Doorways show 5th Oct, new studio photos and BSL

Thank you to Rory for creating the poster.

Doorways first indoor show next week!

last rehearsal this week, next week in the Acorn

back to our old haunt..........

this is their press release.........

Shallal Dance Theatre returns to the Acorn on Friday October 5^th with Doorways, an entertaining compilation of highlights from their successful summer site specific Cornish Doorways shows, featured at Godolphin House, Mousehole and Gyllyngdune Gardens,Falmouth.

Shallal is a longstanding inclusive community dance theatre company open to all and their aim is to challenge who can perform and how by providing a performance space for anyone in the community, regardless of sexuality, gender, race, age, physical, mental and emotional status.  Their work is based on natural dance and theatre improvisation.  Shallal's productions are created by the members of the company, who work collaboratively to devise performances which are built from improvisations and ideas that the participants all contribute during the rehearsal period. A range of visiting artists including Rory McDermott, poet Sally Crabtree, film-maker Barbara Santi and composer Roger Pinsent also work with the company on this creative process giving access to a wide variety of skills, media and ideas.

Doorways is a family friendly entertainment as lively, imaginative and varied as its creators.  From crows to clowns, mysterious white ladies to mythical sea creatures, to romantic duets, there is something for everyone.

Doorways will be performed at The Acorn Theatre, Penzance on Friday 5^th October at 7.30pm.  Advance tickets £6.00 (concessions £4.00) available from from www.crbo.co.uk, tel: 01726 879500 or in person from Welcome to West Cornwall, next to Penzance train station, or The Visitor Information Centre, Guildhall, Street-an-Pol, St Ives.

Studio

Here are some photos sent by Laura, after giving the studio a clean and clear out, there's still a few things left to go. Emma from the centre spoke about picnic tables outside in the summer, i like that thinking! and you can see the lovely garden area surrounding it. It's quiet and private despite being in the centre grounds and yet there are people and activity nearby and the canteen, when it's up and running more for the public, so ideal spot for a studio. 

At present 2 artists from Shallal waiting to use it and one from John Daniel Centre. Laura finishing an induction with the centre and then off we go. I think i'll ask her to write about it as it goes on as she is far better with words than i am, in fact her interesting Phd is sitting on my desk!

Those who know me may have guessed that i should be writing something else, so maybe i should see blogging as a writing warm up exercise.

I got the same thrill looking at the empty studio space as i do at an empty hall or dance space, it's so full of potential.

fantastic dappled autumn light.....
busy day today, Friends and Dancing, then Shallal2, then trustees meeting.

BSL
Absoloutely loving learning some basic British Sign Language, second week of a six week course that Demelza and i are doing. Demelza planning to go on and study for a level one qualification.
We are hoping she can sign some or all of Star's poem in the forthcoming show, a kind friend has offered to help her learn it.....so all on the level of experiment but something we've longed to introduce for years. For those who haven't come across them Deafinitely Theatre company are worth checking out. Eileen's ( who Mind the Gap was dedicated to ) stepson Tom has written for them and his partner Paula is their artistic director.
www.deafinitelytheatre.co.uk/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1584948/Couples-could-win-right-to-select-deaf-baby.html#
When Tom went to school in Cornwall the policy was not to teach signing, and i felt such sadness and frustration as i could never communicate clearly with him. He found BSL when he went to university. SO i think all young children should be introduced to simple signs when they learn to read, as it would provide kinaesthetic support and prompting, and give a basic foundation within education of an important language in our culture. (We learn foriegn languages.) Which could be easily supported and developed, i was wondering yesterday if that's a retirement project..50 next year and it's getting to me?! but i want everything done yesterday.......

news

So, after last blog some old and some new offers/possibilities of help in bid writing to create  and develop our new 3 year project, thank you to everyone and i have learnt a lot, had interesting and insightful conversations..and now on with,
some snapshots;
a lovely photo from Friends and Dancing this week, taken for publicity but slightly blurred, so will try again next week. Brenda and Sammy are doing really well in increasing their insight and experience, thanks to our present funders Peoples Health Trust.
find them on;
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peoples-Health-Trust/301820719843544?ref=hl
Everything stopped to welcome Hannah and her new baby Amelie. who dropped into visit, another good reason for a photo!

next Shallal2

Luke and Flo

Flo and Anna

Such a lovely part of the work that we can take our children to the community groups, especially the performance ones, although as you can see in the first photo Flo is part of Friends and Dancing as well.
 Flo and Luke are doing well within the new Shallal2 group, which is flourishing and i have high hopes we will eventually forfill the intial idea to have a main company off shoot or create a new performing group.
 So as a balance to the adult world of fund raising , .....i thought i'd post their photos from last week.

