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Dissidents: Janine

30/5/2018

Performing at (B)old Festival.

The day before our performance we took a look at the performance space (the foyer of QEH) only to find no space! It was filled with an audience ready to watch the royal wedding on a giant screen! We found space outdoors next to QEH to rehearse in the sun. Much curiosity was directed towards us Dissidents! The next day, when we arrived at QEH, we were taken to our dressing room which was very spacious and was off a larger room with easy chairs and plenty of refreshments (a very welcome touch).

It was with some trepidation that I waited for the music to start.

Waiting nervously, for the chord which was our cue to start.

It was good to hear the opening notes so that we could start our moves to Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child. Once I got going, with fellow Dissidents, the nerves went concentrating on each move of the moment and the next one and the next one...

All too soon it was over.

The applause and whoops by the audience were much appreciated. It was a relief that it had gone well and also the realization that I had enjoyed it. Performing helps take my mind off any body niggles as they are temporarily forgotten.

Performing on the South Bank was very enjoyable. Now to practice for Dissidents next performance at the Rose Theatre, Kingston on 16th June to improve on the last performance and enjoy it even more!

Written by Janine Smith

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(B)old Festival at Queen Elizabeth Hall

23/5/2018

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Finally, it was performance day! We arrive early ready for our tech rehearsal in the foyer. Our first job is to help map out the performance space on the floor. We only have 30 mins in the space so the performers don't even get a warm up before they are asked to walk through the piece in order to space everything out. In the end, they get two runthroughs but as no-one has warmed up I ask them to not perform all out. I also want them to save themselves for the later performance as it is going to be a few hours before they perform. A clip from one of these early rehearsals is above.

The other performances on the schedule seemed really interesting and I was really looking forward to seeing them, particularly the rock choir!

The dressing room and facilities at the venue really helped with keeping the performers positive and eager to perform. Also during the day, before the performances, there were several workshops to take part in which allowed those who took part the opportunity to warm up in a novel way!

Above shows a picture from the morning rehearsal and our group taking part in balancing peacock feathers on our hands with Spare Tyre's interactive performance.

The Programme

Dissidents

Dissidents are a dance company for performers over 55 years old. The Company makes bold and relevant pieces of art and seeks to challenge expectations of senior dance companies. They have performed at venues including Sadlers Wells and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Older Women Rock!

Older Women Rock! creates pop-up political art spaces to raise awareness and explore issues facing early-old-age women in their late-50s to early 70s. Through performance, poetry, fashion, film, workshops and talks the project celebrates early-old-age women, challenges their invisibility and aims to subvert dominant assumptions and prejudices. The project is founded and led by spoken word poet, activist and lecturer Leah Thorn.

D2D Dance Company
D2D Dance Company is a performance-based elders company which meets once a week at The Bull Theatre in Barnet. The Company has built up an excellent profile since it began five years ago and has performed regularly in both community spaces and theatres including Sadler's Wells and as part of the Elixir Festival in 2014.

Silver Cheerleading Squad
The Silver Cheerleading Squad are a team of senior cheerleaders assembled as part of a project by Silverfit. They choreograph and perform routines to a variety of popular tracks and have performed at a variety of venues and events. Silverfit works to promote happier, healthier ageing through affordable physical activity while combating social isolation and improving older people's quality of life.

Complicité & Spare Tyre

Spare Tyre is one of the UK's leading participatory arts charities, with 40 years experience of producing bold and powerful theatre with voiceless communities. They use innovative performing and digital arts to challenge prejudice and transform lives, enabling unheard stories to be shared. Recent work with older people includes The Garden, a multisensory performance for people with dementia, and The Promise, a co-production with older people exploring the moral complexities of assisted dying.

Above Mary and Derek take part in the cheerleading workshop. Derek told me he couldn't resist the pom poms! :-)

The Performance

This was the fourth time Dissidents have performed this piece. However, this was with a smaller cast and their last performance was eleven months ago! It felt good that they were back performing especially in such a great programme and venue.

There was definitely a marked change in this group since their last performance. They appeared more confident and sure of both themselves and the choreography. They were fierce! I was so impressed and proud.

