Students from Treorchy Comprehensive School, and young people from across Rhondda Cynon Taf and Powys, will share the stage with contemporary dancers from Pontypridd-based Ransack Dance Company in shows this month. Each group has co-created and rehearsed an exciting flash mob scene which will form an integral part of the company’s new production Us and Them.
For the Powys dancers, preparations began back in 2020 when they started to create the flash mob scene with Ransack’s professional dancers in rehearsals held remotely over Zoom. They then completed socially distanced rehearsals last year, before fully rehearsing the scene last week at community dance organisation Impelo’s studio in Llandrindod. The Treorchy dancers attended co-creation workshops with Ransack in May.
Artistic Director Sarah Rogers says “We’re keen to connect with local people in the communities where we work and perform, and it’s a pleasure for me as choreographer to work with such creative young people. Our participants have told us that they are really inspired by working side by side with the professionals, and how the professionals make them feel part of one big creative team in rehearsals.”
Community dancers from Llandrindod Wells rehearse with professional dancers from Ransack Dance Company
As well as providing unique training opportunities for young people, Ransack Dance Company aim to make their shows accessible to as many people as possible. The new show includes spoken word, and BSL interpreter Liz May has been working closely with the company to make this element accessible to D/deaf, deafened and hard of hearing audiences. Liz said, “We’ve been exploring how I can be involved in the work as a performer and how sign language can influence dance movements. I’ve also taught the dancers a little bit of BSL, so that they can interpret for each other and themselves during the dance”.
US and Them premieres at Impelo in Llandrindod Wells on 10 June and then moves to Treorchy for two shows at the Park and Dare Theatre on 14 and 15 June. The production will tour across Wales in 2023.
Tickets on sale now. . All performances of Us and Them are BSL interpreted.
- The Dance House (Impelo) in Llandrindod Wells on 10 June tickets £8 / £6 available from impelo.org.uk/ransack/us-and-them
- Park and Dare Theatre, Treorchy on 14 and 15 June tickets £10 / £8 available from rct-theatres.co.uk/event/us-and-them
Main image: Community dancers from Treorchy rehearse with professional dancers from Ransack Dance Company
Images: Sarah Rogers