a treat for me today...

As you will know if you've read any of my recent posts, I've been a little busy lately! I actually don't mind, because I often find that my levels of contentment, or even (dare I say it!) happiness usually increase in direct correlation to my level of stress! I don't understand this either, so best to not try!



Today at work has been a little different for me. I have been busy, but I also got a very nice treat. I got to stop for 30 minutes and watch some hot-off-the-press contemporary dance! (NB - I wrote this post on Tuesday, and have been delayed in posting, but the sentiments still hold true!)



For the last 2 weeks, DanceXchange has been the home to All Play Dance Company, a dance theatre company formed by Vanessa Cook and Nikki O'Hara. They arrived, like a whirling dervish a few weeks ago, with a mammoth (I'm sorry ladies, but this is the only way I know how to describe it to people!) tee pee like structure! It's been such a refreshing experience having them around, they are such genuine, gracious people, and generally just a lot of fun to hang out with.



They have their first gig tomorrow, so they had a small sharing of their work for invited people this afternoon to try to get some feedback, see how it sits with folks 'n the like.



This is the second All Play piece I've seen. I was fortunate enough to see a dress run of It's Rude to Point a few years ago, before Vanessa broke her foot on stage and had to cut the actual performance short*. PUSH is their new piece, and to quote their website, it "combines physical dance vocabulary and dramatic aerial work creating a tangle of emotion, insight and passion. Two dancers hang in the air, suspended in a web, working to push through the limitations they face".



I really enjoyed it, and am incredibly impressed with what they have managed to create in just a few short weeks. It still has the sense of fun and enjoyment I got from their first piece (and which I think will become synonymous with their work, for me at least), but it has such a different feel about it. It has aerial work (which always impresses me!), and a custom set, which really helps to define the movement. It's very self contained, and will sit well in outdoor settings, or in a theatre space (which I hope to see it in soon!) with all the bells and whistles associated with that. I urge you to check out their website, and promo video for PUSH here.



All in all, these ladies are incredible! They have a really strong sense of self, or at least that's what I take away every time I see them, either in creation, or in performance. They always seem really clear about what they want to achieve, how they want to do that, and what their end result should be, and work in unbelievable symbiosis to achieve it. Keep an eye on them, I predict a long, bright future for this company!



*I must point out that despite this set-back, this was still an incredible piece of work, one of the most enjoyable I think I've ever seen. Also, the fact that most of the audience believed that the injury was actually part of the show was a real tribute to the sheer determination, and stage presence of these performers.