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Company number: 3724349
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Past programme
Showcases an eclectic range of fresh and interesting contemporary work, largely by emerging artists
This Really Is Too Much
Look. (point) You’ve never had it so good. We. Are moving. Forward.
Outlandish, bold and highly entertaining, This Really Is Too Much delves into a world of farcical stereotypes and preposterous power struggles. With irreverent physicality, four characters wrestle with restriction, gender and performance of identity, trying desperately to work out which box they fit into.
Raucous and thought provoking in equal measure, Gracefool's genre-busting performance reveals the downright absurd realities of what it means to be a 3-dimensional, high definition, water-drinking, salad-eating, moisturizing WO-man in modern society. Dripping with virtuosic charm and anarchic wit, this is feminist comedy dance at its very best.
There will be a post-show discussion following the performance on Saturday 12th November.
Reviews
Supported by
(we)SINK & Fish Tank: Double Bill
Hawk Dance Theatre is an exciting, emerging company based in the North West and presenting their first double-bill of new work.
(we)SINK (mentored by Gary Clarke)
(we)SINK is a dance performance exploring climate change and human psychology. Inspired by psychological mechanisms that make humans disengage from climate change challenges, this new work, choreographed by Josh Hawkins, explores feelings of distance, doom, dissonance, denial and identity in response to our changing climate. Performed by Emmie Coxey and Freya Thomas, this captivating duet questions whether these defence barriers can be broken and if we will ever truly connect to this topical issue.
Fish Tank
Fish Tank draws similarities and compares the life of a goldfish in its tank to the denials we face when dealing with change. Fish Tank explores different feelings linked to change, and imagines every human has their own ‘fish tank’ full of questions, responsibilities and problems. Fish Tank is a conversation between live spoken word, text, music and dance.
Please note this production will use flour during the performance.
FISH TANK by Hawk Dance Theatre from Hawk Dance Theatre on Vimeo.
Supported by
Morir Soñando
Morir Soñando is an exploration of Dominican identity, which deconstructs the national dance Merengue and experiments with how this form of dance translates to the bodies of non-Caribbean dancers.
The work navigates the performers’ understanding of the culture through the use of Merengue music, language and hip movements. Through this exploration, a story starts to unravel revealing betrayal, agony, and power.
Morir Soñando is a roller coaster that will pull the audience along, even those not ready for the ride…
Reviews
Mirrored, me?
A story of the self and its double, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s play William Wilson, is told in this dance performance. It is a game in which different parts of human personality affect and direct the protagonists in the struggle of the self to recognise its diverse sides. During the act, two individuals play with their reflections, bridging the gap between the face and its reflection, between light and shade, between the one who is watching and the one who is being watched. The immersive installation is used as an architectural metaphor, highlighting the very elements of space, suggesting that the boundaries and lines we draw within ourselves about who we are and what we can do are a perception of the mind and a result of a reflection.
There will be a post-show discussion following the performance on Friday 4th November.
Inter Pares Project
Inter Pares Project is a duet between international dance artists Agnese Lanza and Julie Havelund-Willett.
This piece forms part of an ongoing choreographic research project, which was launched in 2013 as part of a residency at S P A C E @ Clarence Mews. The research is embedded in the performances, and the performances feed directly back into the research, focusing on presence and the act of attending to detail. This performance weaves in and out of set and spontaneous movement, drawing direct inspiration from the architecture and audience of Blue Elephant Theatre.
Blue Cloud Scratch
Blue Cloud Scratch is an exciting new dance scratch night, showcasing works in progress from a diverse range of choreographers, and is curated by Blue Elephant Theatre and Cloud Dance Festival. Blue Cloud Scratch aims to encourage and provide emerging dance artists with opportunities to present their works in progress and receive feedback from audiences and peers.
This is the final Blue Cloud Scratch of 2016.
For more about the Blue Cloud Scratch and Cloud Dance Festival, click here.
Under The Light
Choreographer: Ana Sosa, Sosa Dance Company
Ana was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and experienced a manic episode when she was 19 years old. Inspired by this terribly illuminating experience, Under The Light attempts to convey the fear and excitement of losing one’s mind. It penetrates the subconscious of the audience, while remaining highly digestible and relatable.
