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Performance Projects

Denise is a movement artist, choreographer, dancer, singer and mbira player with ten years experience performing and teaching traditional and contemporary pan-African dance.Co-founder of Tolo Ko Tolo fusion dance company and principle dancer in the international world music outfit, Baka Beyond. Recently a member of Sakoba Dance Theatre, Denise also performs with Spirit Talk Mbira and works as a solo artist and on various collaborative projects including the dance film Erw Dinmael and the issue based dance piece Obey the Wind in 2010.A recipient of one of ADAD’s Trailblazers fellowships and supported by Dance Bristol, Denise has trained in African dance in the UK, Ghana, Gambia, Senegal, Zimbabwe and with the Baka hunter gatherers in the Cameroonian rainforest. In 2006 Denise completed contemporary dance training. She is also a student of Aikido and has recently completed Helen Poynor’s Walk of Life movement training in non-stylized and environmental movement.

Questions...

First year dance students!!!! Which one do you like more? The process of creating duets or process of creating solo? Why? I am waiting for your opinions :)

So We Dance and Eden Dance Company

In December of 2010, we had opportunity to see amazing performances of undergraduate 2nd year students’ at Coventry University. They presented to us new works ‘Inhabitation’ in collaboration with Alex Howard and ‘Lot 12’ in collaboration with Rick Nodine. These works were performed by Eden Dance Company and So We Dance at Ellen Terry building.
This opinion essay goes on to discuss both of these performances. First of all, I want you to pay attention and notice that these two works are totally different. Eden Dance Company presented ‘Inhabitation’. I think it was based on response to the environment. In the beginning all dancers’ movements were very slow. They were walking through the space, exploring everything and touching textures with interest and wonder. I liked that performance for many reasons. One of them is improvisation. I saw a lot of people in space and everyone was different as individual. Their movements were slow, soft and fluid. What I liked the most, was the second part of performance which consisted of Silent Walk leading us through the streets, some old and modern, on the way to Lady Herbert’s Garden. In the garden the dancers were doing the same movements as earlier, but on their own time and rhythm. It was really interesting to see that good dancer can dance anywhere. It does not matter – outside or inside.
In contrast to ‘Inhabitation’, So We Dance performed full of energy, colours and chaos dance ‘Lot 12’. In my opinion, the greatest effect on that performance had costumes. Every dancer was dressed in his own style. Apart costumes, I really liked all movements which sometimes were done together in a group, sometimes separately. In addition to everything, I noticed that in that performance was clearly used contact improvisation. As in dance company were man, it was a great opportunity to see their strength during lifting and catching women. ‘Lot 12’ was spectacular performance based on rush, exact, sudden and sharp movements. Second part of performance was ‘Come to Mamma’ presented by Bryony Perkins and Gabriele Reuter. I have never thought that duet could be so interesting. Women, performing that dance were physically strong and vocal. They were lifting each other without any problems, they were laughing, they were singing. Everything was in one piece. I was amazed, how two so different people can dance together and feel each other. Their movements were weaved with different strange noises, quiet song and humour.
In conclusion, I think that all three performances were unique with different music, costumes and movements. In my opinion, it strongly depends on choreographer as well as on dancers in which way they want to present their idea for the audience.