3 minute read
Focus on Highflyers Youth Dance Company
Highflyers was due to launch in March 2020, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. We reconfigured the programme delivering an online package of free online dance classes and creative downloadable worksheets for young people and as a useful resource for teachers and workshop leaders. We also delivered fortnightly Highflyers Zoom sessions from April 2020, they are still going strong over a year on.
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SiD dance artists Anna and Delphine began taking part in Beyond Borders with Highflyers Youth Dance Company.
Beyond Borders was an ambitious regionwide participation Dance Development Leaders Group (DDLG) project that bought together dance artists, aspiring young leaders, young people, digital artists, and a variety of specialists to collaborate and produce an original work in response to One with Nature. This theme was chosen by over 100 young people. Beyond Borders 2021 focused on a creative enquiry approach to dance and digital collaboration and the unique experiences and perspectives of young people as lockdown restrictions began to ease.
I am thrilled and excited at the prospect of collaborating with a fantastic team of artists from across the region and having a creative opportunity for our young people to explore, learn, share and develop with others. A digital collaboration creates the chance to meet new people, explore new technologies and allow our young people to feel they are seen and heard.”
– Anna Belyavin, Shropshire Inclusive Dance (Professional Dance Artist)
Film: Into The Light
Highflyers made a film in collaboration with Highflyers dancers. The dance film captured the shift from ‘home dancing’ to meeting the SiD team and dancing in person for the first time. Placing 6 young people centre stage, they dance how they feel right now - in 5 different locations in Shropshire. Filmed by a professional film filmmaker, the film captures immediate, intimate, playful dancing and beautiful ‘portraits’ of each individual dancer. Into The Light was selected for MY DANCE DIGITAL 2021. MY DANCE DIGITAL 2021 is the Midlands regional platform of U.Dance, a national celebration of performance by young people aged 11 – 25 years. The platform showcases some of the most exciting young dancers in the Midlands - an opportunity to champion young people’s dance and choreography. Into The Light was also screened at Flexus Dance Collective, ‘Expedition’ platform, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton and New Horizons Digital Dance Platform, Black Country Dance. “Wow - so lovely to watch and the film is so well crafted. A delight - in fact one of the best dance films I have seen this lockdown- thanks for sharing.” - Audience feedback “The best dance film I’ve seen in ages! This film is amazing SiD and embodies all that is best in life.”- Audience feedback
DanceConnect
2020 saw the World Premiere of the DanceConnect Story. SiD were delighted to be part of this project with Highflyers members Owen and Ellie. DanceConnect took place between May - July 2020 during COVID-19 lockdown and every part of the project was online and filmed by participants on their devices. Over 60 young people took part in the first phase and a further 40 joined in with creative challenges and extended research. Director of Ascension Dance, Ashley Jordan (AJ) worked with Rachel to share dance practice and explore what it means to be creative whilst confined to our homes. Young people from Ascension Dance worked with young people from Shropshire Inclusive Dance to create a unique dance film. Arts Connect and producers DanceXchange orchestrated the project which ran from May to August 2020, DanceConnect is a dance and digital experiment exploring how we can collaborate remotely across borders and boundaries, using movement and phones.
Holding Hands with Flexus Youth Dance Collective
Highflyers had a wonderful time working on Holding Hands 2021. Flexus Dance Collective marked the 12 month lock-down anniversary by building upon the ‘A Captured Moment Digital Festival’ which they initiated in 2020. Flexus Dance Collective connected 16 Youth Dance Companies Internationally, to create an ambitious, collaborative dance film with over 175 young people, including Highflyers dancers. Film premiered May 2021.
Credit: Ming De Nasty
