Over ten weeks ten young people from across Hampshire worked together as a contemporary dance company. This was the first cohort to go through a full Academy programme which included a three week performance project; delivering dance workshops to children at a local primary school;personal fitness and healthy living sessions. All of these elements have enabled the participants to achieve National Open College Network qualifications. The young people worked from 10am to 4pm every day at the Academy and many of them also had long journeys to get to and from Winchester.
The Academy programme consisted of three performance elements, the first piece entitled If I Fall, was the result of the company working with guest choreographers over only five days. The second, Lost Time was a piece of choreography created by the group themselves. Me, Them, Us was the young peoples first introduction to dance and working together as a company and was performed at The Lights in Andover after only three weeks.
Substance was also performed by Wessex Boys, our very own performance company, which is made up of young men who have been through the Academy programme, and are now studying dance at college
IF I FALL
The piece looks at isolation and support, what it means to be on your own and what it is to rely on someone. How much do we trust others to catch us and how far can we fall on our own? The dancers show their strength and power in stillness and the risk involved in both falling and catching.
Dancers
Kirsty Barratt
Ashleigh Booker
Nikki Dennis
Clayton Holt
Shara Iles
Rachel James
Olivia Pearce
Jodie Leigh Taylor
Choreography
Siobhan Maguire-Swartz
Assistant Choreography
John Ross
Music
Mugam Beyati Shiraz Kronos Quartet Boaz and the Dogs Max Richter Andrea’s Hands II Sylvain Chauveau
Music Editor
Nicholas Lawson
John Ross
Costume
Danute Dainiene
SUBSTANCE
Wessex Boys premiere their first piece Substance which is “an exploration of our movement styles as a company, defining who we are individually and together”.
Wessex Boys
Jimmy Adams
Brandon Clarke
Nathan Davis
Bradley Elms
Choreography
Hannah De Cancho
Wessex Boys
Music
Stolen Dog Burial
LOST TIME
Dancers
Kirsty Barratt
Ashleigh Booker
Nikki Dennis
Clayton Holt
Shara Iles
Rachel James
Olivia Pearce
Jodie Leigh Taylor
Choreography
The Dancers
ME THEM US
Dancers
Kirsty Barratt
Ashleigh Booker
Brandon Clarke
Nikki Dennis
Clayton Holt
Shara Iles
Rachel James
Olivia Pearce
Charlotte Sapey
Jodie Leigh Taylor
Original Choreography
Sarah Dowling
Siobhan Maguire-Swartz
Lighting design
Jonathan Samuels
Choreography
Carly Annable-Coop
Hannah De Cancho
Dance Artist
Hannah Larkum
Academy Team
Clare Hobbs
Lorna Digweed
Sorcha Hagger
Sophia Mathias
Sam McLachlan
Sue Walker
Film
Dan Williams
Andrew Coggins
Design
Bread and Honey
“
It has given my son more self-belief, made him more aware and given him self-control,
I have my old son back. I am one very proud father.