Reactions from the Dissidents

Sara

After Performing with DissIdents, we had a beautiful group hug, including, of course, Rhiannon, in what can only be described as pure elation. I am sure we had tears flowing. I personally felt empowered and a massive sense of achievement. In fact I am still in the 'after glow '. So proud to be part of it all.

Angela

I felt that our performance went well. I can always improve on my own, and I guess we all feel like that. We seemed to cope with last-minute reorientation of the performance space. It was good to see the preceding groups who were very good, and I think it encouraged us to show our piece at its very best. The audience was very responsive too, nothing like a few shouts and whistles to get us to up our game!

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Why Dissidents?

23/5/2018

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PART TWO

Ever since Marylebone Dance Studio closed last July, I have felt that Dissidents needs to find a new base where they can have regular rehearsals and somewhere to call home! For now, we have been rehearsing in Laban, which has been wonderful! However, without a base we often struggle with the costs of rehearsal space before a big performance.

Dissidents rehearsing for tomorrow #noroyalweddinghere #whatroyalwedding Come and see them perform @southbankcentre Tomorrow 2pm in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer also performing @rosetheatrekingston on Sat 16 June #ignitiondancefestival #dance #theatre #physicaltheatre #london #rehearsal #londondance #dancephotography #dancephoto #dancepractice #instagood #instagram #instagrammer #instalike #instadance #instadaily #instafollow #instafollow #workshop #instaart #instamood #instaartist #artist #artists #choreography #choreographer #dancers #dancer

A post shared by Rhiannon (@rhiannonbrace) on May 19, 2018 at 5:03am PDT

Last Sunday the Dissidents performed at (B)old Festival at Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer in a mixed programme of work by senior artists.

The previous day, Saturday 19 May, was the day of the Royal Wedding and the group met up in the foyer to take a look at the space, have a catch up and have a little rehearsal outside in the sun.

When we arrived in the foyer at 11am, a big screen had been put up for people to watch the wedding and a large crowd was gathering. As union jacks were waving and people were taking their seats in front of the screen, the Dissidents went outside to look for a quiet space to rehearse. I was so impressed by this group of people, who despite all the festivities around them, just wanted to concentrate on their performance the next day. I think this extra rehearsal in the sun really proved vital in making the performance more precise and aided with eliminating some hesitancy. It felt wonderful to not have the time constraints of a studio booking and therefore we just rehearsed until we were happy and until it got too hot!

What I feel holds Dissidents together is we want to fight stereotypes that anyone over a certain age is a doddery old person who does not have much energy or ability. I hope that by presenting a slightly surprising performance of an iconic rock track, which is full of vibrance and energy, that we can in some way fight this image.

The next blog will include footage and pictures from the performance at Queen Elizabeth Hall, which we are still all BUZZING from! :-)

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Why Dissidents?

14/5/2018

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PART ONE

Dissidents formed in Marylebone Dance Studio in 2017, where I had been holding regular Sunday workshops in Physical Theatre. I applied for Sadler's Wells Elixir Festival with an idea which had been brewing for a while.

I struggle with using some terms such as community dance, community project and inter-generational because I think they are often used in a patronizing way to say this show wont be as good as usual because it's a community show. As much as I cringe, I do, however, use these terms, where appropriate, to be clearly understood by funders and programmers.

It is entirely possible to create a great artistic piece of physical theatre/dance with a cast of different ages, a cast of senior movers or any other age group. What is more important than age or level of physical ability is the performer's commitment and belief in the work they are performing. That above all, is the key to making great theatre.

There is definitely a place for a seated dance with senior groups in order to have a class that is inclusive of illnesses and disabilities. However, it can be really out of place in a senior dance group where the performers are physically capable of so much more. It is actually quite offensive to the performers and a cliche lacking in any artistic imagination.

If you ever see a chair in a Dissidents show then they are likely to be throwing that chair fiercely across the stage! If we do, in the future, have a member of cast whose physical capabilities become limited such that they need to be seated then I would hope that we search for more artistic ways of incorporating her than giving the whole cast a chair.

