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!
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.
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.
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!
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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