Artist Hofesh Shechter and 150 dancers to stage performance at The Tower of London

Ever slipped into an idle daydream about storming your way into the depths of the Tower of London? This week sees artist-cum-contemporary dance superstar Hofesh Shechter do exactly that, with the debut of East Wall, as part of the LIFT 2018.

Assembled by four of the London’s best regarded young choreographers — James Finnemore, Becky Namgauds, Duwane Talor, and Joseph Toonga — East Wall will be the Tower’s first large-scale artistic presentation since Paul Cummins and Tom Piper encircled the landmark with 888, 246 ceramic poppies back in 2014.

Having previously staged performances in venues as grand as the Royal Opera House, and as prestigious as Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Hoefesh Shechter is no stranger to sites of inner-city renown. His latest work, which plays nightly from 18 – 22 July, is as ambitious as anything he’s ever attempted before.

The result of a three-year collaborative project between Hofesh’s company and East London Dance, 150 dancers will join an array of musicians in what’s being billed as a performance where “traditions are turned on their heads and remixed in bold, unique and life affirming ways.”

Promising to blend everything “from grime to gospel, krump to contemporary,” East Wall is set to entwine east London’s rich cultural heritage with one of the city’s most famous, and infamous, locations.