Read on to hear from some of the Dissidents about what it means to be a member of Dissidents.

Janine

Just over a year ago I was recovering from an operation to remove a benign brain tumour and I wanted to get back to dance as part of my rehab. I saw that Rhiannon was giving physical theatre workshops so I started doing them. This helped strengthen my legs and give me confidence.

I worked with Rhiannon in 2014 in The Legacy, revisiting our experience of being a volunteer performer in the London 2012 Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies with fellow volunteers. This was quite an undertaking with 40 of us in the cast!

After several workshops, I was thrilled when Rhiannon invited me to join Dissidents to perform to Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child in Elixir Festival at Sadler's Wells. This built my confidence further.

Voodoo Child reminds me of the massive protests and rallies I went to against the injustices of the day in the sixties and seventies and marching half way across London in protest. My challenge at the moment is to overcome a bit of discomfort in one knee from arthritis. I'm determined to overcome this and continue to dance, do physical theatre and perform. Not bad for a 73 year old!

Sara

I decided to join Dissidents as I wanted to be part of a more ‘mature dance group'. Also because I have worked with Rhiannon Brace before and, have enjoyed working with her.

I feel what makes me a Dissident is actually being able to get to rehearsals, and to show my inner strength, that also shows to other ‘mature‘ people, that dance is not only for the youngsters. Our group is all of a finer age, and it feels like we have an understanding of each other.

The track Voodoo Child, brings back a lot of memories of years gone by. It makes me feel powerful, and at the same time somewhat vulnerable. They don’t make sounds like that any more.

My challenge in all of this, to be honest is, I have quite a rough time with my back and, at times, takes it out of me. But... nothing a good nights sleep doesn’t cure (touch wood lol). Also dealing with those ‘pre-show nerves’

Angela

Why did you decide to join Dissidents?
I had attended Rhiannon Brace's workshops and enjoyed them. I like the way she works. I also perform with several other dance groups.

What makes you a Dissident?
Not following the crowd.

What does the Voodoo Child piece mean to you?
It's the work of a talented musician, full of energy. Familiarity.

Do you face any challenges in taking part?
Poor eye-sight, as well as the challenge of remembering the choreography!

Penny

Why did you decide to join Dissidents?
I saw on Facebook an advert for senior dancers for the Sadler's Wells project and I wanted to perform again.

What makes you a Dissident?
I'm really good devising with a new group of people and creating a different performance project that shows older dancers can still move and be creative...not just' seated' performance.

What does the Voodoo Child piece mean to you?
Voodoo child is an inventive dance performance that is challenging to the performers and showcases ability for older dancers...and it's fun.

Do you face any challenges in taking part?
Travelling long distances for rehearsals is difficult to schedule and expensive, but worth the effort for participation in powerful performance.

Beverley

Why did you decide to join Dissidents?
I have worked with Rhiannon before and was eager to be involved in another project. I welcomed the opportunity to be part of a group of mature performers exploring movement which highlighted the individuality of the performer in response to a specific piece of music.

What makes you a Dissident?
Outwardly normal holding willingly nonconformist principles upheld and acted upon at a moments notice whilst being human.

What does the Voodoo Child piece mean to you?
Fire, rebirth, free spirit.

Do you face any challenges in taking part?
Distance! I live on the south east coast of England which presents a journey time of 2hrs to central London. There is a financial cost attached to this as well. Physically though I am fit and well!

Elena

Why did you decide to join Dissidents?
I liked the way you create a piece from scratch and to be part of something creative makes me feel alive... particularly as it is inclusive to people that are not in any way professionals.

What makes you a Dissident?
I have always been a Dissident as I question everything and everyone and tend to be in everything I do quite non conformist.

What does the Voodoo Child music mean to you?
This is difficult for me to answer as I literally only heard it the first time at your workshop (I am more into other genres of music) so I would say that it has given me an insight into a genre that I would never have chosen to listen to and that it was in a way liberating.

Do you face any challenges in taking part?
Yes I face many challenges taking part, mostly letting myself go crazy on stage and therefore overcoming my stage freight and shyness.