Ana Sosa was born in Mexico, raised in Canada, and lived in New York City for five years. She began her contemporary dance career as a choreographer. Sosa is a recipient of the Eryc Taylor Dance Grant and showed her work at the Martha Graham Studios in NYC. Most recently, she performed a full-length show at the International Book Fair in Hidalgo, Mexico for a 300+ audience.
When in the Company of a Turtle
Choreographer: Natalie Sloth Richter, Open Roof
Music: Oscar Salguero
Mentoring: Charles Linehan
When in the Company of a Turtle is a choreographic exploration of what can come from being alone. The piece looks at the need for companionship and asks what it takes to be your own companion on the stage, on the road, in the dark.
Natalie Sloth Richter is a Danish dance artist who graduated from Trinity Laban in 2015. She co-founded the collective Open Roof in the autumn of 2015 and has been creating and presenting her own work since. Most recently, Open Roof took two new pieces to Denmark to perform and discuss them and also facilitated workshops. Alongside working within her collective, Natalie is currently performing with the company BitterSuite, which will be touring in London and New York later this year.
Equilibrium
Choreographer: Pip Amer, Incendium Dance Company
Equilibrium explores gender stereotypes within Latin and ballroom dance, stripping away the superficial layers and working from the organic essence of the form and the self. Through earthy and sensual movements, the audience will be transported from the showbiz aesthetics of 'Strictly Come Dancing' to the raw and powerful aesthetic of Latin American movements within a human situation.
Pip Amer is a freelance dance artist who recently graduated from Kingston University in July 2015 with a BA (Hons) in Dance. Amer's Latin dance career started when she was 6 years old with strict training in Latin American and Ballroom dance. She focused heavily on technique and competed internationally, representing England. Amer is now exploring her Latin American and ballroom foundation outside of the competition context, taking her artistic vision into a theatrical environment. She believes in the strength and power within the history, fierceness and stylisation of the movement and the visibility it deserves within the dance sector.
Ancestral Whispers
Choreographer: Vanessa Downie, Ajos Dance
Ajos Dance Founding Director: JJ Formento
Music: Night of Visions by Ancestral Voices; Traditional Native American Music
Wrestled from a restless sleep by a dramatic dream, Native American ancestor Kanawha Madonna appears and makes an unreserved request that cannot be refused.
Life will never, ever, be the same again.
This solo explores ways in which the legacy of America’s indigenous peoples can impact one’s life in the present day, tracing changing attitudes relating to the connection with the spirit of ancestry, at first an unsettling source of fear... now viewed as a precious gift.
Ajos Dance makes work that delves into human issues at the centre of everyday life; themes such as loss, homelessness, spirituality prompt deeper questions about our existence. Ajos presents choreographic platforms to develop new audiences for dance by presenting work in an inclusive, accessible way.
Ancestral Whispers is supported by an artist residency at Clarence Mews.
Vanessa would like to extend thanks to JJ Formento and Caroline Salem, without whom, this exciting choreographic journey would not have happened.
SpeedDating
Speed dating
noun
an organised social activity in which people
seeking romantic relationships have a series of
short conversations with potential partners in
order to determine whether there is mutual
interest.
SpeedDating explores the concept of organised social activity and interaction between people in a series of short conversations. Informed by social observation this live composition work incorporates movement and sound, exposing the choreographer’s choice in real-time.
Choreographer Shelley Owen is a dance artist who has predominantly worked in The Netherlands. Researching instant composition and task-based choreography, Shelley explores performer choice and works with original sound scores, often performed live. Recently completed projects include site-specific dance/sound work Hare Hill Project: Resolution supported by The National Trust (Cheshire UK) and Some Kind of Hell, by body painting artist Vilija Vitkute (Amsterdam NL)
The Owl and the Pussycat - SOLD OUT
Both shows are now SOLD OUT. We apologize for any inconvenience.
They danced by the light of the moon, the moon….
This gorgeous new ballet takes a fresh and humorous look at the famous Lear poem. Once again, Let’s All Dance combines fantastic dancing, beautiful costumes and crystal clear story telling to engage and delight young audiences.
