In the spring of 2008, Festival producers DanceXchange and Birmingham Hippodrome delivered the hugely successful inaugural International Dance Festival Birmingham (IDFB). IDFB 2008 generated almost 25,000 audience and participatory experiences. It created a strong new brand and attracted media interest and critical acclaim that raised the profile of Birmingham as an international dance destination. The success of IDFB 2008 demonstrated real demand for a dance festival of scale and quality, and has paved the way for far greater achievements. IDFB 2010 will be bigger and better – with broader region-wide impact, reaching out across the West Midlands with more public performances and participatory projects, delivering greater economic, social and cultural benefits to the city and region, and reinforcing Birmingham’s positive reputation as a world centre of dance, an attractive visitor destination, and a diverse, vibrant and internationally significant cultural city, at the heart of a dynamic region. Retaining a strong international focus, IDFB 2010 will celebrate artistic excellence, promote international artistic exchange, and express the youthful, diverse and energetic spirit of Birmingham and the West Midlands. It will animate the city and capture the imagination with a world-class programme that offers outstanding dance from across the globe; specially choreographed commissions; distinctive performances in unusual spaces; large-scale events for mass public participation; discovery and education, through classes and workshops; and a wealth of professional development opportunities for artists. IDFB 2010 will bring great dance to venues and public spaces across the West Midlands, enabling audiences to see a vast array of stimulating international work that would otherwise be out of reach, and introducing people of all ages to healthy dance activity through exciting participatory events. Through the exceptional range of work on offer, IDFB will connect with the region’s diverse population, inspire local pride and attract visitors to the city. In so doing, IDFB will raise aspirations, benefit the local economy, and enhance the cultural life of the region. With headline collaborators, star turns, and breathtaking events throughout its four weeks, IDFB is the region’s biggest festival, and already one of the largest dance festivals in the world. Through the outstanding quality of its work and the partnerships that support it, IDFB is the perfect showcase for the rich dance infrastructure of Birmingham and the West Midlands, supporting the West Midlands’ Culture Programme for 2012, and presenting an incredible opportunity to celebrate Birmingham as a world destination for dance.
Created by ravonski on 06/04/2010
Last updated: 17/05/10 at 15:45
Tags: idfb2010 international dance festival birmingham birmingham dance
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One of IDFB 2010’s new commissions is a piece from Rosie Kay Dance Company called 5 SOLDIERS The Body is the Frontline, which will premiere at the festival on 23 April.
Rosie Kay is artist-in-residence at DanceXchange in Birmingham where she’s been developing the piece. I’ve been lucky enough to have a glimpse of the work from time to time and it has been fascinating to see how it has come together.
Part of that is seeing the sheer amount of research that goes into developing a piece like this. For example:
In early 2009, Rosie spent two weeks training with the 4th Battalion of The Rifles (see her write-up here)
Following that, Rosie spent some time at Headley Court a rehabilitation centre for injured soldiers
After a hard day in the studio, the company relaxed by watching the Oscar-winning film, The Hurt Locker
In an unusual move, an injured bomb-disposal expert was released by the military for two days to spend time in the studio where he spoke with the company’s dancers
It’s not just Rosie Kay and her dancers who are involved with this deeper research; others involved in realising 5 SOLDIERS have:
Early on, Rosie Kay and collaborators Annie Mahtani (sound artist) and Petra Tauscher (dramaturgist) conducted interviews with members of 4 Rifles, a retired Major General and a recent recruit
David Cotterrell, a visual artist, spent time in Helmland Province with the Joint Forces Medical Group
The issues explored in 5 SOLDIERS are not ones that should be approached lightly. What this immersion in the subject matter means is that, as well as infusing the finished piece, Rosie has become an eloquent speaker on the matters raised. Here she is discussing the origination of the work:
Rosie Kay – 5 Soldiers from Mr Nat Higginbottom on Vimeo.
