Fergus in Japan
Artistic Director Fergus Early has been awarded a prestigious Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to research dance and older people in Japan, in both professional and recreational contexts. He is travelling with colleague and partner, the choreographer Jacky Lansley, with whom he is currently editing a book of interviews with older professional dancers. They hope to include interviews with one or more Japanese dancers in the book. To follow Fergus’ travels you can subscribe to his blog: http://fergusinjapan.blogspot.com
Grant awarded by the Dunhill Medical Trust
Green Candle Dance Company’s recent funding application to The Dunhill Medical Trust was extremely successful and as a result will allow the company to continue its innovative and exciting work with older people. The funding has been awarded specifically to sustain and continue to develop ‘Arts and Aging’ and ‘Arts and Health’ dance projects with older people.
New Education Manager
In February Green Candle Dance Company were joined by a new member of staff: Education Manager Joanna Gamper. Joanna is an experienced manager and practitioner who previously worked for Sadler’s Wells associate company Jonzi D Productions and LABAN conservatoire for contemporary dance. She has also choreographed various large scale community projects for organisations including the Southbank Centre and Islington Community Theatre. Joanna will be delivering dance projects and INSETs for the company as well as managing the education team.
Joanna’s post has been funded thanks to money awarded by The Foyle Foundation.
_______________________________________________________
Annual Report '07 - '08 Read >>
_______________________________________________________
Newsletter Autumn-Winter 2008 Read >>
_______________________________________________________
HEALTHY STEPS
Green Candle Dance Company is continuing to extend and develop their range of services and we are pleased to announce that we are one of only a few offering the ‘Healthy Steps Programme’ (formerly called The Lebed Method) in the UK.
The ‘Healthy Steps’ programme focuses on healing physically and emotionally through movement and dance. It is a unique system of exercise and movement that is structured on an accepted therapeutic basis aimed at helping those recovering from cancer, surgery, or dealing with chronic diseases. It was designed 25 years ago by Sally Davies a dancer and choreographer, together with two physician/surgeons in the (USA).
Initially, the programme was developed for breast cancer survivors, but it is now used for any type of cancer or chronic conditions including motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, and has now been established in palliative and hospice care throughout the UK. This method is also considered a successful tool for managing and preventing lymphodema and has been recognised by the Lymphodema Foundation and many national cancer organisations. This programme is already taking place in more than 400 hospitals world wide.
‘Healthy Steps’ focus on healing is only available through licensed and qualified practitioners who have qualified through rigorous training to ensure that participants receive correct care and guidance through the movement techniques.
For more information about this programme please contact Sonia Illescas our Community Dance Artist and ‘Healthy Steps’ Instructor at: sonia@greencandledance.com
Please note that the ‘Healthy Steps’ programme is due to start in September 2010
_______________________________________________________
'Falling About' and 'Moving About'
A unique resource for leading dance sessions with
older people, containing DVD and supporting guide.
Background
For the past 21 years, Green Candle Dance Company has been pioneering and driving forward the idea of dance for all older people, whether fit and active or frail. In that time, we have produced many productions for older audiences which have toured to day centres, sheltered housing, village halls, community centres and small theatres all over London and the British Isles. At the same time, we have developed a programme of dance sessions for older participants and a programme of training for dance artists and health care workers who want to work with older people in dance. We are therefore delighted to be able to launch our new DVD which is a unique resource and will represent a major contribution to practice in this rapidly growing field.
The DVD
This resource pack contains a DVD of our latest production for older audiences, Falling About, and two model workshops, one for seated and one for standing participants, both with sub-titles and a clear commentary on the content and intention of the sessions. The pack also provides a booklet with supporting information on both the production and workshops giving extra information and guidance.
Available Now!!
Contact Suzanne Firth to place your order:
Tel: 020 7739 7722 Email: suzanne@greencandledance.com
DVD plus resource booklet £25.00+pp. Discount available for individual senior dancers.
_______________________________________________________
PRESS RELEASE
Green Candle Director Awarded OBE
Green Candle Dance Company is delighted to announce that its founder and Artistic Director, Fergus Early, has been awarded an OBE for services to dance in the New Year Honours List.
Early’s remarkable career has taken him from a junior soloist in the Royal Ballet to the artistic directorship of Green Candle, one of the country’s leading exponents of dance in community and education contexts. His early career with the Royal Ballet included spells as dancer, ballet master and choreographer with its ‘Ballet for All’ educational company, directed by Peter Brinson, which laid the foundation for the educational side of Green Candle’s work many years later. In between, Early studied and then taught at the London School of Contemporary Dance and in 1976 was one of a group of young radicals who founded X6 Dance Space, the seminal New Dance magazine and the movement which became known as New Dance, exploring new ways of teaching, choreographing, performing and writing about dance. He was also a founder of X6’s successor organisation, Chisenhale Dance Space in Bow, East London and it was from here in 1984 that he launched Green Candle.
For the past 25 years, Green Candle has been a pioneering force in British dance. Green Candle was the first company to employ a wheelchair user as a professional dancer. It is the only dance company producing performances and workshop programmes for older audiences and participants and taking them to hospitals, day centres and sheltered housing. It runs a Senior Dancers group for people over 60.
The company’s work for children and young people includes critically acclaimed productions such as Alanna and the Tree, Mina’s Story and LIstening Eyes. Its Youth Dance Company offers performing opportunities for young people aged 11-14 and its outstanding schools programme, Dancing the Curriculum, develops new approaches to teaching and learning maths, science and literacy through dance. For 9 years Green Candle ran the unique Deaf Dance Summer School for deaf young people, in conjunction with Sadler’s Wells and, latterly, the National Deaf Children’s Society
Early has produced 26 full-length productions for Green Candle, with the latest, Falling About, (for older audiences) due to embark on a national tour in May. The company is based at Oxford House in Bethnal Green, East London.
Early says of the honour: ‘It is wonderful to be recognised for work that is often underrated and invisible. I feel this is an award for the whole of the independent dance sector and in particular the area known as community dance. I have always contended that everyone has a right to enjoy dance, whether by participating in it or watching it and maybe this award is a small milestone towards making that a reality.’
For further information, pictures, to arrange interviews etc, you can contact us on;
Tel:020 7739 7722
Email: info@greencandledance.com
|