Gilly

Why did you decide to join Dissidents?
To be physically expressive.

What makes you a Dissident?
I'm naturally rebellious.

What does the Voodoo Child piece mean to you?
The music is ageless and always fresh. Performing in the piece makes me feel free and fearless.

Do you face any challenges in taking part?
Only to push myself to perform better each time.

With many thanks to Clickska Photographer for her fabulous pictures!

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Phrases to be Used Upon...

14/5/2018

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So I am still stunned by the talent on display at Central Saint Martins last week in the performance of Phrases to be Used Upon.... by Anne Elmholt and Nina Kunzendorf.

This performance formed part of their final year of BA Performance: Design and Practice. In this blog post I share with you some photos from this piece and a chat I had with Scott Swinton on Saturday about his involvement.

As a reminder, this piece focuses on "observations of human nature we come across in daily life and how we respond and react to these." In this performance, the actors in the scenes mime their lines while the actors behind them voice their lines into microphones which creates a disconnect between the words and behaviour of the performers and invites the audience to examine this.

So on Saturday, I was at Studio Wayne McGregor and I also caught up with Scott about his experiences working on this show which I found fascinating. Below is the film of our informal chat. The film is poor quality but please use it to listen to the chat.

Thanks Scott!

Credits Phrases to be Used Upon...

Written, directed & designed by Anne Elmholt and Nina Kunzendorf.
Music Composed by Omorinmade Anikulapo-Kuti
Performed by Michelangelo Dousis, Magdalena Jasiniak, Kenneth Joynson, Michael O'Reilly, Alice Poli, Scott Swinton, Anatoli Tsampa and Kim Way
Music Performed by: Omorinmade Anikulapo-Kuti and Nicholas Sabisky

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The Theatre dash!

10/5/2018

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This never usually happens but I actually managed to get out on a Wednesday night! Yay! I knew that Scott Swinton who performs as the MC in Mr President was in a show at Central Saint Martins Platform Theatre for the students of BA Performance: design and practice. Scott had told me about the wonderful facilities in the theatre and I was keen to support him and check out Saint Martins. Luckily, things worked out over timings with childcare so I was able to make my escape into central London.

Since this was such a rare occurrence I decided to try and fit two shows in. Yvette was on at 9pm at Camden People's Theatre so given that Scott's performance was in the first of four shows at 7.30pm, so as long as I left by 8.30pm it should be enough time to get to Warren Street station and get to the theatre before 9pm.

Phrases to be Used Upon...

Scott was part of a piece entitled Phrases to be Used Upon... It was written, directed and designed by Anne Elmholt and Nina Kunzendorf. The show describes itself in the programme as "an episodic tableau exploring the fragmented observations of human nature we come across in daily life and how we respond and react to these.......This play deals with the trivial aspects of life that we usually want to conceal from our surroundings: humiliation, loneliness, boredom, fear and miscommunication."

I loved the surreal aspects of this piece and particularly the way the sound and voice were deconstructed so that the performers were miming their lines while another performer in the background did the speaking at a microphone. The alienated voices created a distance between the body and voice in order to examine what a person says and what a person does and how they behave.

My favourite parts of the piece were the bodies placed in a tableau in the set as the audience arrived, the woman who was gargling with water on stage with the sound being exaggerated through it coming across the microphone and Scott sitting straight-faced at the table having just dropped his face into a cream pie.

I am really wanting to know more about the rehearsal process and thoughts behind this work. I will be writing more about this piece and blogging a conversation that I have with Scott on Saturday about the rehearsal process.

Yvette

I managed to get to Camden People's Theatre with time to spare for the 9pm performance. It was lovely to be back there after our performance in Inauguration (now called Mr President) back in March.

Having just come from the extremely well equipped and designed Platform Theatre, I can't help but notice the contrasts between the facilities and comfort at the student theatre and the simplicity of this small theatre in Camden with its 23 years of history of supporting emerging artists. There is something real and homely to me about the fact that when you sit and watch a performance here - you still hear traffic noise from the outside world.

