Arts & Culture

Four specially commissioned dance pieces are being created for the Dancin’ Oxford 10th anniversary festival in February and March 2016.

These Oxford based companies are producing new work for the annual festival showcase Moving With The Times. Extracts of the work will be presented at a scratch night at Pegasus in January.

Commissioned by Dancin’ Oxford and Pegasus, the four companies will present an extraordinary variety of dance in one evening.

Body Politic, a young company founded in 2012 by Emma-Jane Greig, explores young people’s feelings of self-doubt and insecurity. Reflectionsuses hip hop and urban dance to expose how these feelings can distort our everyday thinking. A powerful, intricate and modern piece accompanied by strong visual projection.

Body Politic has had a very successful three years since its foundation. They have been involved in organising huge International workshops, run regular professional training programmes in London, received their first Arts Council Funding in 2014 and have been commissioned to create new work by Dancin’ Oxford and MINI Plant Oxford.

Earlier this year, the company performed their first piece of professional work at Pegasus choreographed by Shannelle Fergus and Robia Milliner Brown to sampled music from JDilla.

In.Motion Dance Company is presenting a contemporary piece - Plasma. Using abstract movement, interactions between dancers and visually stunning projection with a compelling soundtrack, it looks at social pressures that persuade us to identify with external norms rather than trust who we really are.

in.motion dance company recently emerged as part of Oxford-based physical theatre company Justice in Motion and comprises of professional and semi-professional dancers that train together in the regular dance classes the company offers.

Their long-term aspiration is to establish and develop professional training opportunities, and to provide regular dance, acrobalance and aerial classes, as well as workshops in theatre and performing arts disciplines within Oxford,

As part of this development, they have established in.motion dance company, led by Roosa Leimu-Brown and Anja Meinhardt, which apart from further training also provides performance opportunities.

Their contemporary dance style is highly dynamic, lyrical and athletic with influences from capoeira, yoga, release technique, gaga, flying low and passing through.

Antaraal comes from Anuradha Chaturvedi of Drishti Dance. This contemporary Kathak work brings together movement, music and poetry. The delicate verses from contemporary Diaspora poet Mohan Rana provide the backdrop, with music composed by Oxford’s Malcolm Atkins and India based Gulshan Bharati.

Drishti Dance works with children, youth and adult dancers to train them in Kathak style of dance. They are introduced to the intricacies and sheer beauty of Kathak and Drishti Dance provides a platform for these young dancers to perform at local venues.

As a dancer/ choreographer, Anuradha actively works with professional dancers and musicians in and around the South/ South-eastern region in collaborative projects and cross genre works that range from improvisation to contemporary music and working with visual media.

The climax of the show will come from three Oxford born professional dancers who have created a piece inspired by growing up in the city. Dancers Jos Baker, Tomislav English and Sam Coren present When We Were Youth a contemporary piece using choreographic and dance techniques inspired by their professional careers with companies such as DV8, Hofesh Schechter and Peeping Tom. The piece is performed to music composed by their childhood friend Tommy Evans.

There will be a work in progress performance at Pegasus in January where the public can see the work developing and talk to the companies directly.

Dance Scratch

At Pegasus, Magdalen Road, Oxford, OX4 1RE

On Friday 22 January 7.30pm

Tickets £3

http://pegasustheatre.org.uk/?post_type=shows&p=6459

 

Moving With The Times

At Pegasus, Magdalen Road, Oxford OX4 1RE

On Friday 26 at 7.30pm and Saturday 27 February at 2.30pm and 7.30pm

Tickets £13, £9 concessions, £6 under 18s (£1 off for Dancin Oxford Pass holders)

http://pegasustheatre.org.uk/?post_type=shows&p=2516

 

Booking 01865 812 150

www.pegasustheatre.org.uk

www.dancinoxford.co.uk