Norfolk Dance in Schools - Access Key 2 Performances and Special Projects - Access Key 3 Professional Development - Access Key 4 Across the County - Access Key 5 Classes and Workshops at the Garage - Access Key 6 Dance and Disability - Access Key 8

Across the County

Norfolk Dance works across the whole county with schools, local authorities, community groups and other organisations and develops dance activities for people of all ages and abilities. The following gives a quick snapshot of some of the work we have done in the past and are doing at the moment, out and about in the county beyond Norwich.

 

North Norfolk

Since the autumn of 2008 Norfolk Dance have been successfully running the first ever Youth Dance Company for North Norfolk, Big Sky Dance, which allows young peolpe who are keen dancers to be part of a committed group that meets regularly at the Sheringham Community Centre to train and rehearse. It also gives opportunities to work with professional choreographers, artists and to perform both locally and nationally. Big Sky Dance recently took part in the final of  'Dance for Life', a regional dance competition raising British Red Cross. The Youth Dance Company is funded by North Norfolk District Council and about to starts its second running year 2009/2010.

A hugely successful project took place in June 2009 with ACE Dance & Music Youth. Partially funded by North Norfolk District council, the project allowed local young dancers to create and perform a piece with Ace Youth, the youth dance company of Birmingham based ACE Dance & Music. The piece was performed at the Holt Summer Festival 09 and raised an enormous amount of praise.

In 2004 we started to work in partnership with Rambert Dance Company and set up a project involving children and staff from Stalham First, Middle and High Schools. During autumn 2005 this work was continued and developed through a new project.  Mothers were invited to take part in workshops with their daughters and/or sons and twenty pairs took part in two days of workshops with Rambert at Stalham Middle School.  Leading on from this seventy-five children and staff from the three schools spent a day in Norwich taking part in workshops, watching company class, and attending a matinee performance at Norwich Theatre Royal. The work during the term was based on one of the works performed by Rambert in Norwich; this had been inspired by Einstein and some of his most important theories.

 

South Norfolk

Dance with mums in Diss started in 2007 as part of a funded dance & health project - aimed at adults with physical/medical conditions and/or mental issues. The project  then developed into more regular and open dance sessions for mums with the benefit of free childcare in 2008. Norfolk Dance has now undertaken projects in South Norfolk primary schools in 2004, 2005 and 2006.  The project in 2005 combined creative writing workshops with Lisa D'Onofrio and dance and film with Katy Linturn from Norfolk Dance. The result was a film based on an old local legend called 'The Mistletoe Bride'.

For 2006 we visited Harleston and Pulham Primary Schools as part of our 'Taking Flight' programme. There was a performance of the new work in Harleston and the children and staff took part in workshops.

This work is funded by South Norfolk Council.

 

King's Lynn and West Norfolk

We have been providing a range of dance activities for young people in North and West Lynn for the past four years.  We have worked extensively with young people from the Discovery Centre in North Lynn and the programme has included storytelling, film, sculpture and photography alongside dance.  An exhibition of photographs was created during one of the projects that took place at the Discovery Centre and these were displayed at West Acre Arts Centre from October-December 2005 and at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn from January to March 2006.

We visited West Norfolk at the beginning of 2006 as part of the 'Taking Flight' programme with performances and workshops for primary school children and their families. Two performances took place at King Edward VII High School; the high school helped to set up the programme with the primary schools.

During 2006-08 continued with the Discovery Centre and we hope to build a new relationship with young people at Fairstead Communtiy Centre in summer 2007.

This programme is funded by the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

  

Broadland

We have been working for the past four years in partnership with Wherry Housing Association, visiting several sheltered housing facilities on a regular basis and undertaking training sessions with the wardens as well as special trips to The Garage for workshops in the dance studio. Early in 2005 we undertook our first cross-generational project in Lingwood with children from the First School and older people from the sheltered housing facility. This project was repeated with great success in December 2007 and more recently in June 2009.

In autumn 2005 we worked in partnership with Northern Ballet Theatre. Some of the children from Lingwood First School and older people from the sheltered housing took part in workshops, watched company class, and attended a performance of 'Madam Butterfly' at Norwich Theatre Royal. Member of Northern Ballet Theatre also visited Lingwood and talked to the staff, children and older people about their lives as dancers with the company.

During spring 2006 we worked in the Broadland district on the 'Taking Flight' programme.  A performance took place at Bure Valley Junior School in Aylsham and children and staff from the school took part in workshops.

In 2006 -08 we will continue to develop the cross-generational work in addition to the work with older people in sheltered housing.

This work is funded by Broadland District Council. 

Breckland

We are working with local dance practitioners Emily Harper and Carla Keen on a ten week project to assist their professional development. We are also excited about a new project at Hellesdon High school working with a personalised learning group on a regular basis. This will involve looking at various dance styles and workshops with outside artists including Rambert, ISH Dance Company, Capoeira Communities and ACE Dance and Music.
 

Great Yarmouth & Seachange

 Since April 2009 Norfolk Dance has started to develop a relationship with Dance Unleashed and Star Dance Company in Watton, supported by Breckland District Council, offering participation in touring dance company workshops, opportunities to watch professional performances, participate in Norfolk Dance's Community Dance Leaders courses, mentoring and professional classes for youth dance leaders, in order to encourage a more collaborative working practice. In June 2009 students from Dance Unleashed and Star Dance Company took part in the ACE Dance & Music Youth project, creating and performing a piece with Ace Youth, the youth dance company of Birmingham based ACE Dance & Music. The piece was performed at the Queens Hall in Watton and raised an enormous amount of praise.