Perfect for 2-9 year olds, families, and children with special needs
"The performance was truly magnificent, wonderful! Enjoyed by all, especially my 6 year old granddaughter." - Kristina Attwood, Oxford
"5 stars, my boys (6&8) always enjoy your shows! Thank you." - Tina Hills, Canterbury
"I thought it was amazing... It made me feel happy, I want to come again." - Florence, age 4, Guildford
Supported by
SIGNS
SIGNS is a 30-minute dance piece, fusing contemporary dance with British Sign Language. Performed by two female dancers, this exciting and intricate duet takes inspiration from Colin Thompson's poem If I told you I was deaf would you turn away.
Accompanied by an originally composed music score, it is a highly physical performance that explores the importance of body language in British Sign Language, and the barriers of a Deaf person trying to communicate in a hearing world.
SIGNS is presented as a work-in-progress performance and will be followed by a post-show discussion where we welcome the audience’s feedback.
If you wish to avoid the online booking fee but are unable to call the box office, please email your booking request to info@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
On Friday, 14 October, 10:30 am, there will be an accessible beginner's dance workshop with Monica Nicolaides, the Artistic Director of MonixArts and Choreographer of SIGNS.
Places are free but restricted to Southwark residents only. Register here.
Reviews
Supported by
Purged
"There’s a special kind of comfort in thinking it could all end in silence."
You are now twenty nine. A few weeks ago, you attempted to stay twenty nine forever. You failed. Now words fail you.
But you have to attempt to explain anyway.
Catharsis in association with Underfoot present a heady, physical account of euphoria, redemption, and extremity.
This is a story about the fragments of time that hide between words. The things on the fringes of your consciousness. The scenes that happen out of the corner of your eye.
A compelling tale without an ending told to whoever’s around to hear it.
Things We Should Have Said Today (Rehearsed Reading)
Betty is having a bad day. She’s overheating, her mother is demented, her son is coming out, her daughter is getting divorced, the farm is losing money and her husband is hiding away from it all under the tractor. Or is he just dead?
Rehearsed reading of the winning entry of the Blue Elephant's 2015 play writing competition.
This event is FREE but must be booked in advance to guarantee availability. Please click here to book.
Escape
Escape explores the emotional journey of a refugee through struggle, despair and the search for freedom. Fusing aerial performance and dance theatre, Escape explores the impact of a new environment on a refugee, who must face social, political and psychological challenges in order to integrate into a new society.
Joanna Puchala has created choreography that combines contemporary dance with aerial techniques using aerial slings. Elaborate wrapping and falling create movements that heighten the intensity of the scenes and capture the full attention of the audience.
LCP returns to the Blue Elephant following the sell-out success of I Am in 2015 (“Offered something extraordinary” ★★★★ Female Arts). LCP Dance Theatre draws awareness to human rights violations through dance and the company’s past work has been nominated several times for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award.
Reviews
Blue Cloud Scratch
Blue Cloud Scratch is an exciting new dance scratch night, showcasing works in progress from a diverse range of choreographers, and is curated by Blue Elephant Theatre and Cloud Dance Festival. Blue Cloud Scratch aims to encourage and provide emerging dance artists with opportunities to present their works in progress and receive feedback from audiences and peers.
This is the third Blue Cloud Scratch following our other successful nights in March and May.
For more about the Blue Cloud Scratch and Cloud Dance Festival, click here.
Indefinite Article Dance Theatre - Momentum
Indefinite Article Dance Theatre a collective of three dance artists - Fern Maia, Belinda Grantham and Craig Bennett - who are based in the North West. They specialise in devising and delivering high quality dance theatre that challenges, entertains and inspires audiences, by offering work that is both engaging and accessible.
Momentum plays with the in-between moments in daily life. Those microseconds where automatic impulse takes over and subsequent shifts occur in the direction of our being. Can we dwell in the precarious space that exists right before we submiss to those driving forces? The work will ultimately aim to question our inherent desire to succumb to what is considered facile and safe. How much of our behaviors is pre determined in our subconscious mind, and can we change the course of our physical and verbal dialogue in those tiny moments before impulse takes over?
Dickson Mbi - ShowTime
Dickson Mbi is a leading hip hop dancer whose own work fuses popping and contemporary dance in a unique way, and he has toured globally as a member of Russell Maliphant Company, also appearing in TV commercials choreographed by Russell Maliphant. He's also part of Just Us Dance Theatre, directed by Joseph Toonga, and is a co-founder of Fiya House which mentors, teaches and supports young hip hop dance artists.
