Dance Projects 2006
Dance for Health
Our Dance for Health Project at The Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend in the Children's Ward started in 2006. Wendy Sparkle, the Play Worker there, has been supporting the sessions and gathering the children together every week for 1 hour in the playroom area.
In the hospital the sessions have been a mixture of patients, parents and nurses. There are lots of smiles and laughter and not only do the children enjoy themselves, the parents and nurses seem to enjoy it just as much. This dance and creativity pilot project is proving to be extremely successful and has opened up aspirations for dance partnership projects in the Health Sector into the future.
World Wide Riverside
On Friday nights at The Wyndham Street Centre in Cardiff, Elaine worked with 2 groups of local kids, holding creative dance sessions to create a dance piece which will was performed at the 2006 Riverside Festival which took place on Saturday August 12th in Despenser Gardens Park, Cardiff, from 12 noon-7pm.
The theme of this year's festival and dance was 'World Wide Riverside' to reflect the rich diversity of cultures of the area. As always at The Riverside Festival, there were many activities for children, a wide range a local 'world' food stalls, information stalls and traders and a main stage with a varied programme of excellent music and performance from all the parts of the world. The festival was a wonderful day out for local people of all ages and a chance to find out more about the community in Riverside. To find out more go to www.culturalconcerns.org.uk
Youth Dance workshops at The Berwyn Centre, Nantymoel 2006
Carnival Project
We run an annual programme of Youth Community Dance projects and workshops in this Valleys' venue in Nantymoel, a small community high up at the top end of the Ogmore Valley. In 2006, The Carnival Project was an explosion at the Berwyn Centre. The journey of the project was initiated and developed by the all the girls' ideas; we brainstormed on cultures, costume, music, props and make up. We had fun discussing our thoughts and feelings of what it would be like to be part of the different carnivals in the world. Through their ideas and inspirations the group choreographed their own carnival routines and made their costumes. The dance piece was layered with lots of music, colour, glitter and loads of smiles.
Here's some feedback from some of our young dancers:
' I love coming to dance classes because I make new friends, it makes me feel happy and I really enjoy performing.' (Charlotte, aged 11)
'Sometimes before I come to dance class I feel low, but dancing always puts me in a good mood and shakes away my worries'. (Ella, aged 11)
'Dance is fun and groovy'. (Ashley, aged 7)
'Dance makes me feel all fizzy inside'. (Leoni Jones aged 7)
'I love spinning round and round it is my favourite'. (Annie, aged 6)
'Dancing makes me feel free'. (Angharad, aged 7)
PESS Dance Project
Our Community Dance Department has been busy over the past few months working with 8 Primary Schools and 1Comprehensive School in the Bridgend area as part of our PESS Dance programme (PE School Sports). This project gives the opportunity for teachers to experience teaching creative dance as part of the curriculum, bringing new dance opportunities to children throughout the area, and using dance as a fun and creative way to encourage active lifestyles.
Each
school worked with our Community Dance facilitators Elaine Bennett and
Saydi Williams to create exciting dance pieces using the theme 'Olympics',
with the children enjoying creating movements and discussing lights,costume
and music for their performances. All 9 schools gathered together at
the Maesteg Town Hall on 30th March for a spectacular night of entertainment
with an audience of over 450 people experiencing the creative pieces
made by our local talented young people.
Leaders in Dance
A new development for our Dance Department. This course is being run in the Bridgend area by Valley and Vale with support from Bridgend Sports Development Department and offers participants an introduction to the basic skills needed to lead dance for young people in the community.
The course is accredited through Open College Network (OCN) qualification and is open to anyone who enjoys dance and wishes to develop dance leadership skills. Participants must be at least 16 years of age with some experience of dance, and areas which will be covered during the course include:
- The dance community and role of the dance leader;
- Equal Opportunities;
- Cultural Diversity in Wales;
- Basic Health & Safety;
- Basic First Aid;
- Anatomy and Physiology;
- Creating Dance;
- Planning and Evaluation.
