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Wolfgang Stange, 1947-2024: Choreographer, Founder and Director of Amici Dance Theatre Company
“This is real theatre, of which it can truthfully be said that it changes the way you see the world” - The Observer
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“This is real theatre, of which it can truthfully be said that it changes the way you see the world” - The Observer
A statement from Hilary Beard, Chair of trustees on behalf of all of Amici Dance Theatre Company:
Wolfgang Stange, world renowned artistic dance director and choreographer in integrative dance theatre, innovator and friend to so many, sadly left the world on 3rd December 2024.
Born in Berlin in 1947, a witness to the suffering of war he was profoundly influenced by Hilde Holger his first dance teacher. Going on to train at the London School of Contemporary Dance, Wolfgang lived in the UK dividing his time between the UK and Sri Lanka alongside his lifelong partner George Beven, tap dancer, renowned Sri Lankan artist and Wolfgang’s rock of stability. Wolfgang was visionary and groundbreaking in placing utter faith and respect in the potential of everyone to dance regardless of personal, emotional or physical limitation. Able to awaken the joy of spontaneous movement however small and overcoming what may seem impossible he could engender creativity out of chaos.
In 1980 Wolfgang founded Amici Dance Theatre Company which will celebrate 45 years together as a company in 2025. Based at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in London and supported by Turtle Key Arts, Amici’s productions challenge and inspire audiences confronting issues of war, genocide, isolation, insanity, oppression and exclusion to name but a few. Uncompromising in the direct portrayal of cultural taboos Wolfgang’s creativity and honesty speaks to the triumph of humanity, compassion, care, love and hope over brutality and adversity. Audiences leave exhausted, moved but enheartened.
In 1982 Sir Ben Kingsley collaborated with Wolfgang for a TV play called “Feel Free” by Nick Darke based on Wolfgang’s work and Sir Ben Kingsley became Amici’s patron. In 1993 Wolfgang won the Vaslav Nijinsky award from the Polish Artists Agency for his choreography of “The Journey” which was performed in Warsaw as well as London. Wolfgang was awarded an honorary Doctorate from Roehampton University in 2023 and a lifetime achievement award from Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council in 2022.
Wolfgang became an acclaimed workshop leader and dance director teaching in Sri Lanka, Japan, Australia, America, Egypt and Europe. In Sri Lanka he created four productions for the Butterfly Theatre Company with the Sunera Foundation working with refugees, disabled soldiers, ex-Tamil fighters and Tsunami survivors. His work has touched the hearts of so many.
Wolfgang’s passionate humanity, profound respect for each individual and strong sense of the power of community resonates in all his work. He changed people’s lives. Many people who have worked with Amici or attended a workshop have gone on to create and work with people with abilities and disabilities having been awakened to the potential we all possess to dance and express what is meaningful, regardless of diversity. A touch, a gesture, movement and stillness, humour and suffering, brutality and hope - these are the themes Wolfgang evokes in his work.
“What some might see as disabilities, Stange sees as traits to be harnessed and used. He’s a showman, wholly unsentimental, with an exceptional gift for drawing truthful performances from his cast. He’s also one of British theatre’s great unsung heroes. Few artists make a real difference. Stange has.” - Luke Jennings, The Observer
Wolfgang’s personality was irrepressible. His many friends around the world would be regaled with repeated stories told in words and gestures from his colourful life. Faced with the adversity of eliciting funding he would say “we will find a way” and he always did. His compassion for others, his generosity, honesty and strong sense of justice shone through in everything he did. His boldness at times could cause discomfort as well as laughter. He was uncompromising in his fierce dedication to creative truth and the dignity of everyone.
Now, sadly, the lives that Wolfgang touched must bear his loss. It is a great loss, and it is right to grieve and miss him, but his legacy remains vital and alive within the hearts and bodies of so many people around the world who have played and danced with him.
In Wolfgang’s own words “Without hope we would be very lost indeed. Even with the tragic conflicts and wars going on, we must have hope, hope for a better future, I believe our only hope for salvation is acceptance and tolerance.”
Wolfgang’s creativity, compassion, care and humanity remains. This dance will continue...
Further information: The Funeral of Wolfgang Stange will take place on Thursday 16th January 2025 at 11am, St Andrews Church, Fulham Fields, Greyhound Road London W14 9SA, which will be live streamed. The link will be on the Amici website homepage: www.amicidance.org
Amici’s planned 45th Anniversary show ‘Our Time’ will still go ahead in 2025 at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith from Wednesday 22nd - Saturday 25th October.
