Dance Transformations

Dance Transformations, a set on Flickr.

A brand new set of photographs from Dance Transformations, our three year training programme 2010-2012, supporting a group of emerging disabled and non-disabled dance artists based in the West Midlands.

This is an artist led project working together to explore original choreographic ideas and processes in an inclusive context with mentor guidance.

You find out more and join in the conversations by joining our social network, www.dancetransformations.ning.com

lovely feedback

Thanks for all the lovely feedback - it's really heart warming to hear individual stories of how our work has supported and inspired you.

I've been asked to post this comment - thanks Maria.

"I am so saddened and appalled by this decision. It is incomprehensible that your fine company has lost funding. The work you have done over the years has been of the highest standard, inclusive and never lost sight of the ‘art’ part of the work. The Art, has always had a capital A. The processes have been integrated and inspiring, the work produced was moving and exciting. The arts in this country are losing an irreplaceable jewel and our culture will be the poorer as a result."

Maria Hayes

Do keep them coming by whichever method you prefer.
If anyone is having trouble posting on this blog do email admin@besdance.com - it should however accept your comments but send through to us for publishing approval first.

Many thanks, Moya

Future dancing

Dear friends and lovely dancers, you might have heard about the Arts Council funding cuts and that Blue Eyed Soul will not be getting the same funding in 2012.
We will be doing everything we can in the next 12 months to make sure that we still have opportunities to dance together in the future.
Meanwhile we would really appreciate if you told us what Blue Eyed Soul means to you, we can use these comments in our press releases, in our discussions with the Arts Council and in applying for alternative funds.
For more information please look at www.besdance.com

Where do we go from here?

The news is out...
This month has been a time of contrasts, a series of fantastic workshops that leave me buzzing with energy and inspiration, an invitation to tea with the Queen at Buckingham Palace in recognition of all that Blue Eyed Soul has done for young people. Then the news that the Company's short breaks funding from Shropshire has been cut for next year and yesterday the Arts Council axe came down on our heads.
We have 12 months to find a way out of this fix so that we can continue to dance with everybody.
I remain incurably optimistic but a little daunted by this next challenge.

miriam's last week!! boooooooo hoooooooo!!!

I have been dancing, facilitating and choreographing for seventeen years now and the large majority of my projects are with people new to dance, or at least most of the members of the group are new to dance. This is often a result of the trials of funding exploratory dance projects, alongside other beautiful art projects.

I have been blessed these last three months with the gift of working with dancers, where the majority have danced with, performed with, and some have even taught with Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company for at least ten years- I am not even sure how many! It might even be longer than I have been working for myself!!!

Below is a beautiful film of what happens when dancers are supported to work with each other over a prolonged period of time!!

This dance was improvised, an exploration during the Contact Group. As you will see... they communicate with each other in a split second. They choreograph instantaneously communicating without words, negotiating without votes.

Yes it's been a precious gift, and I am happy to share it with you....

The next video is the Contact Group's live per-formative evaluation of the ten week term just gone...... (starting off with our one week only special guest!! the group is just for adults really!)

Thankyou for having me! I hope to come back again soon :-)

sunshine and funtime

The sun streams through the window and The Bridge Youth Dance Company begin devising their performance for the BRJ dance festival at the end of May. Misha flies around the room like an inspired sculptor, picking movement tasks from the term that have most excited the group, and the dance picture comes to its most colourful, beautiful, energetic life. Here's a lovely pic of one of the sculptures they are making in their performance....

And then onto Contact. A humorous hysteria is starting to creep into the group as we all realise that we have only next week left. These sessions really have been so very magical, and last night we reached a new height where we had 3 new people, all who felt by the end of the night as if they had been coming for the whole term. Anna led a fabulous creative task around defining the space with masking tape, this led to a lovely section where members started to lead their favourite movement tasks- trees wrapping round each other from Mervyn, and a Paper, Scissors, Stone task from Nick.

Haughton was another absolute treat- we have two new members, Aysha and Aaron and they are fitting in beautifully. We started working towards some actual dance technique today, looked at rhythms and counting, we're working towards a short film for next week- watch this space!!! I just wanna end by giving a special big up to the whole group this week- they danced their socks off and engaged with all their being! Here's a few pics....

flying fun.

We had great fun swinging, turning and twisting. Fantastic balances and lots of smiles!

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