Buy tickets – 5 SOLDIERS The Body is the Frontline will be at International Dance Festival Birmingham at the Patrick Centre on 23 and 24 April. Tickets cost £8-10.
http://www.idfb.co.uk/news/2010/04/06/what-goes-into-a-performance/
Seems like fun and cant wait until
http://twitter.com/IDFB/statuses/11690348638
Dance icon Salah was in Birmingham this week. With his help, we’ve created a new hip hop/street dance routine to teach people in advance of our Festival’s finale event on 15 May (click here to find out more about Put Your Foot Down). We had a quick chat with him just before he jetted off to Russia and here’s what he had to say:
http://www.idfb.co.uk/news/2010/04/01/catch-up-with-salah/
RT @ChrisUnitt: 17 Shaolin monks. Set designed by Antony Gormley. Sharp suits. This is going to be awesome http://www.idfb.co.uk/whats-on/sutra
http://twitter.com/helgahenry/statuses/11384913352
RT @ChrisUnitt:17 Shaolin monks.Set by Antony Gormley.Sharp suits.This is going to be awesome http://www.idfb.co.uk/whats-on/sutra
http://twitter.com/winkysmileyface/statuses/11382465001
@rasga Programmes here if youre after it http://bit.ly/aOFSUk. 5 Soldiers, Mark Morris and Circa look good, plus the free stuff
http://twitter.com/ChrisUnitt/statuses/11382044514
RT @ChrisUnitt: 17 Shaolin monks. Set designed by Antony Gormley. Sharp suits. This is going to be awesome http://www.idfb.co.uk/whats-on/sutra
http://twitter.com/rachmarsden/statuses/11381800206
@ChrisUnitt Blimely looks good, and tickets selling fast. Time to look over the programme I guess
http://twitter.com/rasga/statuses/11381778015
17 Shaolin monks. Set designed by Antony Gormley. Sharp suits. This is going to be awesome http://www.idfb.co.uk/whats-on/sutra
http://twitter.com/ChrisUnitt/statuses/11381645225
IDFB Interview: Salah
IDFB caught up with hip hop sensation Salah in Birmingham. For more information about International Dance Festival Birmingham, go to www.idfb.co.uk.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb_sRcK6sto&feature=youtube_gdata
Some very cool tunes playing here at Studio 3.
http://twitter.com/IDFB/statuses/11302353801
Today is all about Salah and Put Your Foot Down.
http://twitter.com/IDFB/statuses/11301893989
Thank you to our guest blogger Dan Archer http://shar.es/mr0Un for a lovely post.
http://twitter.com/IDFB/statuses/11300284158
As Events Manager at Bullring I’m working very closely with the International Dance Festival Birmingham team to ensure that everything is in place for the grand finale event, Put Your Foot Down, which takes place at St Martin’s Square – the outdoor space by the church at Bullring. Whilst May 15 may appear to be far in the distance, there’s so much to prepare to ensure that we make the event the best it can be.
It’s a busy time here at Bullring as we’ve recently launched the Bullring Art Project, which invites everybody to become the artist. We’re offering people the chance to share their talent and upload their own images, videos, artwork and music to our website – Life Feels Better – and they might even see their content being exhibited throughout Bullring towards the end of the year!
The local arts community is really important to us, which is why we’ve recently seen the opening of the Created in Birmingham shop, which hosts a number of local artists’, designers’ and photographers’ work. We’ve also recently partnered with Birmingham Royal Ballet to sponsor their 20th anniversary, so it’s great to be working with another partner to really welcome the dance community to Bullring.
I think partnerships like ours are really beneficial to both parties involved and drive awareness and traffic to the event. We’re expecting a large amount of people to turn up to dance at one of the UK’s most iconic locations and we’re crossing our fingers for a sunny Saturday afternoon!
And finally if you’re thinking of heading down to St Martin’s Square on May 15 to join in with the dance you may find me pulling out my signature move, the funky lama. All will be revealed…
http://www.idfb.co.uk/news/2010/03/30/guest-blogger-dan-archer/
http://twitpic.com/1br48o -
http://twitter.com/IDFB/statuses/11250775571
The International Dance Festival Birmingham team is landing at Bullring for two weeks from Monday, 29 March! Catch us at the Created in Birmingham shop on Level 3, Upper Mall West (near the Apple Store) from today through to 11 April.
Talk to us about the Festival, pick up your copy of our free Festival magazine, and find out more how you can get involved. Remember, you don’t have to be a pro to be part of it.
We look forward to seeing you there!
http://www.idfb.co.uk/news/2010/03/29/idfb-at-bullring/
Gosh, well things are rather hectic here in the IDFB offices. With just four weeks until the Festival gets underway, there is still lots to do.
My role on the festival is Programme Manager, which means I’m responsible for negotiating and confirming details with all the companies performing in the theatre venues (other than the main Hippodrome stage) during the Festival. So, I’m spending most of my time on the phone or email to the various companies and venues, agreeing all the final details, as well as confirming flights, accommodation and various freight regulations.
