Dancin’ Oxford 2018 – Susie Crow reports

“Spring is coming…” I wrote in posting an advance round-up of performance and other events for this year’s edition of Dancin’ Oxford Festival 1^st – 11^th March 2018. It would perhaps have been more appropriate to post “Winter is coming…” as the arrival of the “Beast from the East” took some casualties in the first weekend of programming. Heavy snowfall and consequent travel disruption led to the postponement to a later date (to be announced) of the one day Dance and Academia conference, with several guest speakers unable to get there. That same day (Saturday 3^rd March) Company Chameleon’s performance at Pegasus Theatre was also cancelled.

Other companies who had arrived in Oxford a day or two earlier before the snow were able to continue with scheduled performances in true “the show must go on” style, and with encouragingly healthy audiences. At the end of Theatre Ad Infinitum’s Friday evening performance of Odyssey at The North Wall, performer George Mann gave a heartfelt thanks to those that had made it. I found this lively retelling of Homer’s great story of journey and homecoming well worth crunching through silent snowy streets for.

 

Dancin’ Oxford 2018

Spring is coming, and with it Oxford’s very own festival of dance Dancin’ Oxford in its 2018 edition.  Lots of fascinating peformances to come with an emphasis on physical theatre and storytelling as well as some tantalising workshops and taster sessions.  See below for Oxford Dance Writers list of performance events and dates in Oxford with links to further information and booking details.  Check out the Dancin’ Oxford website for details of additional performances in Didcot and Banbury, as well as workshops and classes and the Dance and Academia conference.

 

Dance Scratch, Old Fire Station, Tuesday 25th April 2017

Curated by Oxford Dance Forum this occasional platform provides a welcome opportunity for Oxford dance artists to try out works in progress in a safe space, and for audiences to get an insight into the development of new works, and give feedback.  In this richly varied edition the artists are Naomi Morris with Hugh Pryor, Emma Webb and Richard Jones, Jenny Parrott, Ellie Aldegheri and Lunas Dance Project and Thomas Page Dancers.  See below for further details about the works they will be showing.

Performance:  Tuesday 25th April 7.30pm

Venue:  Arts at the Old Fire Station, 40 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AQ

Tickets:  £5

Book online here

 

Lunas Dance Project: Summer Intensive Final Performance at Old Fire Station Saturday 25 July 2015

Lunas Dance Project’s Summer Intensive students and company dancers will be presenting a compilation of dance pieces and extracts of Of Myths, Perspectives and Transformations at the Old Fire Station on Saturday 25th July.  Lunas Dance Project Summer Intensive is a five-day course led by director Ellie Aldegheri aiming to develop the professional within the student, including technique study, a mock audition, and a final show with the company.  The intensive focuses on developing well rounded dancers by exposing the participants to a variety of disciplines with an emphasis on contemporary dance, the mission to provide the tools to become strong and reliable professionals.  The final showcase performance offers a chance to see a new generation of dancers in development.

Performance: Saturday 25th July, 7.30pm

Venue:  The Old Fire Station, 40 George Street Oxford OX1 2AQ

Tickets:  £8.00, available online here or by phone 01865 305305 via Tickets Oxford, or in person from the Box Office at Oxford Playhouse, or on the door.

More information here and you can find out about Lunas Dance Project here

 

Of Myths, Perspectives and Transformations: Lunas Dance Project at The Old Fire Station, Saturday 20th June – Susie Crow reviews

For Lunas Dance Project’s latest production Of Myths, Perspectives and Transformations the dark stage space is suggestively characterised and demarcated by dimly glowing suspended light bulbs and scattered empty picture frames; to one side a wooden structure implies giant frames emerging from the floor. An expectation of symbolic significance to match the big theme of emotional change, desire and resistance that choreographer and artistic director Ellie Aldegheri signals in her programme note with reference to works by Kafka and Gabriel Garcia Marquez which have inspired her.

 

Lunas Dance Project presents Of Myths, Perspectives and Transformations, Old Fire Station 20th June 2015

Up and coming Oxford based Lunas Dance Project presents its latest piece in two performances at the Old Fire Station on Saturday 20th June.  Of Myths, Perspectives and Transformations is a project which explores the transformative effects of emotional change: desire and resistance, all the difficulties a new path brings.  Inspired by Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World, Lunas’ artistic director and choreographer Ellie Aldegheri revisits the choices in life which transform identity.

 

Lunas Dance Project: Of Myths, Perspectives and Transformations at Wandsworth Fringe 8th May 2015

Up and coming Oxford contemporary dance company Lunas Dance Project lead by Ellie Aldegheri will be performing in London as part of the Wandsworth Fringe Festival on Friday 8th May.  New work Of Myths, Perspectives and Transformations  explores the transformative effects of emotional change; desire and resistance, and all the difficulties a new path brings. Inspired by Franz Kakfa’s Metamorphosis and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World, EIlie Aldegheri revisits choices that led to personal transformations. The company is energetic and dynamic, invoking past experiences by exploring the sensations associated with them through connected and flexible movements. The dancers excite the curiosity of their audience and engage their empathy.

Performance:  Friday 8th May, 6.00pm
Venue:  St Paul’s Church, Welham Road, London SW16

Get your tickets here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/of-myths-perspectives-and-transformations-tickets-15676941153

For a free short taster, please join Lunas at St George’s Hospital Tooting at 2.30pm, 3.00pm and 3.30pm

St George’s Hospital, Blackshaw Road, Tooting, London SW17 0QT

Wandsworth Fringe, London
http://wandsworthartsfestival.com/2015/event/of-myths-perspectives-and-transformations1

Find out more about Lunas Dance Project here

Read Jane Connelly’s review of Lunas Dance Project’s previous show here

 

Lunas Dance Project in Measuring Time, Old Fire Station, 10th May 2014 – Jane Connelly reviews

This show followed the theme of time. Lunas Dance Project’s new work Measuring Time started and ended the show, framing works by guest companies in the middle.

Measuring Time: Part 1 and Part 2. The piece began as Ellie Aldegheri moved a stone from a heap at the side of the stage to a new pile beside it; she danced a powerful solo, then joined all the dancers grouped at the back. There were fast sequences of intense movement on, off, around and across the stage, and with big umbrellas and newspapers, including a solo of quiet intensity from Elly Tiburcio.

 

Measuring Time : Lunas Dance and guests at the Old Fire Station 10th May 2014

Lunas Dance Project is a dynamic emerging Oxford based contemporary dance company.  Directed by Ellie Aldegheri, the company will be presenting her new work Measuring time, in May at Arts at the Old Fire Station in Oxford alongside two guest companies, Bracknell based nocturn dance Company and Slaves to music from Switzerland.  Measuring Time will be accompanied live by Nia Williams, and an ensemble of five musicians.