On stage at The Marlowe, Canterbury, animalistic movement, dark make up and dim light evoke the physicality of the hard graft of the mine. Sweaty and streaked with soot, the five men bound across the stage, using their full body. They might be big men with large movements, but the toil in the mine takes its toll on body and soul. It’s a gritty and realistic portrayal.

It’s not just the men who matter in this story, but the women who stood by them. In each location, four local women join the cast, and this time it was the turn of four ladies from Canterbury. Led by TC Howard, whose dancing is tactile and elastic, Reiltin, Jeulz, Yolanda and Amanda all tell the story of life in the community. Jeulz Gambrill, Amanda Gerrard, Reiltin Tighe and Yolanda Varney responded to a call for performers from the community and successfully auditioned. None have professional theatre experience, but they all have a link to the mining industry.

They’re funny with it too – ‘Who’s got the money to go burning bras?’ one asks whilst reading an issue of Women’s Lib.

Of course, these strikes didn’t come out of nowhere, and many people affected by the closures blame Margaret Thatcher. Played by Eleanor Perry, sinewy and witchlike, she stalks the stage, her voice played by Steve Nallon, who played the controversial Prime Minister in satirical comedy Spitting Image.

Gutsy and bolshy, it’s a confident performance from the company. Powerfully evoking the defiant communities they were from, it’s a bold piece of contemporary dance.

Here’s Becca’s views on Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes, performed at Canterbury’s The Marlowe Theatre.

The adaptation of the 1948 film was very well  choreographed.  From the opening scene right to the end kept the audience enthralled and captivated.

As the mum of a young dancer I looked not only at the story but the whole production itself, from the costume, to the set designs, lighting and choreography . There was smooth transitions through all the different scenes, and the way that the spinning curtain was used to assist in the scene changes was particularly effective.  At times it was like you were at the back of the stage looking out to the audience.  The transitions to and from the white background to the darker scenes was well planned and executed. It was easy to see the differences in scenes as they were danced.

The dancers all players their roles as if they were actually in a film themselves, with charisma and charm, and showed great acting skills as well as the vast variety of dance genres they had to master. All twenty were talented and played each role with aplomb.

The costumes clearly put the show in the right era of the 1920s and ‘30’s and clearly demonstrated the social class. The dancers obviously were used to quick costume changes, some of which were made in the wings, knowing the layout of the dressing rooms at the Marlowe.

The dances ranged from traditional ballet with very little Pointe work, to sections of jazz, Argentine tango and the  occasional showgirl repertoire and Egyptian comedic dances. There was even a beach scene whereby the dancers had large beach balls to control. We were waiting at times to see the balls run off the stage but they were controlled admirably. There were times when you forgot you were watching a show within a show. This was especially true when the Red Shoes ballet sequence was danced. You really felt the emotions of both the dances and dancers.

The second half of the show was more relaxed. Here unfolded the love story between the pianist and the lead dancer along with the producer’s jealousy towards them. The dramatic end and astounding train visuals was totally unexpected from where I was sitting. I found the show truly amazing in lots of ways, particularly the demonstration of the skills and artistry of all the dancers. It was inspiring and would recommend it to others to watch, whether you ‘know’ ballet or not.

Now on tour around the country, this bold and seductive production is one that will entrance fans of film, theatre and dance alike, just as it did at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre.

Opening with dramatic chimes and a flickering curtain, we are immediately drawn into the film through a conductor waving his baton more like a magician and wand through dazzlingly atmospheric lights -courtesy of Paule Constable. It certainly feels enchanting, as well as a bit meta – a window to a screen on the stage observing an audience that we, here tonight, are watching.

Combining the drama of cinema with the theatricality of performance and romance of dance, it’s a ballet that does not feel like a ballet. This is what Bourne does – takes the familiar and twists it, adds his own ideas and challenges the audience’s preconceptions. And so the career of dancer Victoria Page (tonight played by Ashley Shaw), romantic struggles with composer Julian Craster (Dominic North), and a dedication to dance that is exploited by Boris Lermontov (Sam Archer), becomes not just a fairy tale, but a modern and vibrant piece of populist theatre.

The layers of set design shift between silhouettes and shadows, the stars of the night sky, sumptuous red velvet cinema and the interior of a theatre, as well as France and London. Designed by Lez Brotherston the revolving sections make for a seamless and swift movement between scenes that keep the pace moving. The dance styles are equally multifarious – there’s some jazz, ballet, ballroom and modern all coming into the mix. The dancers, as always, astound us with their talent, and even more so upon learning that the cast rotates every night so that no-one individual plays the same role constantly.

It’s a brief piece at just one hundred minutes long, but means that urgency and passion are retained. Ebbing gently at times, whirling with vivacity at others, the pace and passion are carefully managed. Sound is used to devastating effect by designer Paul Groothuis, temporarily throwing the viewer, and orchestrator Terry Davies weaves extracts from Bernard Herrmann’s film scores into the music that swoops as much as the dance itself.

As smoke billows across the stage and lights glare out, the only sounds we hear uttered by the performers are those of the fallen Victoria as she is hit by a huge steam train. The climatic drama here is breath taking and tragic, and the sadness felt testimony to the emotional tugs created in such a short space of time.  Melodrama and glamour mingle with sentiment and romance in a fashion that is rarely seen. Again, Bourne has taken leaps with imagination and confidence, and pulled off a masterpiece. Matthew Powell said that ‘The Red Shoes told us to go and die for art.’ You get the feeling Bourne would too.

