For more than 20 years Les Ballets C de la B has been giving seminal performances in contemporary dance and physical theatre.

The company became worldrenowned for an eclectic, partly surrealist mixture of modern dance, plays and music and has since become an artistic platform for various choreographers.

Following rave reviews for 2004's Bache, the pioneering dance collective is back with another compelling piece, in a UK premiere commissioned by the Brighton Festival.

Rising star choreographer/dancer Koen Augustijnen, has collaborated with counter-tenor Steve Dugardin to produce a show combining dance, acrobatics, live music and song, performed by a global cast of dancers.

Now house choreographer, Augustijnen has risen through the ranks of Les Ballets after starting as a dancer and has brought with him his experience of working with legendary choreographers such as Les Ballets founder Alain Patel.

Import Export is an intensive exploration of baroque and contemporary electronic music and an athletic and adventurous investigation of powerlessness: powerlessness in an aggressive world, powerlessness in an intimate environment.

Set to profane French baroque songs of composers such as Lambert, Charpentier and Couperin, it is performed live by the fabulous allfemale Kirke String Quartet.

Dugardin's accompanying electronic industrial sound creates an uneasy soundscape, highlighting the vulnerability of the human voice.

Programmer Guy Morley says: "Les Ballets is one of the leading physical theatre companies in the world.

"We have commissioned this work especially for the festival and we are very proud to have them perform this UK premiere."

  • Starts: 8pm, Tickets: £15, £22.50.

Post-show talk, Sun May 13, free to ticket holders