So I had been planning to see this show for a while. It was in Edinburgh last year, won some awards and got amazing reviews. The trailer gave a glimpse of strong writing coupled with a great performer.

Thankfully Yvette was worth all the dashing between stations and leaving the degree show early. It lived up to all my expectations. The talent of Urielle Klein-Mekongo is pretty gobsmacking! During the show she moves between several different characters with perfect ease and manages to give them all a unique voice while using physicality to show their differences.

The structure of the writing allows for the emotions of the audience to be constantly changing. Once you engage with an enjoyable scene it will be interrupted by a darker memory of trying to calm herself down after her trauma.

The use of spoken word and song makes the performance so emotional and it is all over in no time at all. The last song is particularly poignant and shows off her remarkable vocal skills and leaving some of the audience in tears.

Go see it if you can!

Remaining tour dates:
10th May 2018 - 12th May 2018 Shoreditch Town Hall, London Book Online
14th May 2018 - 16th May 2018 Battersea Arts Centre, London Book Online
17th May 2018 - 19th May 2018 The Albany, London Book Online
21st May 2018 - 23rd May 2018 Bush Theatre, London Book Online

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A Solo show?

7/5/2018

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Recently I have been thinking about creating a solo show. At first I was thinking about creating a show for someone else but now I have got to the stage where I am thinking I will create one for myself.

My natural comfort zone is definitely creating work for larger cast groups and therefore the concept of a solo show has always been in the back of my mind as the ultimate challenge.

I remember in Namibia I choreographed a short solo for a male dancer, so I know it is possible. This, however, will be far more personal.

The Benefits

The benefits of having a one-woman show are obvious. I can rehearse in my own front room without having to make lots of bookings and arrangements with studios and cast. I can be self-reliant. Once I have created the show, as long as I have childcare, I can perform whenever and wherever. Also the money side of making theatre makes a lot more sense if I am the sole cast member. Oh, the problems of trying to get budgets to work for larger casts and the stress of not always getting the funding. This way I will only ever have to deal with my own disappointment.

Let's face it, bringing up a child does not bring in a great salary and benefits package so I need to spend more time making budgets work.

Research

I know that I need to spend some time watching solo shows especially those featuring female artists. There are two shows I am currently excited about watching; Bryony Kimmings new solo show at Battersea Arts Centre in October, I'm a phoenix, bitch (I must book!!) and Yvette, which is in London for the next couple of weeks at a few different venues. I think it is at Camden People's Theatre this week. Let me know if anyone also fancies going at some point?! If anyone can recommend any other solo female shows then I would love to hear them.

EDIT: Here is the link for Yvette at CPT.

Sociable

Part of the reason I love working with groups is that after spending time taking care of my son all week I need to see and talk to other grown ups. And to be honest I would prefer if that chatter wasn't just about children. The great thing about Mr President is that the cast are such a great mix of people who are all so interesting with the things they have done and are doing. I love spending time with them all and just chatting.

I'm guessing making a solo show will mean more time alone, which I like too but I definitely need to balance it with other projects or just going out for a drink with other people.

Getting Serious

So the idea of doing a solo show I had been mulling over in my head for quite some time but what happened this week made the idea become more serious. I began thinking about something that happened in my past and I even started doing a little research into it. Before too long not only had I found my subject matter but I had some music, ideas for projection, costume and a possible ending.

This is how it is with me. If I think too much, sometimes without even intending to, I end up with a show going round in my head and now I even have some images for an ending.

However, I am not in any rush. I am only going to do it if the right opportunity arises. If I get a residency somewhere, a performance to work towards and funding. Yeah right! Also the subject matter won't be easy and therefore the timing that I do this is really important.

Whilst I say I am not in a rush, sometimes I find that once you have the idea, the idea itself has an urgency almost like the idea will die if you let it fester for too long.

If I do get round to making some solo material you won't now be too surprised. I look forward to placing an invite into your calendars at some point in the next couple of years. Look out for it!

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Freshly Scratched at Battersea Arts Centre

3/5/2018

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This was a big deal to me. It may have been a scratch night but it was a BAC scratch night and I have wanted to do one for literally ten years. I used to live in Wandsworth and had been really involved with the local arts scene. I had performed there many times in other artist's work, but never my own. I don't even remember the last time I was in the building but it must have been quite a few years back.

