Friday found us back at one of our favourite venues Falmouth Art Gallery.
Shallal Dance Theatre along with some of Shallal 2, surrounded by the sensitive art of Partou Zia situated within other strong women artists.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2008/apr/04/2
http://www.artcornwall.org/features/Partou_Zia_Helen_Hoyle.htm
I knew Partou from when we lived in Newlyn, and you would meet people walking up and down the steep hill, we had moving and memorable conversations on one particular corner the 'quiet' way down, beside the second Methodist Chapel.
The exhibition has a strong presence and it was moving to remember Partou and to work within it.
 |
| warm up |
 |
| warm up, liked the palette/shades of costume colour with paintings |
 |
| Toby and Justin in late warm up and - from this angle - 'in' paintings |
For our 'Remembering Marjorie' dance we played
Turning World by Charlie Heykoop.
http://www.charlesheykoop.co.uk/music.htm Charlie had played with Shallal many many years ago most memorably outside Truro Cathedral, in a dance festival, and Paul Gosling - who i thought would dance in the limited area of the pavement - instinctively danced around the whole square moving with gestural beauty so profound one dear friend in the audience cried! - which leads onto the conversation around
Spaces.
Saturday
Kestle Barton for the first time
 |
Line up for: costume colour combination check in,
Everyone brings their own and a few options and then we tweek, share, whatever's needed....!
photos George Bradley peer |
 |
| i thought if i put up my pink brolly it might not rain!?! - however it did intermittently in true Cornish Spring showers style - feedback from some dancers is they liked it |
 |
| Zoe's dance for Marjorie to the song 'Wayfaring Stranger' |
 |
| oops can't get volume setting right?! saved by Anna |
 |
we love the wildflower meadow!
Maybelle ( Shallal 2) in the background |
Jo and Anna
Barbara Hepworth talked about 'the figure in the landscape'.
I love the figure: the gesture, the movement/dance, the interactions/relationships, the music and then the SPACE.
Oh my, we know how powerful the first four are but the
space is the fifth element, we are really experiencing it in its grandeur in these outdoor settings and such a joy.
The beach at Trebah and now the meadow at Kestle Barton.
The work in these spaces then takes on 'epic' proportions and vistas: moving art, colour, emotion interaction, the way people turn with each other, one dancer spoke of being connected to everyone! ( at a real distance) no choreography just a trust and assurance of working together, for some of us over many years and then three of Shallal 2 in the meadow as well ( having not worked with SDT before) and a member of the audience saying, "How do you describe this?"
Shallal 2 really enjoyed working with George and want to do more.
The performers in Shallal 2 and Shallal Dance Theatre varied slightly each day and it worked well. It was good to have time together and that also raises progression ideas for us all. We had hoped to have a Liskeard dancer join us as well.
Still reflecting, processing information and insights from it all.
On another more practical note a full audience at Falmouth Art Gallery and the donations suggestion at the end worked well, total averaged at £5 a head, but hard to do on Saturday due to the showers - and moving in and out and round about - assessing and communicating with performers happy or not to work in rain and various spaces, meant it was less easy to make announcements and communicate with the audience and leave/display information etc.
Finally filming by Barbara Santi..
Comments from Friday
"Inspiring. This performance reminded me what I love about dance."
"I just happened to walk in- so moving I have a lump in my throat. It is so magical. Thank you."
Next
The beautiful Tremenheere Art Gallery, Gulval, near Penzance
https://www.tremenheere.co.uk/art-gallery-cornwall/
Friday 10 May 4pm
Looking forward to it.
