Major new dance work inspired by David Bowie and his fearless reinvention to premiere in 2028

Sadler’s Wells (UK), Bunkamura (Japan) and La Veronal (Spain) have announced that a major new dance work from visionary choreographer Marcos Morau celebrating the enduring legacy of David Bowie is in production. SUBJECT TO CHANGE - A Dance for David Bowie will receive its world premiere in Luxembourg at Les Théâtres de la Ville in spring 2028, its UK premiere at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London in autumn 2028, and Asian premiere at Bunkamura in Tokyo in spring 2029.

From Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane to the Thin White Duke and beyond, each Bowie persona had its own distinct character – a specific relationship between voice, body and identity. Now award-winning Spanish choreographer Marcos Morau, known for creating visually arresting worlds rooted in abstract movement and physical theatre, will celebrate the boundless creativity of an artist who transformed the cultural landscape.

David Bowie’s iconic songs and original vocals are reimagined, interwoven with choral sounds from across the globe and acclaimed vocalist María Arnal in a rich and eclectic score. The production will feature musical direction by Alex Röser Vatiché and Ben Meerwein of OZCUR, costume design by Silvia Delagneau and set design by Max Glaenzel.

More information and casting to follow.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE - A Dance for David Bowie is a Bunkamura, Sadler’s Wells and La Veronal production; co-producing partners include Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, La Biennale di Venezia, Centro Cultural de Belém (Lisboa/PT) with more to be announced.

Marcos Morau, Choreographer and Creator, said: “David Bowie practised a form of artistic reincarnation. Throughout his career, he created a succession of personas and destroyed each one so that the next could be born. He appeared as Ziggy Stardust, then deliberately ended it to re-emerge as Aladdin Sane. He lived for a moment as Halloween Jack and later transformed into the Thin White Duke. Each time the persona changed, the previous one disappeared. The final transformation was Blackstar. Bowie turned his own death into part of the artwork itself.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE is a work about that cycle of reincarnation. About the phenomenon itself: the act of dying and being reborn, again and again, as a way of remaining alive. I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to, in my own way, bring to life a new work that responds to Bowie’s creation, and re-creation, through dance. The cycle that Bowie enacted across his artistic life is re-enacted here, in sound and movement, in real time, on stage. It is an honour to create a new piece that takes its cue from an artist who is a great personal inspiration to me.”

Sir Alistair Spalding CBE, Artistic Director and Co-Chief Executive of Sadler's Wells, said: “We are delighted to jointly announce today that our next major international collaboration takes its inspiration from the visionary artist that is David Bowie. A true icon, his artistry always transcended boundaries; working across, and leaving an indelible impact on, the worlds of music, fashion, cinema, performance and more. He was an artist with a truly global outlook and reach, and so it only feels right that internationalism is at the very heart of this production. We are therefore excited to be working with the remarkable Spanish artist and choreographer Marcos Morau and our colleagues at Bunkamura, Tokyo, to create a new dance work that responds to the many artistic expressions that Bowie explored and to share it with the world.”

Hajime Shimada, President and CEO of Tokyu Bunkamura, Inc., said: “Few artists have transformed themselves as radically, or as many times, as David Bowie. And perhaps none have left a deeper mark on the generations who came after — giving artists everywhere permission to become someone entirely new. Marcos Morau is one of those artists, and his singular vision makes him exactly the right person to enter Bowie's world. We are proud to be bringing this work to life together with Sadler's Wells and Marcos Morau — a partner with whom we share both values and ambitions — and very much look forward to the journey ahead.”

Trained in photography, movement and theatre, Spanish choreographer Marcos Morau builds imaginary worlds and landscapes with a lucid look towards contemporaneity. He was named Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2023 by the French Ministry of Culture and selected as Best Choreographer of the Year in 2023 and 2025 by German magazine Tanz.

Since 2004, he has directed La Veronal, which has become one of the most prominent dance companies on the European scene, and in 2013 he received the National Dance Award from the Spanish Ministry of Culture, and the National Culture Award of Catalonia in 2025. La Veronal has presented its productions in the most renowned theatres and festivals across more than 30 countries including at the Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris, the Biennale di Venezia, the Festival d'Avignon, Tanz im August in Berlin, the Romaeuropa Festival, SIDance Festival in Seoul, Sadler's Wells in London and Danse Danse Montréal.

In addition to his continuous work with La Veronal, Marcos Morau is a guest artist with several companies and theatres around the world, where he develops new creations situated halfway between the performing arts and dance: Paris Opera Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Royal Danish Ballet or the Royal Ballet of Flanders, among many others. Since 2023, he has been an associate artist at the Staatsballett Berlin, a company linked to the Deutsche Oper, the Komische Oper and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. He is also a resident choreographer for Nederlands Dans Theater and a guest artist at the Triennale di Milano.

Sadler’s Wells Producing and Touring Department was established in 2005 and has since produced 89 works including 64 new full-length productions, which have performed to audiences of more than two million and visited 51 countries. Since its inception, the Department has produced work by artists including William Forsythe, Sylvie Guillem, Russell Maliphant, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Michael Keegan-Dolan, Crystal Pite, Botis Seva, Ivan Blackstock, Kate Prince, Anthony Gormley, Hussein Chalayan, Thomas Ades, and Sting. These productions have toured to some of the most prestigious theatres and festivals around the world, such as the Sydney Opera House, China Shanghai International Arts Festival, Chekhov International Theatre Festival in Moscow, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, Park Avenue Armory, New York, and Santiago a mil Festival in Chile.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE - A Dance for David Bowie is a Bunkamura, Sadler’s Wells and La Veronal production

www.sadlerswells.com/bowie