Having performed the material in Mr President before, I think as a cast, we were all able to enjoy the day far more. The cast was smaller, the show itself was half its length, in order to squeeze into our ten minute slot, and we all knew what we were doing (ish). Hence the reason in these blog pictures half of us are doing the tech rehearsal in costume and half are just not bothering! Rebels!

EDIT: Anyone who works with me knows costume is often involved and therefore tech is important to try moving in the space.

Latex

Part of the reason I was reluctant to put my costume on was I realized during the last performance at Camden People's Theatre that I have a bit of an issue with latex. It had caused me irritation with my eyes during rehearsal but I put that down to wearing a mask can never be comfortable. Right? Then during the performance day I had my costume on for a much longer length of time which resulted in the most painful allergic eyes during the show and a swollen eye for the following two days.

So this time I minimized time in the mask and also I came armed with eye drops, nasal spray and wonderful antihistamines! And that WORKED! :-) Relief!

The Chipped Tooth

The night before the show I had been playing with my son. It was almost bedtime for him and I was planning on spending a couple of hours after he slept improving the soundtrack for the show. Anyway, there we were laughing with each other when suddenly his large plastic Thomas train smacks into my laughing mouth.

There is no pain or blood. Then I move and feel part of my tooth drop to the floor. I was too upset to do sound editing that night. I was actually quite shocked and also mourning the loss of my tooth.

Typically the next morning my dentist was closed and the time they opened was the time I had to leave the house to go to the theatre.

UPDATE: So my dentist says my middle teeth are for smiling now and only my back teeth are for chewing. Thanks my son.

A Shortened Show

So anyway, we learnt the problems of reducing a show to half its length.

In order to take part in the scratch we had to reduce the show to 10 mins and so I picked two really strong scenes and used the opening to create a contrast with the more surreal and hyper scenes. However, I think we definitely learnt that with a show like this, that has some really disturbing lines (all Trump's own words) and some frantic and surreal qualities that it takes a while to build the performance to a point where those scenes have the audience on board. It needs a slow build up so that by the time we get to those scenes, the audience are already engaged and are with you.

It felt like in our disturbing 'pageant scene' which consists of a list of lines that Trump has said about specific female celebrities that the audience were more quiet than last time. However, of course, those lines are not funny at all and are completely shocking and that is the whole point.

New Title & Format

So the show was previously called Inauguration and the show was the Inauguration ceremony itself.

This time I felt strongly that the title needed to be changed because it was immediately assumed that the content was about something that happened in the past and therefore not current/relevant anymore. In fact, I feel that the material is both current and relevant and therefore we needed a title to reflect that. I also wanted a title to reflect the gender fluidity within the show. I think using Laura Hinski's photograph from the performance at Camden People's Theatre together with the title Mr President works. It also keeps the possibilities open for directions I may decide to go in as the show develops.

Since we no longer had the structure of the Inauguration ceremony to give the show context, we decided to approach it as a Trump rally. We kept the immersive opening and used the idea of the audience being welcomed to a last minute, secret rally near the US Embassy in Battersea.

Moving Forward

The rally aspect of the show is something that I now want to move forward with and develop. I would like all the characters to be introduced at different points as they contribute to the rally. Maybe one will sing, perhaps one will read a poem, there will be a few speeches and some dancing before Trump arrives. It will allow us to really build the piece before those climatic scenes.

We also need to think about set and make more decisions on costumes (although we are mostly there with that).

Originally, I was planning to put in an Arts Council application so a performance of the show could coincide with Trump's visit to the UK in October. Well, we did suspect things would change and they did. I'm not sure what we can do for July! He may not even come to London but I would love this to have a presence in July.

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Rhiannon's Blog

Work: The Promised Land (2018), Mr President (2018), Voodoo Child (2017), The Last Dance on Earth (2016), Baby (2016), The Legacy (2014) and She Walks in Beauty (2011). Performance maker and teacher.
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