Javier De Frutos and Chantry Dance

Posted on June 24, 2021

Javier De Frutos is collaborating with Chantry Dance to direct and choreograph a short dance film set to Walt Whitman’s poem, Whoever You Are Holding Me Now in Hand. The piece will be danced by Paul Chantry and Rae Piper. Although this is the first time De Frutos has worked with the company, his relationship with co-artistic director Paul Chantry goes back a long way. Chantry has danced for De Frutos in several productions, including Eternal Damnation to Sancho and Sanchez in 2009.  

Shortly after Chantry performed in the Pet Shop Boys’ and De Frutos’ production of The Most Incredible Thing in 2011, he and his wife, Piper, founded Chantry Dance as a theatrical contemporary ballet company. The pair are known for their choreographic work on the Olivier-nominated production of David Walliam’s Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy. The pandemic prompted them to explore creating dance for film, and also to fulfil the ambition to collaborate with De Frutos.

 “I once stated I would cut off my right-arm to work with Javier De Frutos,” Piper said. “Fortunately, such drastic measures haven’t been necessary, but I can say, without a shred of hesitation, that the dance world needs more work by Javier De Frutos, and Chantry Dance is honoured to collaborate with him.” Learn more at chantrydancecompany.orghttp://chantrydancecompany.org.

Photographs: Top: Rae Piper and Paul Chantry. Photographer: Dani Bower.

Below: Javier De Frutos. Photographer: Billy Trevitt.

Simon Oliver

Simon Oliver has been production editor of Dancing Times since 2010 and is highly experienced in design across print and online magazine production. Throughout his career, Simon has worked on a diverse range of subjects including music, family history, book collecting and poker.