Monday, 30 November 2009

Ashcraig and Smithycroft Schools

The first day of our schools residency in Glasgow.
Claire Cunningham and Holly Jones join to assist the project.
Students from Ashcraig and Smithycroft Schools meet for the first time are introduced to each other, the aerial equipment and some of the basic techniques.
A really good day, fantastic support form staff at the school, great soup for lunch and a warm hall to work in.

Sunday, 29 November 2009


Participants wrote...
"I challenged myself"
"Like a bird, like Tarzan, like a superhero ninja hero!"
"It's all about momentum and a good grip with your partners hands"
"great feeling of being at different levels and exploring different body contacts and observing others"
"most exciting and wonderful"
"even small movements feel intense... finding out what the body is able to do without forcing it"
"encouraged creativity"
" I felt beautiful and fast"
"A weekend has never flown by so quickly as this one"

Saturday, 28 November 2009

Glasgow flying day one

end of a brilliant first day in Glasgow. Such a lovely group of energetic, enthusiastic, supportive dancers. Nikki did a great job rigging and she and Claire have been assisting with the workshop.
Today we did some basic skills on the semi static ropes with and without partners. Tomorrow... hope people aren't too sore.

Thursday, 19 November 2009

Blue Eyed Soul take to the road

Next week we kick start our latest outreach project. We are taking Where the Wind Blows on tour. This is a performance and workshop project for 4-8 year olds directed by Bettina Strickler.

We begin by visiting four schools in Telford where will be performing twice and delivering two workshops at each school. So far we have received terrific feedback from the schools we have already performed at, and I'm really excited to be performing this to so many young people in so many schools. Where the Wind Blows is such a departure from all the other pieces I have performed in. Throughout the piece we use paper based props and and myself and the other performer Claire Reynolds have quite animated characters. There are certain sections which really provoke a range of reactions from the audience.


After each piece we will be delivering a forty minute piece using some of the piece's themes. By watching first and then participating in the workshop the young people really get a sense of what Where the Wind Blows is all about. They can have a go at tasks themselves which we used whilst making the piece.


Following on from our week in Telford we will be taking the project to schools in Lincolnshire and we hope to confirm further dates in the new year.Please re visit the blog to follow our progress.

Thursday, 12 November 2009

Hong Kong here we come!


We are all very excited about our next project abroad. In early December Rachel Freeman will be leading a community project in Hong Kong. We have been invited by Mok Chiu Yu Chief Executive of The Centre for Community Cultural Development.


Rachel will be accompanied by lighting designer Arnim Friess and by dance assistant Tids Pickard. Both artists have worked with the company on a number of projects before.


Wander a human landscape draws upon the personal and shared experiences of participants to create a shifting landscape of their lives and bodies. They will focus on intricate details as well as bigger pictures, exploring colours, textures, contours, perspective through live and recorded movement and digital media.

The project provides Hong Kong artists with training and will be performed at Hong Kong’s prestigious Jockey Club Theatre on the 19th and 20th December allowing the Company to return to Shropshire in time for Christmas.


Everyone else in the company wishes you all a very exciting and successful trip - and don't forget to take lots of photos fof future blogs!

BES Supporting our environment


In an effort to support environmental issues whilst looking after our staff's health and fitness, we have signed up for the national cycle to work scheme.


The scheme allows employees to purchase a push bike to travel to and from their worplace. A contract is signed which allows the employee to pay back the money through monthly instalments from their wages. Rachel Freeman is the first person from BES to benefit from the scheme as she is a keen cyclist.


The image shown is Rachel arriving to the office donning her helmet and a very fetching fluorescent jacket.

Thursday, 5 November 2009

Like Youth Dance Project

We are about to embark on a new and exciting two year youth dance project in Telford called Like Youth Dance.

Over the two years will be delivering a wide range of events for young people. We will be performing Where the Wind Blows and delivering workshops alongside it to a number of schools in Telford, as well as organising a very exciting event we are calling Flashmob. For those of you who do not know ther term flashmob...the T-mobile advert with everyone dancing at a train station all at the same time is a flashmob. We are organising an event in a school where everyone gets told where and when a flashmob will happen, they will take their own ipods and dance to their favourite track or sharing an earpiece with a friend, creating a 'Silent Rave' event which will be filmed.

We will be touring where the wind blows to Telford Schools during the week of 23rd November. We will also be touring to schools in the Midlands going as far as Lincolnshire.

The workshops we will be delivering will be based on themes used within the show. Keep following this blog for further updates on Like Youth Dance development and responces to Where the Wind Blows.