week 2

Big change of plans, back in the barn all week instead of the theatre. Hope it stays warm for us.

Just got over the stress of the American embassy, queue tastic and very frustrating.

Jess smacked her head on the floor rehearsing new pulley system with Aldous today, and now has a big egg.

But, apart from the above all is going really well, we seem to have Take back under our belts, the flying is feeling really good again and am slowly getting stronger.

Enjoying the company at Longlands.

re-working Take

Great first week of rehearsals for Washington. A lot of re-working, improving. Brain and body hurting! Lovely being all together again. A bit disconcerting working without the rig at first but our new set up seems pretty good now, new possibilities too.

Blue Eyed Soul = Sun, Sun, Sun! Barn on the farm was super warm, a great place to be working, alongside our pig "friends" (bit scary)

Material all there, week 2 to refine.

All the music is on a loop in my head today, it's that kind of sunny, idyllic day, as it has been all week.

Excited to get in the theatre and looking forward to VSA.

Day 2 dancers on site

Rose Eleni and Jess
reunited "seems like only moments ago..."
Tim delivers straw bales
Cherry brings us covers for them
working out the dimensions of the rigging to correspond with the Kennedy Centre

Preparation for TAKE a Dance in the Park

Day 1 of rehearsals
rigging and laying a floor
hiring a ladder
meeting the sheep dogs
occupying the space...

Post Project Reflections

Phew...the project is now over!!

Over the course of the weekend I have had time to sit back and reflect on the project at Merstone School. It was so lovely to witness the buzz of excitment and sense of achievment from all the pupils and staff involved. I see the project as if Miriam and I were the stones gently dropped into the pond and starting a gentle but awe inspiring ripple effect which reached all three schools.

Even though I have probably reached doubled figures in the amount of schools residencies I have co-led on, the hand on head/what shall we do challenges still face us. It ALWAYS seems worth it in the end as we sit back fighting tears of joy as the participants perform so beautifully.

Talking to support staff throughout the week we were constantly told how much participants are gainning from the week and how much the staff wish they could continue to work in this way on a regular basis.

As I sat looking through photographs of the project all the memories came flooding back. It is quite overwhelming to consider the magnitude of achievment for people.

I really hope we can visit again very soon. This project will stay with me for a long time.

50 Ways- Northampton- Leading with Eyes

Hello again... I just can't leave this wonderful work alone can I? Looking through more of my footage I realised that Sally and I never posted this fabulous edit of the 50 Ways Workshop we led for the Investment in Professionals programme at Northants Dance in March this year. I remember the participants on the day made a specific request to have it posted.

It is an exercise where anybody can lead a solo, duet, trio... or entire group of dancers merely by moving their eyes. It is a particularly useful exercise for people whose primary method of communication is through the movement of their eyes.

Dance About... And All the Trimmings!!!

As I sit in my garden in Nottingham, no longer officially in post with Blue Eyed Soul, I cannot resist one last look at the fantastic Dance About performance by the Contact Group in March. Clearly I got carried away and created this short edited version of the live piece. The group were so much fun to work with, adding their creative ideas to the mix, really committed, energetic and focused. A true team. After the 5 shows we invited the audience to come and learn some of the choreography and creative tasks we had used to develop it and all the performers were a great support through that process also. I feel honoured to have been given the time to create with them. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.