Cardiff-based arts organisations Bombastic and Coreo Cymru, are collaborating on a family dance event which will tour across Wales to eight venues this Easter. Three leading Welsh dance companies, Bombastic, Gary and Pel and Jukebox Collective, plus local dance groups will perform in a jam-packed hour of pop up dance that is fun, funky and fabulous for your festive feet.
Being performed three times a day in Cardiff, Caernarfon, Newtown, Barry, Llanelli, Milford Haven and Brecon, the free event is suitable for all ages and includes audio described shows in both Welsh and English with accompanying touch tours plus a chance to dance in a short workshop taking place straight after the show. The second show each day will have a workshop led in the media of Welsh by Cêt Haf, (S4C’s Nansi in Follow M). Full listing details below.
Take the kids and watch their eyes light up as they see amazing dancers twisting & turning, locking & popping, and be inspired to join in and learn a few new moves that you have just seen.
CarCrash Wedding, Gary and Pel
Family Dance Festival 2017
Carole Blade, Creative Producer of Coreo Cymru and mum of two, set up the event during 2017 to increase young people’s access to different forms of dance. Carole Says, “The feedback we received from audiences during our pilot programme, hosted in partnership with National Dance Company Wales, was a true testament that dance can be enjoyed by all, young and old. It inspired us to develop the programme further by presenting at more venues, either in their foyers or outdoor spaces and are delighted to be offering a platform for young dancers to perform alongside the professionals.”
Bombastic Artistic Director, Sean Tuan John, said, “Bombastic are excited and thrilled to be co-hosting the 2nd Family Dance Festival touring around Wales this Easter. Families can expect a one hour programme of diverse, humorous, inter-active and delightfully energetic works that are suitable for the whole family to enjoy. This exciting event is completely free to families, thanks to the support of our partners and touring venues, and you can also get the first chance to see our brand new piece ‘wallflowers’.”
The programme organisers including Wales Millennium Centre, Chapter and Memo Arts Centre will host a training event for audio describers linked to an industry seminar as part of their aim to remove barriers and attract a diverse range of audiences to dance.
Dr Louise Fryer, Audio Description expert and the Festival training mentoring, said, “I’m delighted that Bombastic and Coreo Cymru are using audio description to connect blind audiences in Wales with dance. The Family Dance Festival is about everyone having the chance to dance. Now that includes people with a visual impairment, too.”
Nick Capaldi, Chief Executive of Arts Council of Wales said: “These events, bursting with creativity, energy and fun, will give young people all over the country the opportunity to experience some of the best contemporary dance that Wales has to offer.”
Graeme Farrow, Wales Millennium Centre’s Artistic and Creative Strategic Director said: “We are excited to welcome the festival back to the Centre to continue introducing new audiences to dance and to expand this year with the inclusion of audio description in both Welsh and English is exciting for all involved.”
THE PROGRAMME
Wallflowers from Bombastic
Wall Flowers, is Bombastic’s brand new show choreographed and performed by Sean Tuan John with dancers Rosalind Haf Brooks and Cêt Haf, (S4C’s Nansi in Follow M). A humorous part-promenade dance performance on the idea of ‘flower’ people that move swiftly and energetically from shy retiring ‘wallflowers’ to colourful exuberance. From ‘hiding’ in the space to moving increasingly closer and inter-acting with the audience until the final ‘blooming’ group happy dance. The performance fuses quirky, idiosyncratic dance with forms of humorous audience interaction and created to appeal to both children and adults.
CarCrash Wedding from Gary and Pel
Gary and Pel have just said “I do” and are driving off into the sunset… It’s the happiest day of their lives until their celebration takes a turn for the worse as their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. What will the bizarre newlyweds do next? Expect wedding bells, chaos and laughter. A 10-minute live action cartoon escapade for all ages to enjoy, featuring slapstick humour and dynamic dance.