Luke attending a meeting with myself and Sara in a nice coffee shop, happily bribed by hot chocolate- white this time!- a brownie and my second hand ipod, originally brought for work, but now ...a toy....?!
Sara was very helpful to talk to, though after one expresso too early in the morning i definitely talk too much!
 www.sarabowler.info

Eddie and Jessie working on a new dance.....

They are developing a lovely elegant piece, inspired by dancing in the performance at the Art Gallery. Eddie and Jo, who has recently joined us, are also developing some lovely comic improvisations, and we are enjoying the space.


Photo of where we performed our two smaller shows in Mousehole, the house used to be the Keighwin Arma and at one stage of it's long history was Dolly Pentreath's local pub, only a few metres away from her front door!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doublejeopardy/5426737408/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/therevsteve/2790654642/

Amici video/new website etc

Well here i am searching for support to go on with a bid that will need someone else's help to polish off.... who are they, where will they come from??? forward in hope.....

.......so went to look at Amici's new website...
http://www.amicidance.org/

some years ago i  went to A tribute to Hilde Holger by Amici at the Lyric Theatre London and said at the time i was going "to the roots of my roots!"

Wolfgang changed my life, and gave me this work, Hilde was his teacher ......

i was doing a Psychology degree and went to a dance therapy w/e, enjoyed it and went to the next w/e which was by Wolfgang and was blown away by an image from Ruckblick, sometime later i heard him talk, next to RD Laing in Camden, and with his usual generousity we were invited to attend his work. Attending his class at City Lit once a week became the highlight of my week, a while later i left my degree, when i told Wolfgang (and i was about to ask if i could shadow him), he kissed me on both cheeks and said he would teach me to teach....i never got my technique experience to a high enough level before returning to Cornwall, but in the time i followed him around London (the ultimate apprenticeship) i was regularly in creative dance classes in a stroke rehabilitation session, psychiatric ward and day centre, training class and new groups! Wolfgang teaches by immersion, you do it.....and then you teach from yourself, but with this incredible background of experience, and i say to people i work with when i leave a group and reflect on it, i know someone who can do it better, i have a yard stick to measure / assess it by.....which is Wolfgang....

When i wasn't following Wolfgang around London i watched and studied anything affordable and interesting in the dance theatre world.

I have everything to be grateful for and first and foremost Wolfgang shows how to work with people, he showed me humility and love in action.
Wolfgang has been and continues to be a catalyst for numerous artists, dancers, people....

I could write a whole essay on it...but should be writing a bid!
you can hear many others on this 5min video

Magic of Amici video;
http://vimeo.com/43970793

Having just uploaded some snapshots on the previous blog, i felt i needed to share some of Andy's wonderful (as always) images of the company at Falmouth Art Gallery. We are currently looking at ways of creating an exhibition and book from his work with us.
These monotone photos are like thumbnails.
to see more go to http://www.fezparkerphotography.com/news64026.html

working with the "oar"dience
Sam kindly stood in for Michael and is now on the red nose team!
Thanks to Alan for the oars!

We  are now a large company and so at this outreach show there were 14 of us performing.
(There are Formal bows, there are Mexican waves and ours I decided to call a Hawaiian ripple, but it should probably be something more Cornish!)

Response from Falmouth Art Gallery show

It was a beautuiful sunny September evening and we still had a capacity audience at Falmouth Art Gallery. Thank you so much to Louise for inviting us to be part of SPLASH and perform there. It is always so pleasant, professional and supportive. The Art gallery has a friendly, helpful and  impressive staff team - thank you
A lovely way to begin the term.
Blogs are a forum for many things and one of these is for us to share, so especially for the perfomers last night, here is your written audience feedback!

I think everyone did very well and the performance was imaginative and expressive

I could feel the focus of the dancers from where I was sitting, I found the performance expressive and moving, deeply as well as lightly (funny)

 loved it

Loved the live singing accompanying the dancing - very emotive.

It was very moving :)

So beautifully tender, not enough tender moments in the world today.

Thank you everyone.

Brilliant so glad I came to see you all.

