CONTACT DANCE COMPANY Plethu a year long project in Wales
Explore workshops
Contact company dancers, Chloe and Mervyn have been working alongside Rachel and Ray to deliver a really successful project in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The SiD team worked with local dance artists, local families, a dance group based at The Torch Theatre in Milford Haven and participants from Clynfyw Care Farm in Abercych Sadly, the final visit to Wales, due to COVID restrictions, meant that just Rachel and Ray visited. It was a successful two days; local dancers got the opportunity to dance together for the first time since March 2020 and we were able to share our experiences of teaching digitally and facilitating COVID safe dance workshops. SiD worked with a small group from Clynfyw , a great opportunity to enjoy dancing together and focusing on building creative relationships between residents and support workers.
The first of our inclusive Explore workshops led by co director Rachel Liggitt was a great success. A small group of Contact Dance members met in person, when we could, to reconnect with our bodies and explore together for the first-time in a long time. SiD hosted its second creative workshop for dancers with experience, online in March 2021. Dance artist Cai Tomas led a wonderfully inspiring 1.5-hour session. Cai is a dance artist, maker, and art psychotherapist. His work centres around participatory practice and facilitating arts and health work with people of all ages both in London hospitals, care homes and in theatre settings. We hope to invite Cai back to work with us in the studio.
The residency has been a great experience for us, and we would like to thank Maynard, Abercych for the opportunity and looking after us all so well.
Dancing Together Apart Portrait Project SiD commissioned photographer Ming de Nasty to capture photographs of Contact company members dancing at home. Ming’s intimate, moving portraits capture dancers participating in SiD’s Zoom dance classes, performing their own choreographed solos and capture the close relationships with family members. These stunning images, set in the backdrop of their own home, will form a powerful exhibition, touring 2022. Credit: Ming De Nasty
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