Connecting to Cohan

An evening celebrating Sir Robert Cohan's final work live on stage and on film including a discussion with guest artists on how the work was made and the legacy that remains.

Robert Cohan created his final work Afternoon Conversations with Dancers almost entirely over Zoom.

Set to music by Nils Frahm and Ólafur Arnolds, these five intimate choreographed conversations tell personal yet universal stories of isolation, loss and survival with Cohan harnessing the power of dance to express the triumph of the human spirit.

Created during lockdown, Cohan utilised the time of isolation to film each solo on location to create a series of portraits with the dancers.

Lockdown Portraits is now a film of seven solos directed by acclaimed documentary maker David Stewart.

Dancers from Yorke Dance Project, The Royal Ballet and Martha Graham Dance Company embody Cohan's unique choreography, movement that speaks to us all.

Special guest speakers, Arsenal legend Lee Dixon and director of Lockdown Portraits and the Arsenal documentary 89, David Stewart discuss with artistic director Yolande Yorke-Edgell their friendship and work experiences with Robert Cohan and the crossover between sport and dance through. Hear about Cohan’s first experience of going to a live football game at the age of 95 and his view of a football pitch as “the best stage in the world!”