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Charity number: 1077161

Company number: 3724349

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Dance

The Cocoon

Presented as part of Elefeet dance festival

Date
Wednesday 4 March 2020

This raw and uplifting celebration of womanhood uses music, spoken word and exhilarating choreography to explore the female experience. On this humorous, poignant and empowering journey, we encounter mothers, daughters, sisters and friends as we shift and emerge into new worlds, from Greggs in Leeds to the beaches of Cornwall and everywhere in between. These worlds and the stories within are a colourful mix of fantasy and reality. With stories gathered and shared by women's groups across Greater Manchester, this work searches to connect women to each other, and to themselves.

The Cocoon premiered at Z Arts in 2019 to great acclaim and now embarks on performances in both Manchester and London. With a newly commissioned musical score by Richard Smithson, and an updated cast of five unapologetically fearless female dancers, The Cocoon promises to be a joyous celebration of femininity.

Coalesce Dance Theatre is a Manchester-based, female-led contemporary dance company. Directors Fern Wareham and Rachel Maffei have established an ethos that places people at the heart of their practice. Coalesce Dance Theatre approach subjects that are current and topical, uplifting and engaging audiences with their thoughtfully crafted choreography.

The company was formed in 2017 and have received a number of commissions, as well as support by Arts Council England's Grants for the Art for a range of projects.

Praise for Coalesce Dance Theatre's previous work:

"Episodes are knitted together with unison movement hinting at strength, comradeship and the multidimensionality of femininity...thoughtfully crafted and elegantly performed."
Emma Hopley - Emma Reviews Shows.

Coalesce Dance Theatre - The Cocoon Trailer from CoalesceDance on Vimeo.


Reviews

"An uplifting production encompassing the highs and lows of the female experience...the entire company are a joy to watch as they demonstrate the pain, joy and strength behind these women’s stories. An inspiring and emotional show."

Fairy Powered Productions

Directors
Fern Wareham & Rachel Maffei
Composer
Richard Smithson
Artistic Mentorship
Keira Martin
Producer
Laura Broome
Graphic Design & Technical Support
Emily Davidson
Image Credit
Josh Hawkins
Cast
Emily Barber, Jenna Anne Nathan, Jemma Stein & Rebecca Callow

Supported by