AUDIENCES thrilled to three days of dance at the weekend as choreographers, performers and photographers showed off their latest work.
Wales Dance Platform comprised three days of performance, film and photography from over 40 independent dance artists, and was launched at Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre on Friday, and continued at the city’s Chapter on Saturday and Newport’s Riverfront on Sunday.
There was a wide range of dance styles on offer, from light-hearted comedy pieces such as Alex Marshall Parsons’ Gary and Pel and Hudson and Haf’s Wimmin, to more contemporary pieces from choreographers Jem Treays and Phil Williams, as well as African dancing from Ballet Nimba, traditional Bharatanatyam from Vibha Selvaratnam and integrated circus skills from the likes of Up and Over It and Jukebox Collective.
There was even dancing on the horizontal when Kate Lawrence and Despina Goula combined their rock climbing skills with their choreographic talent to perform a dance routine down the side of Riverfront’s front wall.
The captured image of dance was also represented in an exhibition from former dancer Roy Campbell-Moore, whose work exposes an unsentimental image of dance.
Of the many dances presented, there were intimate pieces such as The Creative Act by Christopher Owen from North Wales, Herstory from Zosia Jo and the challenging solo piece I Think Not? from Anushiye Yarnell.
Even filmed dance had a platform at the three-day event, with shorts from West Wales’ Simon Whitehead, North Walian Wren Ball, and Chloe Loftus, whose Taking Flight was funded by the Kevin Spacey Foundation.
There was also a chance for writers to discuss how important it is that the arts – whether it’s dance or another art form – is reviewed and critiqued by independent voices, and that those voices are given a platform on which to air their opinions.
“It was three days of vibrant, generous performance and presentation from a host of Wales-relevant practitioners,” said creative producer Ann Sholem. “The Platform included a diverse range of work from all over the nation, including new work created through Creu Cymru’s Dance Buddy scheme, which pairs up dance artists and venues.”
A full review will appear this week.
For more on Wales Dance Platform, go to walesdanceplatform.co.uk or follow them on Twitter @WalesDance