Can’t wait until next time. :) xxxx

As always really enjoyed every performance and can’t wait for the next

This was my first performance - the first of many for the future! I LOVED EVERY SINGLE STEP !! I was incredibly moved - Thank you so very much!  What a beautiful,  talented group of people!! :)

I totally enjoyed it. I love dance and I wish I could reach their heights of perfection - it was amazing!

L  Connell

Falmouth Art Gallery

so fuel to carry on for me with the ol' bid writing......

snap shots coming soon...

New photos of the evening from Andy on;     http://www.fezparkerphotography.com/news64026.html

just upgraded our storage to be able to upload these snapshots;

Eddie by his painting 

Trevor in the council office changing room! being a quite convincing judge! this is one of our other favourite spacious backstage/changing areas,  this is about to change as we return to our old home the Acorn on the 5th, which is small and intimate backstage!

blurred but nice image..i may give up even on snapshots but....
this is Jessie and Eddie dancing to Farewell which they both stood in for, they worked very well together.

rehearsal in the art gallery for Farewell

Footage and films

Our patron Robert Fripp sent us this link, containing excerpts from his benefits for us with Theo Travis at All Saints Church, Falmouth and St Peter's, Newlyn. Fond memories and thanks again to them both for their generous gift of time and talents for us.


http://blip.tv/dgmlive-tv/travis-fripp-follow-6335735?fb_comment_id=fbc_237237799731980_895510_237268256395601&comment_id=895510

Film showing of short film created from Godolphin by Zoe, Eddie and Barbara within the exciting TRE PROJECT, showing at St Ives Festival on 15th September, info here

http://thetreproject.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/autumn-tour-2012-2/

The first show in September during the St. Ives September Festival will launch awen productions cic’s new exciting venture ‘Walkabout : St. Ives’ a heritage trail on your phone! Find out more how this location-based app uses a mixture of archive film, art, photography and storytelling to explore St. Ives’ rich social history and cultural heritage.

Footage is as early as 1904 and the tailor made programme includes new short films ‘Ghosts of Godolphin’ made with Shallal Dance Theatre and ‘Pen sans’ by Barbara Santi.

The shows are made possible with support from Heritage Lottery Fund, Feast, South West Film & TV Archive, St. Ives September Festival and Carn to Cove.

Saturday, 15^th September, St. Ives September Festival, Studio 10 Porthmeor Studios. 5.30pm – 7.30pm | Donations | Further info download ‘St. Ives Arts & Literature’ brochure http://www.stivesseptemberfestival.co.uk/

Friday 21^st September, Lamorna Village Hall (Carn to Cove) | 7.30pm | Prices : £6 / £4 Child | Contact Rae Hood T: 01736 731 969

Saturday 29^th September, Carleen Village Hall | 7.30pm | Prices incl. Tea/Coffee : Adult  £6.00 / Concessions £5.00 / Children £4.00 / Family (2A+2c) £17.00. Contact Carole 01736 762 220 or Tony 01736 762633

2 hour programme. Suitable for all ages.  Refreshments available.

and one more; Philip who used to run the highly successful MAP project has sent link to his latest project, Luke and I watched a Buster Keaton clip and Luke ( aged 4) chuckled through it 

 http://seatofthepantsorchestra.co.uk/

Godolphin feedback

Thank you to Ruth Wall who gave us her audience feedback;

I came across Shallal at Godolphin House earlier in the year and was really moved by their performance.
The setting is wonderful of course and the performers used the space really imaginatively.
There was a very real sense of enjoyment and excitement as well as team spirit from all involved. It is rare to see this level of pride and joy in a performance. There were particular solo spots from certain performers, one by a woman who was an incredible dancer and communicator, but it was the company spirit as a whole which really bowled me over. The music/sound scape was cleverly put together without being dominant and the simple props were brilliantly used.  I was so impressed I watched the show twice.


Ruth Wall
harpist
http://www.ruthwall.co.uk/

At the moment i am trying to pull together what is needed for us to return to Godolphin next year with an extended version of the show described above, artistically that can happen "easily?" bid writing wise we are still shining torches in the dark..but thank you to the Shallal 'family" for increasing moral support and lending torches, it's easier to do everything in collaboration.. and we pray it will happen! especially if i get off the blog and onto the rest of work!

Had a lovely creative time with Rory last week discussing the flow for the 3 indoor shows;
at The Acorn, Penzance, 5th October
Launcestopn Town Hall 23rd November , matinee
The Performance Centre , UCF,14th December
 these are  funded by the Arts Council-  and thank you again to The Clare Milne Trust who are funding our weekly existence in the main company this term!
www.claremilnetrust.com/