Get Into Dance - A/W 2023

Welcome to our Autumn/Winter 2023 edition of Get Into Dance.

We aim to bring together the full range of our activities - plus some highlights from across the region – and show just how many ways you can get into dance. There is something for everyone to enjoy!

Our dance classes return with much vigour in Autumn with over 25 styles and over 60 classes to choose from weekly. From Latin styles of Tango and Salsa, to favourites including Ballet and Contemporary, and high energy sessions of Street Dance or Bollywood. Whether you are looking for pre-school classes to sessions for over 55s, or anything in between, we are excited to bring you the biggest range of dance in the North East. Look out for masterclasses and special events on our website as they are announced.

This September we welcome back the Centre for Advanced Training students and our degree students to the building. For those people wishing to explore intensive and career specialising programmes, please do have a chat with our wonderful team to find out more. The Contemporary Youth Company and Boundless, our over 55s group, will be back and ready to perform for you in Shimmer this December.

Throughout Autumn our Engagement Team will be visiting schools and community locations across the region. If you would like to see more dance happening in your local area, we would be very happy to have a chat to see how Dance City can collaborate with your community or school to make dance happen.

Our Theatre season from September to December has a range of regional, national and international artists bringing you high quality productions. Dance City are excited to bring to you Some Times by J Neve Harrington and The Forest Dream by Payal Ramchandani, both commissioned by Dance City.

Our informal platform night Dance Edits returns this season and provides a scratch night for both regional and visiting artists to showcase new work. Our partnership with Northern Stage and Gem Arts continues as we present Aditi Mangaldas’ Forbidden.

Surface Area Dance, based here in the North East, present Hijikata, Mon Amour by Vangeline Theater, The New York Butoh Institute. We are also excited to have an open sharing of Naishi Wang and Jean Abreu’s Deciphers, with a Q&A with the artists to learn more about their developing work.

For children and families, we have Aakash Odedra Company’s Little Murmur and a riotous visit from Moxie Brawl’s Punk Alley. Rounding off the season we have Unknown Realms from ACE dance and music, and Lore from award-winning dance company James Wilton Dance. Venues across the North East will be presenting great dance shows too, so check them out.

Finally, I’m extremely happy to announce that the café here at Dance City will re-open this Autumn. We’ve teamed up with West End Refugee Service to create a place where great food and drink offers the context for conversation.

We have a number of Pay What You Decide (PWYD) tickets available for each performance?

Visit dancecity.co.uk for more information.

Running time: 2 hrs

Friday 8 September, 8pm. Reception from 7.15pm. Theatre doors open at 7:45pm

Experience an evening at Dance City and learn about our Autumn/Winter performances.

The evening includes Artistic Director’s welcome, highlights exciting new shows from our upcoming season, and offers a unique opportunity to see previews of our upcoming shows and live performances too! Guests can enjoy a complimentary drink and nibbles as they mingle and network with fellow Dance City goers. There will be opportunities to purchase tickets to upcoming shows, as well as special offers and discounts.

Running time: 75 mins

Saturday 23 September, 7.30pm | Age: 12+

Tickets £18/£14.50 concessions

Commissioned by Dance City, J Neve Harrington brings a new full-length work performed in the round by an intergenerational cast of professional artists alongside a community cast of local young adults. Harrington leans into neurodivergent ways of processing information, taking audiences on a sensory journey through different ways of experiencing time, changing patterns and relationships.

J Neve Harrington

Image: Genevieve Reeves

Dance City

Running time: 90 mins

Thursday 28 September, 7.30pm

Tickets £10.50

Dance Edits is an informal platform for new work presented by regional and national dance artists. It’s a great evening where you can experience a range of different dance work and meet the artists who are making it. There will be a chance to share your feedback and insights in a relaxed setting.

Payal Ramchandani

Running time: 65 mins

Saturday 7 October, 7.30pm

Age: 10+ | Tickets £15/£12.50 concessions

Commissioned by Dance City and Gem Arts, this piece is an interpretation of the life story of Jadav Payeng, the ‘Forest Man of India’ and his selfless bond with ‘Aranyani’, the Goddess of Forests. The Forest Dream is a stylistic blend of 3 dance formsKuchipudi, Bharatnatyam and contemporary dance – creating a celebration of nature, a plea for empathy and call for action, set against a rhythmically rich tapestry of music.

