged in response to the global rise in anti-Asian hate crimes towards Filipino diaspora communities exacerbated during the pandemic… Many Filipinos found solace in documenting our experiences… My goal is to develop a new cultural and contemporary piece that uplifts these stories through a creative and visual experience.” Chris Reyes