“Superb performance. Really clever and so funny. We were giggling the whole way through” – CarCrash Wedding – Swansea Dance Days
Drifter and Toy Soldier from Jukebox Collective
Jukebox Collective brings us world-class Hip Hop with BBC Young Dancer finalist Kate Morris’s goofy and charming solo Drifter. Plus, a playful duet made specially for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit to Wales, that is sure to have you bobbing along.
THE DANCE COMPANIES:
Bombastic is a dance, theatre and digital media company for young people based in south Wales.
They create bold, imaginative fantasy environments for children aged four to eleven which are fun and surprising, combining elements of fairy tale magic with contemporary social scenarios.
Gary and Pel is a live action cartoon company based in South Wales, mixing dance, slapstick physical comedy and Tom & Jerry combat. The concept created Alex Marshall Parsons has received commissioned by Coreo Cymru, Dance Shorts, Arts Council of Wales and recently by Agriculture Wales to create their latest work CarCrash Wedding.
Jukebox Collective is a leading creative company for street dance education and performance in the UK. Through its Academy of Performing Arts, it nurtures young talents and acts as an agent working with many well-known brands such as Virgin Media, Topshop and Levi’s. Its creative director Liara Barussi has 20 years’ experience of dance, choreography and mentoring dancers including for the BBC Young Dancer series.
Dance groups local to the venues on tour will also be adding something extra special to the show with a diverse range of dance styles and opportunities to see young talents doing their thing.
AUDIENCE REACTIONS 2017:
This is what audiences said about Family Dance Festival last year which was, hosted by Coreo Cymru in partnership with National Dance Company Wales:
“Mesmerising and wonderful performances by very talented dancers and performers. A wonderful event that was thoroughly enjoyed by all the family. Thank you very much!”
“Beautiful, funny, insightful”
“Exceeded expectations, a highlight of the Easter holidays!”
“Loved the short workshop at the end and the mix of styles and scenes.”
“A fantastic show – really exciting to show the children something they would never normally see! Thank you!”
CHAPTER, Cardiff
Sat 24 Sun 25 March @ 12:00 | 14:00 | 16:00
Audio Description on Sun 25 only @ 14:00 (Welsh) & 16:00 (English) with touch tours 15mins before show.
chapter.org
GALERI, Caernarfon
Tues 27 March @ 12:00 | 14:00 | 16:00
Audio Description @ 14:00 (Welsh) & 16:00 (English) with touch tours 15mins before show.
galericaernarfon.com
HAFREN, Newtown
Wed 28 & Thur 29 March @ 12:00 | 14:00 | 16:00
Audio Description on Wed 28 only @ 14:00 (Welsh) & 16:00 (English) with touch tours 15mins before show.
thehafren.co.uk
MEMO ARTS CENTRE, Barry
Wed 4 April @ 12:00 | 14:00 | 16:00
Audio Description @ 14:00 (Welsh) & 16:00 (English) with touch tours 15mins before show.
memoartscentre.co.uk
FFWRNES, Llanelli
Thur 5 April @ 12:00 | 14:00 | 16:00
Audio Description @ 14:00 (Welsh) & 16:00 (English) with touch tours 15mins before show.
theatrausirgar.co.uk
TORCH THEATRE, Milford Haven
Fri 6 April @ 12:00 | 14:00 | 16:00
Audio Description @ 14:00 (Welsh) & 16:00 (English) with touch tours 15mins before show.
torchtheatre.co.uk
THEATR BRYCHEINIOG, Brecon
Sat / Sad 7 & Sun 8 April @ 12:00 | 14:00 | 16:00
Audio Description on Sat 7 only @ 14:00 (Welsh) & 16:00 (English) with touch tours 15mins before show.
brycheiniog.co.uk
WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, Cardiff
Wed 11 & Fri 13 April @ 10:30 | 12:30 | 14:30
Thur 12 & Sat 14 April @ 10:30 | 12:30 | 16:00
Audio Description on Sat 14 only @ 12:30 (Welsh) & 16:00 (English) with touch tours 15mins before show.
wmc.org.uk