Image: Bill Knight

Image: Luke Waddington

Autumn 2023 | Tickets Free

The Fat Dance Sessions are an opportunity for people in larger bodies to come together for creative, exploratory movement in a relaxed environment. The sessions are led by fat dancer and choreographer Gillie Kleiman. Get in touch if you would like to attend via www.gilliekleiman.com

at Northern Stage

Running time: 60 mins

Friday 20 October, 7.30pm | Age: 16+ | Tickets from £12.00 - £35.00

Why is the world scared of female sexual desire? In this powerful solo work, Aditi Mangaldas reflects on a question that is more urgent than it has ever been. In a unique dance vocabulary of contemporary dance based on Kathak, FORBIDDEN looks to explore the root of this fear and persecution. To book please visit www.northernstage.co.uk.

Presented by Northern Stage, Dance City and Gem Arts.

Image: Benji Spence

Image: Von Fox Promotions

Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company

Naishi Wang and Jean Abreu

Work in Progress sharing and artists Q&A

Running time: 90 mins

Thursday 2 November, 6pm

Tickets Free - Booking required

Deciphers is a co-production of The CanDance Network Creation Fund, Montreal Arts Interculturels, The Harbourfront Centre, National Arts Centre Canada and PuSh Festival, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. This creation period is supported by Arts Council England National Lottery, Fabric, South East Dance, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival & Dance City.

Running time: 50 mins

Sunday 5 November, 11am and 2pm | Age: 5+ | Tickets £10.50

Punk Alley is a loud, wild, unapologetic joyride of live original punk music and high energy dance. It’s a vibrant and fun space for young people to explore what they want to use their voice to fight for.

Punk Alley is a relaxed performance and is fully BSL interpreted, everyone is invited to participate in creating songs, writing placards, and playing music.

VIVA LA PUNK!

This performance is audio described.

Moxie Brawl

Image: Maya Yoncali

Image: Rosie Powell

Vangeline, The New York Butoh Institute

Running time: 70 mins

Friday 10 November, 7.30pm

Tickets £15/£12.50 concessions

Visceral, daring, celestial. Hijikata’s legendary costume is a totem of sorts; it holds secrets of the avant-garde art form. Much like Butoh itself, it was born at the confluence of East and West. This costume chronicles the evolution of postmodern art in Japan, and as such, deserved to be carefully studied, and thrown into the limelight once again. In 2019, thanks to a Janet Arnold Award of the Society of Antiquaries of London and a loan from the Tatsumi Hijikata Archives, Vangeline Theater, New York Butoh Institute researched how the costume was designed by recreating it. The costume was professionally photographed by Matthew Placeck and recreated by Todd Thomas.

by

Running time: 40 mins

Sunday 19 November, 11am and 2pm

Age: 7+ | Tickets £10.50

Combining visual design and technology with dance and humour, Little Murmur explores the warped and exaggerated realities of living in a world you struggle to process. Based on Aakash’s hugely moving show Murmur 2.0, this stunning visual treat is an honest and heart felt conversation about the trials and tribulations of living with dyslexia, facing challenges and overcoming the odds.

Image: Pamela Raith

Image: Matthew Placek

Aakash Odedra Company

Presented

Dance City and Gem Arts.

ACE dance and music

Running time: 75 mins

Thursday 23 November, 7.30pm | Tickets £18.00/£14.50 concessions

Unknown Realms is a double bill that transcends the past and present. The world we once knew is becoming one we have yet to understand… Performed against dynamic multidimensional soundscapes, two stunning contrasting works examine the past and present. Six dancers rise from the ashes with powerful explosive dance that uncovers the rich history of lives lived; human struggle and people letting go…

James Wilton Dance

Running time: 60 mins

Thursday 7 December, 7.30pm

Age: 11+ | Tickets £18/£14.50 concessions

LORE is the new production from award-winning dance company James Wilton Dance. It’s a folkloreinspired journey into a pagan world of gods, demons and humans, all embodied through otherworldly athleticism. LORE is about connection to nature, making you feel the energy that flows from the ground, through our bodies and back into the earth.