One of the side effects of all these conversations is I’ve developed an extensive knowledge of the time zones of the world – I think we’ve only once mixed up eight hours ahead with eight hours behind and woken a choreographer up in the middle of the night! Unfortunately, I’ve also had to develop a knowledge of the visa, travel and work permit regulations of lots of different countries, which are as complex as they are extensive. I’ve discovered, for example, that Madagascar has no British Consulate (the nearest one is in Mauritius) and have memorised several airport codes for obscure international airports. Oh well, I’m sure this will come in handy in a future pub quiz.
With all of this detail, it’s easy to forget about the actual work sometimes. However, I’ve been able to remind myself of just how exciting that is too recently, having seen performances of Circa and Sutra (both at The REP during the second week of the Festival) over the last few days, both of which are astonishing pieces. People have also been asking me what I’m personally looking forward to seeing. Well, all of it of course (!), but two particular highlights for me have to be the first and last pieces in the Festival – Mark Morris’s signature work L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato and Deborah Colker’s new piece, Cruel (both at Birmingham Hippodrome). I’m also keen to see reactions to Waves – an interactive installation which changes according to the movement of passers-by, which will be installed in the square outside the Hippodrome for two weeks.
Elsewhere in the team, my colleague Hannah Sharpe (Festival Producer) is going through similar processes for the performances that are made and produced by IDFB. So, she’s busily contracting dancers, looking at designs taking shape and agreeing details with the City Council for some very exciting new work, including Utopia – our spectacular May Bank Holiday performance in Victoria Square, featuring 40 dancers and the terrific Birmingham band, The Destroyers.
No doubt 19 April will come around before we know it and then I’ll be into four weeks of very little sleep, food on the run and, most importantly, 27 days of fantastic dance performances. And then, after a (very) short break, it’s onto the next Festival. We’re planning performances to see and companies to talk to about IDFB 2012, and there are already some pretty exciting plans…
http://www.idfb.co.uk/news/2010/03/23/paul-burns/
In an earlier post I mentioned that “Birmingham’s a busy city for dance this year”. Two major events have already taken place in the city and more are to come.
Already happened
First up was British Dance Edition 2010, hosted and directed by DanceXchange on behalf of the National Dance Network, which took over venues across the city from 3-6 February, showcasing some of the best UK-based artists and companies.
10 March saw a Royal gala performance from Birmingham Royal Ballet, with HRH Prince Charles in attendance to see highlights drawn from the company’s 20 years of success since moving to the city. Celebrations will be ongoing throughout the year and the plaudits started early, winning the dance category in the last ever South Bank Show Awards.
Still to come
International Dance Festival Birmingham takes place in April and May although if you’re reading this here, it probably doesn’t come as news to you.
However, sampad South Asian Arts will also be celebrating their 20th anniversary in May and two of their events form part of the IDFB schedule. Those two events are:
The Absent Lover – Thresh Dance Company (13 May, The Patrick Centre)
Kathak Duet – Abhimanyu & Vidha Lal (14 May, The Patrick Centre)
On 4 July the Hippodrome hosts U.Dance England 2010, a national showcase event for groups of young people aged 11 to 19. It will be held at Birmingham Hippodrome and will be the flagship performance for the U.Dance programme.
The series of events leading up to the Olympic Games is now getting into full swing. In the West Midlands the focus of the programme is People Dancing which aims aimed at get people across the West Midlands moving for themselves and inspire people of all ages, skills and abilities to make dance part of their everyday lives.
Birmingham: a world centre for dance
In January, Terry Grimley, arts editor of the Birmingham Post, previewed BDE 2010 and IDFB. This quote from David Massingham, co-director of IDFB, comes from that article:
“We are certainly thinking now about really seeing Birmingham as a world centre for dance,” says David. “That’s how we want the city to be seen. With Birmingham Royal Ballet and the other companies here, with the festival, the Hippodrome and all the work we are doing across the region, I’m sure it’s the largest hub in Britain for dance.”
http://www.idfb.co.uk/news/2010/03/22/birminghams-big-year-of-dance/
Akram Khan is currently one of the most highly acclaimed British Asian choreographers working in Britain today, and is an Associate Artist at Sadler’s Wells London. He’s received numerous awards throughout his career, and was awarded an MBE in 2005. I caught up with him during British Dance Edition, at which he presented a work-in-progress session about his new piece, Vertical Road.
Q: How would you explain or describe Kathak dance to someone who has never seen it before?
AK: Kathak is a North Indian Classical dance form and the word itself means to tell a story, so it’s basically a story-telling dance.
