Green Candle Dance Company turn 30: an interview with Jean Harwood
As part of Green Candle’s 30th birthday celebrations we have taken this opportunity to speak with some of the inspiring people who have been involved with the company, both past and present, and to gain an insider’s view of their experiences. We felt it only fitting for the first of these conversations to be with Jean Harwood, the longest standing member of the Green Candle Senior Dance Company, our performance group for people aged 55+, which she joined over twenty years ago. Jean is also a current member of the company’s Board of Trustees.
Image of Jean Harwood (bottom left) and the very first project for the original Green Candle Senior Dancers in 1995
Jean remembers when she began dancing with the Senior Dancers in 1995. She would bring her mother, who had Alzheimer’s, to the group. During the session, Jean would enjoy taking part in exercising while learning a new routine and socialising with the other members of the group. When asked what she would say to someone who was considering joining the Green Candle Senior Dancers she responded saying “You go, I loved it!”
Jean vividly remembers two of her favourite performances with the Green Candle Senior Dancers. The first was a seated dance entitled Getting Some Fun Out Of Life, first shown in 2007 with choreography by Fergus Early and to music by Billie Holiday. She still remembers the choreography to this day and gave us an impromptu performance when we met with her! A second performance she recalls with great detail was called Apple Core (2012), also choreographed by Fergus to music by Gerry Mulligan. Jean explained in detail how the movement followed the process of making apple cider. First, they had to plant the seed to grow the tree, they then picked the apples, made the cider, drank the cider, got a bit drunk and started all over again. The performance focused on portraying these actions through movement and letting the audience use their imagination. Speaking of this performance, Jean comments, “I wouldn’t have missed that, it was a big part of my life. And I loved it.”
Jean Harwood in rehearsals for ‘Postcards from East London’ in 2011
A love of music and dance has always been a part of Jean’s life from childhood and still is today. Piano and tap lessons early on in life instilled in her a strong sense of rhythm and musicality that has stayed with her; even after being evacuated from London as a child during the war she continued to take classes supported by the host family that took her in. Being part of the Green Candle Senior Dancers has brought her a sense of joy and satisfaction, as she learns new routines and performs with the Company she feels, ‘It all connected, all these things I did as a kid helped me.’ Dancing has become a part of living for her.
Jean continues to be a part of Green Candle Dance Company and expressed, “I never want to lose touch with it. Never. I think it’s fantastic.” We are grateful to have you Jean and for the many years of dedication to Green Candle Dance Company, we thank you.