Image: Brian Slater

Image: Chris Nash

Thursday 23 November, 5.30-7pm

The Research Salon Series is a set of gatherings exploring issues, research, approaches, and praxis relative to dance.

The 2023 series will be led by Dance City Higher Education staff who will share their research and/or practice with the public. The sessions are informal to allow for discussion and participation.

You do not need previous experience with dance practice and/or research to attend – all curiosities and interests welcome!

This session will be lead by Dr Shantel Ehrenberg, BA & MA Programme Leader and author of Kinaesthesia and Visual SelfReflection in Contemporary Dance (2021)

Her research can also be found in journals such as Choreographic Practices, Research in Dance Education, and Dance Research Journal.

The salon is free to attend, however booking is required.

Dance City’s theatre in the centre of Newcastle is dedicated to dance. There are also fantastic shows on offer in other venues around the region, and we’ve gathered a selection of Autumn/Winter dance performances here.

Date Performance Venue

Tuesday 19 September The Magic of the Dance

Saturday 23 September The Magic of Dance

Saturday 23 September Some Times J Neve Harrington

Thursday 28 September Speakeasy Southpaw Dance Company

Thursday 28 September Dance Edits Dance City

Friday 29 September Swan Lake

Saturday 7 October The Forest Dream Payal Ramchandani Presented by Gem Arts and Dance City

Friday 20 October Forbidden Aditi Mangaldas Company

Tuesday 24 October -

Wednesday 25 October Ailey 2 Alvin Ailey

Tuesday 24 OctoberSaturday 28 October Metamorphosis Frantic Assembly

Thursday 2 NovemberSaturday 4 November Snow (SNÖ), Dockteatern Tittut

Thursday 2 November Deciphers Naishi Wang & Jean Abreu

Sunday 5 November Punk Alley Moxie Brawl

Darlington Hippodrome, Darlington

Middlesbrough Town Hall, Middlesbrough

Dance City, Newcastle

Queen’s Hall, Hexham

Dance City, Newcastle

Middlesbrough Theatre, Middlesbrough

Dance City, Newcastle

Northern Stage, Newcastle

Theatre Royal, Newcastle

Northern Stage, Newcastle

The Hullabaloo, Darlington

Dance City, Newcastle

Dance City, Newcastle

Tuesday 7 NovemberSaturday 11 November Beauty and the Beast Northern Ballet Theatre Royal, Newcastle

Friday 10 November Hijikata, Mon Amour Vangeline Theater

Saturday 18 November Rhythm of the Dance Christmas Special

Sunday 19 November Little Murmur Aakash Odedra

Presented by Gem Arts and Dance City

Thursday 23 November Unknown Realms ACE dance and music

Friday 24 November The Nutcracker

Sunday 3 December Art Of Believing – Flamenco

Thursday 7 December Lore James Wilton Dance

Dance City, Newcastle

Darlington Hippodrome, Darlington

Dance City, Newcastle

Dance City, Newcastle

Middlesbrough Theatre, Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough Town Hall, Middlesbrough

Dance City, Newcastle

CREATE YOUR DANCE FUTURE

Choose Dance City: create your dance future at North East England’s leading dance hub with our world-class BA (Hons) Professional Dance programme. Be physically, technically and creatively challenged through our student-centred teaching in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne. Create your dance future at Dance City.

During our BA (Hons) Professional Dance programme we help you develop a deep understanding of the techniques and practices of a range of dance styles, so you can pursue a successful career in the dance industry.

You will develop the skills, knowledge, and experiences needed to pursue a career as a professional dancer - but that isn’t the only prospect for a Dance City graduate! Dance City graduates are top performers, teachers, choreographers, producers, and cultural managers. To date, our graduates have mapped out more than 50 creative career paths. It is our privilege to empower the next generation of dance professionals who succeed in their profession.

Whether you simply love to dance or aspire to be a renowned choreographer, dance opens doors to many exciting careers. Programme Leader Dr Shantel Ehrenberg says:

BA OPEN DAYS

Saturday 21 October 2023

Thursday 16 November 2023

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW

‘Studying a BA (Hons) in Dance is about opening yourself up to the complexities and wonders of dance for yourself, your communities, and the world. It’s about nurturing and developing a wide range of skills and talents, including creativity, body/mind intelligence, collaboration, and artivism.’