The
course comprises of 36 hours of workshops and 24 hours of personal
time. Assessment is by attendance, by completing the workbooks, plus
personal evaluation and tutor assessment of practical sessions. For
more info contact Saydi or Elaine at dance@valleyandvale.co.uk or saydi@valleyandvale.co.uk
Roots - Creativity and Relaxation
For
the last three months adults from Hafal Bridgend have been coming to
Valley and Vale at the Sardis Media Centre on Tuesday mornings to take
part in creative arts workshops run by Drama Development Worker Ali Franks
and Dance Development Worker Saydi Williams.
These workshops have mostly involved drama, forum theatre techniques, dance and physical expression. Over the course of the project the participants have had the opportunity to reflect on memories, feelings and emotions whilst at the same time building a safe and trusting environment amongst themselves. As the project came to an end in January 2006, the participants interviewed each other about their experiences in the project.
Everyone who took part talked about how they had gained confidence, enjoyed getting closer as a group and building trusting relationships. Although sad to see the project draw to a close, we are excited about possible future projects which we are developing with Hafal and other mental health service users.
Hafal provide services for anyone affected by severe mental illness in order to help them recover a better quality of life. Hafal means "equal" in Welsh and is the operating name of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship. For further information about their work go to www.hafal.org
youth dance projects
- Nantyfyllon Primary School are working with Saydi in a new 'Dancing Book Club', using dance and literacy as part of an after-school club that concentrates on a different book every term with workshops using creative choreography based around their chosen book and characters, exploring story-telling and using multi-arts activities
- Heronsbridge Special School group worked with Elaine, creating 'The Enormous Turnip' Creative Dance Project
- Bettws Primary School worked on a 'Language of Dance' theme using words and choreography
- Tondu Primary School explored the theme of 'Shadows', with creative dance sessions working towards an assembly performance at the end of their term
- Our PESS (PE and School Sport) Research and Development programme 2005-6 concentrates on 9 primary schools (year 6) in the Maesteg area, plus Maesteg Comprehensive School (year 7), researching and developing a teachers' resource pack which will support teachers to provide dance as part of the curriculum
- At Maesteg Comprehensive School the students studied for their OCN in Creative Dance (level 2) and the school has also expressed an interest to continue dance in the curriculum through "enrichment" courses from January 2006
- In Nantymoel at the Berwyn Centre we have been running 2 creative dance projects, with the younger group working on a new dance theme and the older group taking part in the Carlson Dance Company workshop and the Global Steps projects
- At Willows Comprehensive School, following the success of 'Steps Apart' and the First Light Film projects, we are hoping to develop a new dance project with the young asylum seekers with a second exchange with the London-based Studio 3 group, as well as providing regular dance sessions at the school
- Bettws Boys and Girls Club Dance and Drama workshops have been runniong successfully on a Saturday morning and Tuesday evening, working creatively with young people towards a performance for Christmas 2005
- Ynysawdre Comprehensive School are working on their A-level in Theatre Studies again this year, and we are providing the Dance History and Choreography lessons which will contribute to the examination performance piece at the end of the summer term 2006.
New developments 2006 for Youth Dance development at Valley and Vale
include applications to The Foundation for the Sports and the Arts to
support a Dance Theatre project for 6th form students across Bridgend,
and working with Bridgend Youth Dance through regular dance workshops,
performances, exchanges and funding applications to encourage the group
to be develop further and providing an opportunity for young people in
the community to experience dance in a "professional dance company" atmosphere.
adult dance projects
'Roots'
A new dance/drama project for adults who are users and ex-users of mental health services in the Bridgend area, working in partnership with Hafal. Through relaxation and creativity the group have gained confidence and developed their individual expression. Workshops include role-play, creative writing, massage, dance/music interpretation and team building. Funded by a Local Mental Health grant via Wales Council for Voluntary Action, this project is part of our 'Arts, Minds and Souls' mental health initiative.
Good Company Dance Theatre
Our dance disability group are developed their performance of 'Buong Song' in 2005, for 2 performances as guests with Rhondda Cynnon Taff Community Arts Dance Night in December and the Blaenau Gwent Community Dance Night in November 2005, followed a performance at our AGM in January 2006. Buong Song was inspired by the group's thoughts and reactions towards the Tsunami on Boxing Day last year.