Choreographed & performed by Dickson Mbi.
Lewys Holt - Phrases
Lewys Holt is an interdisciplinary dance artist based in the UK. His practice, while focusing on dance, spans comedy, visual arts and devised theatre.
He has worked with prominent international artists including Tino Sehgal, Frank Willens, Rosemary Lee and Florence Peake, and Lewys was shortlisted for a Jerwood Choreographic Grant (2013) for his collaborative work with Katherine Hall Subject To Change.
In 2015 he was supported by Dance4 and Yorkshire Dance to successfully secure Arts Council funding to make a solo show titled Of, Or At A Fairly Low Temperature. Lewys is also a founding member of the ACE funded Leicester-based contemporary performance collective Tetrad.
Phrases is an exploration of structured dance improvisations alongside spoken and projected text and projected photographs. Themes present in the work so far include confusion, sublime, dysfunction, non-sequiter, stream-of-consciousness and a resistance to representation and formal order.
Choreographed & performed by Lewys Holt.
Point(e) Taken Dance Theatre - Dual Deviation
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Dual Deviation is a series of vignettes inspired by the music of Ezio Bosso and choreographed by Ian Parsons, exploring how different choices and paths that people take affect their lives.
Ian is a experienced dancer and choreographer, training originally at Canada's National Ballet School. He has danced in Les Miserables directed by Tom Hooper and in the West End revival of Cabaret. He also has held many different teaching posts at schools in the UK, and heads back to Canada to continue teaching there this year.
Choreographed by Ian Parsons
Performed by David Beer, Nami Furukawa, Corinne Swallow and Natasha Richardson
Alice Weber - Pomodoro
Pomodoro is a work that compares the physical fragility of human life to that of a tomato. The work is self-aware of its own absurdity and looks to explore our human experience with lightheartedness and joy.
Alice Weber received her early dance training in her native Sydney, Australia. She trained full-time at Academy Ballet, Sydney, using intensive classical training to foster a unique contemporary style. Alice's work is inspired by idiosyncracy, psychology, anatomical quirks and temporal dynamics. She works primarily in self-choreography but also teaches in West London.
Choreographed by Alice Weber
Performed by Rachel Elderkin
Autin Dance Theatre - A Positive Life
A Positive Life is an immersive dance theatre experience. Currently in it's early phases of research and development, this will be a 15 minute extract of a 1 hour long piece, aimed at young people aged 14-24 years old. Themes of sexual health, sex education, and well being are explored and delivered through 5 performers, of dance theatre and spoken word artists.
Johnny Autin graduated from the National Conservatoire of Music and Dance (France) in Contemporary Dance and Ballet. Based in the UK for over 9 years and now living in Birmingham, Johnny has worked with several organisations mainly as a performer and physical theatre practitioner. He is the Creative Director of the professional company Autin Dance Theatre and the Artistic Director of Man Made Youth Company, Birmingham's first independent all-male youth company.
Choreographed by Johnny Autin
Performed by Becca Thomas, Jerome Wilks, Katie Albon, Michael Kelland, Jasmine Gardosi (tbc)
Cairo, mon amour
Get a taste of the vibrant dance scene in modern Cairo through this selection of work by Zosia Jo and Aly Khamees.
Khamees will perform his solo extract from Jo’s Ancient Modernity prior to a screening of the full work.
Supported by
Never Going to Beat You
It’s 1995 and Moira Le Bas has been swept off her feet by the charming Patrick Murphy who has come back to the area after several years away.
Within a year Moira has left school and is starting a new life as Patrick’s wife. She is having the time of her life but her cousin Bridy has some deep concerns about Patrick.
Twenty years later, it seems that Bridy was right. Moira wonders if she should’ve realised what Patrick was like when he promised "I’m never going to beat you."
Based on stories of domestic violence experienced by Gypsy and Traveller women as told to Jennie Buckman (Giants Theatre Company), Never Going to Beat You is a raw and personal piece of community drama. With a cast formed of Gypsy and Traveller women alongside actor Paul McGuinness, the play is an authentic look at the realities of domestic violence within these communities.“
Tickets are FREE but must be booked in advance to guarantee a place. Please click here to book.
Performance times:
14.30 Friday 22nd
19.30 Saturday 23rd