Dance City has state-of-the-art facilities and professional dance teachers and staff to support your learning and skills. You can read more about our BA (Hons) Professional Dance programme on our website and view our virtual open day.

All information is correct at time of print and subject to change. Please see dancecity.co.uk for updates.

*A termly fee applies to this class

Our Boogie Boppers class is designed for children 18 months to 3.5 years. Boogie Boppers is a fun, relaxed, and exploratory class that uses weekly themes, music, and movement to improvise play, and use imagination. Hayley, a regular attendee with her daughter said, “I have noticed my daughter’s confidence growing so fast since her first class here. She was shy at first but now she is much more confident. It’s so fun to interact with the props and sing songs with her. The classes are relaxed, friendly, fun, and chilled for both parents and the child.” We also offer a Boogie Babies class for pre-walking children aged 0-17 months.

I have noticed my daughter’s confidence growing so fast since her first class here.

Tap Improvers is for 55+ and for those with some tap experience. One Tap Improver attendee said that she was initially intimidated when she first thought about attending a dance class. “I thought you had to be a professional. But when I joined, I was surprised by the varied abilities of those

in the class.” Another tapper said, “Everyone in the class and at Dance City is so welcoming and lovely – especially the teacher, Caroline!” The whole experience of Dance City and the class is a joy!”. Another tapper said that the classes have made a vital difference to her mental health with the classes being an “investment for the mind, body and spirit”.

See the full timetable on pages 14 & 15 to see the rest of the classes we offer. Find the class right for you in 2023!

Dance City provides a safe space for people from all backgrounds and abilities to experience dance. With over 50 classes a week, Dance City has something for everyone. We spoke to some of our regular attendees to find out why they love Dance City!

Everyone in the class and at Dance City is so welcoming and lovely...

Monday 30 October – Friday 3 November, 9am–5pm

£125 per child | Ages 6-12

This October half term we will be running a fright-tastic dance camp. From Thriller to The Monster Mash, join us for a scarily good time.

We are delighted to announce that the café within Dance City will re-open this Autumn. In a unique collaboration, we will be working with West End Refugee Service (WERS) to deliver a brand new concept – The Seven Bridges.

Our vision is to be a world kitchen, a place where great food and drink offers the context for conversation. At the heart of The Seven Bridges lies a deep commitment to empower WERS clients through training and development opportunities, whilst also being a window into WERS clients’ cultural communities, where events from poetry to song will become a feature.

With a menu created in collaboration between the staff and WERS volunteers, we’re aiming to showcase the rich techniques and traditions of those who work there. The Seven Bridges will be open for lunch on a daily basis as well as providing a pre-theatre offering.

We can’t wait for you to join us.

Featuring your very own home-grown talent, come and join us for our end of term performance.

Discover what your friends and family have been learning in their dance classes.

New

Dance City?

0191 261 0505

Ticket price Ticket type Price per 12 classes £8 Full Price £96 £5 Accessible Price* £60 £6 Member’s Price £72 £5 Termly ticket (Childrens Members only

Become a Dance City Member and access deals and discounts including…

• £7 single class price (£9 for non-members)

• On the day, free class cancellations (usually requires 24h notice)

• Access to multi-buy discounts (not open to non-members)

• Priority booking seven days before classes and shows go on public sale

Adult Annual Membership Full price - £20 / Accessible price* - £7

Children’s Annual Membership Full price - £15 / Accessible price* - £5

*To find out more about Accessible Prices and Membership, please visit the website.

One of our most important aims is to make a positive difference in people’s lives through dance. And you can help!

There are a number of ways to volunteer at Dance City and you can give as much or as little of your time as you want to, with flexibility around days and times it’s really easy to get involved.

So why not come and join us?

Take a look at our current volunteer opportunities on our website.

Dance City is a Registered Charity no. 702801

Established for over 30 years, Dance City, a registered charity, is the North East’s leading development organisation for dance, which leads and supports a thriving dance ecology in the region. By making a donation to Dance City you will help us to fulfil our mission enabling dance to reach as many people as possible and to create a thriving dance sector in the North East of England.

All information and prices correct at time of print, and subject to change. Theatre running times are approximations. Please check dancecity.co.uk for updates.