As in all Indian dance, it’s hugely influenced by Hindu mythology, but what’s particular about Kathak is that it has a lot of Islamic influence, so you have this spiritual element from the Hindu and the Islamic culture and traditions. So, it’s a very mathematical, complex, rhythmical… you know we dance using our bare feet with bells so it’s almost like tap dance, but without the shoes! Instead of the shoes we have bells. It’s extremely volatile and exciting to watch, rhythmically, and it has a real sense of sheer speed, but also stillness. So, it’s really kind of shifting from extreme speed to sudden stillness. But using this kind of energy and these kinds of rhythmical patterns, in the end it’s about telling stories and we use gestures, hands, particularly the face for more kind of narrative work.
Q: Can you tell me a bit more about Gnosis?
AK: It’s really the first solo work I’ve done in four years. I kind of got into doing duets for a while, with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Sylvie Guillem and Juliette Binoche.
So, I was very excited to return home, and when I say home I mean my body, because I think our homes exists in our body these days because we’re travelling so much. And so it was kind of like tracing back to my classical roots, but at the same time I didn’t want to just present classical, because it’s like looking at a painting – when you see a painting and then you move away from it and do other things then you come back. Because you’ve moved away and experienced something else, by the time you come back you’ve changed and, when you look at the painting again, because you’ve changed you force the way you look at the painting to change. So, in a way the painting’s evolving, and that’s what happened with my classical from when I did it four years ago to now – I am older now and it makes it harder! But at the same time I hopefully have grown in other ways, and so it’s really about coming back to my traditional roots. I wanted to kind of strip away the classical code, so throughout the piece slowly it’s evolving into a journey which leads towards my contemporary. So I start off as a classical dancer and end up as a contemporary dancer. That transformation is very important for me.
Gnosis means ‘in the knowledge’ so it’s very much about…actually it’s inspired by Gandhari, who is a mythological female character. One small reason I wanted to work with her character was because, first of all, women are not explored enough I feel, especially as heroes or heroines in mythological stories – it’s always the male. And I found her fascinating because she was a very educated women in the Mahabharata, she was extremely powerful and intelligent, and she was forced, let’s say, to marry a blind king. And because she had to marry this blind king she said “if you are going to give me a blind husband I’ll give you a blind wife”, so she blindfolded herself and she stayed blindfolded.
She gave birth to 100 boys and 1 girl and, through the war of the Mahabharata, most of them died, I think maybe all of them, but the fact that she never took her blindfold off fascinated me. That she had to hear the stories of how they were killed. That takes a lot of power, and a lot of courage, and a lot of pride in a way. Because she kept her commitment, in that generation once you uttered it, it was sacred. In this day and age, a vow is easily adaptable – marriage is a simple example of that.
Catch Akram in Gnosis at Town Hall Birmingham on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 May at 7.30pm.
http://www.idfb.co.uk/news/2010/03/16/akram-khan/
Akram Khan on Gnosis
IDFB caught up with renowned choreographer Akram Khan to talk about Gnosis, which he is bringing to the Festival.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7A87rod6_c&feature=youtube_gdata
The Festival is not just about the fabulous line up of performances we’ve programmed, but it’s also about giving people of all ages, dance abilities and interests to join in the fun at a town or city centre near you. Have a look at the Take Part section of our website and see what kinds of opportunities there are to get involved.
Whether you’re looking for tango, flamenco, folk, hip hop or something fun for the kids to do, do keep checking back for regular updates – we’ve got an array of workshops as well as education and outreach programmes to get you dancing.
If you’d like to receive information about things you can take part in during the Festival, please join our mailing list or email us.
http://www.idfb.co.uk/news/2010/03/10/dance-with-us/
Now they’ve been to their first class, our IDFB Dance Challenge stars share their thoughts on how they got on:
*Fionnuala Bourke – Club Jazz*
*Paul Sargent – Tap*
*Keith Gabriel – Contemporary*
*Jodie Schofield – Musical Dance*
*Louisa James – Ballet*
*Kate Lawler – Capoeira*
*Satnam Rana – Hip Hop*
And so… they came, they danced, but will they conquer the dance floor next week? You can follow what happens to all our Dance Challenge participants here and on Twitter.
http://www.idfb.co.uk/news/2010/03/09/first-lessons-aftermath/
Satnam Rana after her first hip hop class
BBC Midlands Today's Satnam Rana shares her thoughts about her first hip hop class. She talks to her class buddy about it.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsYO_vR3YFk&feature=youtube_gdata
Mark Morris Dance Group - L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato
Men's Dance Segment
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVhI-vIxbng&feature=youtube_gdata
Mark Morris Dance Group - L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato
Haste Three Nymph Segment
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