Read more here, and go book here.

The creators of FloVibe – Jason Pooley (The House of Yoga) and collaborator Lou Wellby of Jam Sandwich Live – have brought together all the things they love in one place, for a weekend of what they term ‘soul-nourishment.’

Starting from their five values of community, empowerment, connection, play and celebration, they’ve manifested them in a sparkling event that will take place on 2-4th June 2017 at the idyllic Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire.

There’s yoga masterclasses, dance and movement workshops, inspiring talks, storytelling, live music spanning folk, jazz, roots & reggae (including Cristobal & The Sea), incredible DJs, nutritious, delicious wholesome food and treatments in the woods. Rather than exhausting you, this is a weekend of revelry that aims to inspire and restore.

Tickets start at only £75 for the day, and are available here, with weekend and camping options available.

When did you begin working as Cocoa Futures and how has the project developed?

We started working together back in 2014. Drummer Dave and I started the project, then we were lucky enough to find Zoe (synths/vocals) and Jack (guitar) to make us sound like a proper band.

What’s changed since then? Well, I think I’ve got a little bit better at writing songs and also I stopped playing the bass to concentrate on singing. I miss the bass but I think it was a good move – plus I don’t have to carry anything to gigs.

How does the writing process work for you, do you write alone then bring in the band?

I spend a lot of time writing ideas, lyrics and music and then trying to work them up into songs. A lot of these end up being pretty terrible, but there’s the odd one that can be exciting or sound good. With these ones, I take them to the rest of the band to make them better. I’ll also spend a lot of time listening to how they sound with the band to try and improve them. It’s a long process J

Listening to you, there’s definitely an eighties disco feel in there, but also some more modern electronica, as well as pop melodies? Are there any artists or bands who influence you?

I love the 80s a lot, but hope that we don’t sound too much like a straight up 80s band. I’m really into Roxy Music, loads of pop stuff and also some more out-there electronic stuff. It’s not even out-there I guess, just doing something different or trying to say something different. I think we were trying to bring some of those things together.

You described your music as ‘glee and gloomy’ and your music is a real mix – how do you straddle the two without coming out beige?

Good question. I sometimes like songs that leave you with a question, rather than an idea or a clear message. I think we are trying to mix messages a bit, rather than a musical mix of happy and sad. Mixed messages are sometimes talked about as bad things, but I don’t think they necessarily need to be.

Talking of questions, can you explain yumcore to me? It’s how you have referred to your ‘genre’ in the past, and certainly a better description than any journalist could come up with!

Not really! When we were first starting out, I was just making up genres. Yumcore seemed like a funny word, so went with that.

What’s the resonance of the colour blue?

Well, I think it’s a lovely colour and obviously has a connection with a certain emotion. It’s also a simple word or idea for a song, and connected well with the meaning of our song with the same name. So it seemed like a good thing to explore.

What’s the plan for 2017?

Aiming to play some nice shows. Also, we’re going to make another EP and try and develop what we’ve done with the first one. I’m writing a lot at the moment for that. I also turned veggie two months ago, so I’d hope that 2017 is my first full year of vegetarianism. It’s great.

Photo: Sara Amroussi-Gilissen

<meta http-equiv=”refresh” content=”0; URL=/search/top/?_fb_noscript=1″ />Cocoa Futures – Photos

Changing Minds, the weekend festival at the Southbank Centre about the role of arts in mental health and the intersection between the two was a fabulously balanced collection of events curated and presented by experts (whether that’s professional or from lived experience). Entertaining and informative, the six story building was awash with people curious to learn more.

A complex blur of physical, emotional and environmental triggers, there is no one size fits all solution. It’s the same for physical health of course, but we can see that, so as visual beings tend to find it easier to understand. Art and creativity can do everything from take the edge off to literally saving a life by providing a lifeline. There’s evidence that the arts can have significant impact upon health outcomes in studies by Arts Council and the National Alliance.

The programme was filled with talks covering everything from how humour can take the sting out of shame with comedians Jack Rooke and Sofie Hagen, how therapists can be ore creative (a panel including Nicola Crooke and Paul Gurney), the place of art versus chemicals (Jo Marchant, Rachel Kelly, Danny Cunningham), what the words ‘mental health’ actually mean (Bobby Baker, David Adam) and more.

There was also the opportunity to try some of the ways in which art can enhance wellbeing, and participants were invited to move the body through dance with Yunkong Song, read poetry alongside Ellie Stamp or craft in Amy Brown’s workshops. Stalls from Mind, Rethink, Time To Change, CALM, Biblio, Bethlem, Lambeth LivingWell, B-EAT and Articulate made for a vibrant area of exchange and inspiration. There was also the opportunity to try some of the ways in which art can enhance wellbeing, and participants were invited to move the body through dance with Yunkong Song, read poetry alongside Ellie Stamp or craft in Amy Brown’s workshops.

The weekend was a reminder than open and honest dialogue, mutual partnerships and curiousity are crucial to changing the perspective of mental heath, but also that it is happening. The spectrum between illness and wellness is a grey one. Good mental health isn’t about not being crazy. It’s about being comfortable, communicating, and connecting.

Sometimes art can be the tool to make that happen.

But things are changing, and there seems to be a liberation from this convention. Physical and mental, exercise and fun, solo and social, fun and healthy, zen and zing – this is the era of yoga socials.
http://www.trueyogacollective.com/#/yoga-gets-social/