Two musicians joined us and played piano and guitar for the regular dance workshops. The music ran through the whole room and everybody, uniting the dancers with the music and vice versa.

Attik 360 and Access Theatre met in Liskeard for a day of drama and dance. The day allowed everyone to share their experience and discover new ways to express themselves using all the emotional abilities of the body. This first meeting between Attik and Access was very rewarding and we are already planning the next!

To celebrate the Easter holidays, Attik 360 held a tea party, with hot tea and many cakes. Between the many culinary delights, the dancing allowed the dancers to work off their cakes and to digest in all gaiety.

It may have been the holidays but Attik 360 have not been resting. A great was held at Dartington on April 9th. Attik met again with Access Theatre and new dancers, who came to exchange in the beautiful spaces offered by Dartington. Although the day was rainy, everyone was happy to meet and play with the notion of space. The atmosphere was both quiet but ambitious, while the group filmed in the beautiful Dartington spaces.

The Location of the filming was at the Sterts Theatre a few minutes away from Liskeard and The Old Bray Shop in Cornwall. We started some ideas for the piece at the Devonport Guildhall in Plymouth.

At first I wasn’t so sure because I always dream up big ideas and it was hard to make it in a short video, but eventually we got pretty good ideas for the piece and then put it all together down at Sterts.

Down at Sterts we started by warming up in the cold empty theatre, Unfortunately I had a cough that can jumpstart Michael Jackson, but I made it through and made some adjustments for the one minute performance before we filmed with another Camera and laptop.

We made two videos, one for Dancetag and another for Attik and we also wanted to try and use different camera angles and effects on the Smartphone. We finished the two videos and we then decided to make another by using the Theatre seats to dance to. But all and all it was a cold sweaty day and I enjoyed it.

The Workshop was lead by James, a filmmaker from Somerset Film, accompanied by his assistant, who was music composer and film director with a preference for cartoons. There were 6 participants, aged between 14-20 years old, with different dance experience; dancers, free runners, students, there was also Ben and Sophie, from Attik, helping to link between professional film makers and dancers.

The first thing was to discover the film equipment (camera, tripod, microphone, battery) inside them, how to protect them and how to construct them. After we learned their usefulness, how to use them became more complicated. Thus James explained clearly their use in practice.

After having gone around the equipment and its use, it remains to know what you can shoot. Divided into two groups, the participants create a small sequence around the concept of touch/ movement. Once the sequence was created, the set up was improved with the advice of Sophie. It’s time to eat!

A one-hour break to build a lot of energy because the afternoon promises to be intense! So following the debate on the advantage or disadvantage of sugar, it’s time to shoot!

For this, the second group chose the location, decor and shooting angles. Once selected, the first group is set up and the second group are divided between those who said: “camera roll” / “speed” and the famous “ACTION”! Although “the cut” announced the end, it’s only the end of the shot and others are necessary. The group danced again and again and even if when they start to get hot, they have to keep their pullovers on because everything has to be filmed in the same conditions! Once the filming group is satisfied comes the turn of role change between dancers and filmmakers and it sets off again, “camera roll, speed, action and cut”!

After the two groups have danced and been filmed, is the last great moment, the creation of the film. At this moment, bits of videos are in every corner, but a few clicks by James on the desires of dancers / producers are enough for a short film that looks professional!

So in a day, participants were able to discover the professional equipment, their use, get know each other through dance and learn to shoot in a professional manner! So one day intense and very rewarding!

CUT

View our March Newsletter by clicking here

I shadow Attik’s teachers who work with different groups and teach dance in a different way. This way I get to see a variety of teaching and ideas around dance. I have also been able to integrate with the Attik 360 and Access Theatre companies, where inclusive dance is approached with simplicity and goodwill.

During the classes, half of the time I join in the classes with the other participants where I develop my dance in relation to others. The other half of the time, I share feedback with the teachers and give some advice or exercises to the participants, in a spirit of looking outside and helping with the supervision of the dancers.

During the time where there are no classes, I help with some administrative tasks and think about the classes of the week (what’s happened, feelings, ideas of evolution) and have a folder of ideas and concepts that will help me to develop an eventual dance organisation in France.

Attik offer an opportunity of dancing, meeting and creation to allow me to open my mind, understand and develop knowledge about teaching and organization to a varied public.

During my free-time, I live with 3 housemates in Plymouth where I try to follow some activities especially around dance and the variation of the weather and to discover the little differences of this new English culture.

So, I’m here for 6 months of new discoveries and improvement personal and professional with Attik to develop ideas and enjoy this experience before proposing inclusive and creative dance in France!

The evening started with beautiful films from Spindrift, Gloucester Dance and Access Theatre.

Attik 360 kicked the show off with ‘Strictly 360’, a piece based in what it is to be in a dance team. Callington Dance Academy followed with ‘Morning Questions’, a piece looking at identity and differences from person to person.

SculptMotion from ROC Creative performed ‘Dosey-Doe’ Yann Tiersen & ‘Wriggle’ Bloc Party, two contrasting pieces. Estria a resident street crew from Kingsbridge community college performed ‘groove’ a funky and signature mix of house, whacking, lyrical, popping and locking.

Acces Theatre performed ‘Memory Box’, a piece exploring memories and how they effect and shape us. Murlow’s piece was ‘untreated’ a duet devised from the common issue of uneven equality in inclusive dance.

Attik Youth Dance performed ‘The rues are….’ From exploring improvised frameworks, the young people set their own rules within different spaces and timing structures.

City College Plymouth’s BTEC Dance performed an Alston and Cunningham inspired piece which drives the dancers through a series of duets, solos and ensemble moments.

Exim performed ‘Waiting’ an abstract piece that explores elements of competition, conflict and disagreement within family life. Wheelfever performed ‘The start of something me’ “Find our who you are and do it on purpose.” (Dolly Parton)

Lastly we had The boys are back in town male dance project and ‘The body in Me’ a collaboration between Attik Dance and the Barbican theatre based on getting young male dancers from Plymouth to work with each other to create a piece to be performed in the current dance season.

We had our biggest audience yet and raised £380 for Attik 360.

We would like to say a huge thank you to the performers, the raffle prize donators, the volunteers, who made sure the evening, ran so smoothly, the audience for their amazing support, cheers and applause and City College Plymouth for the use of their performance space.

Preparations for the community platform are well under way! The programme has been sent off to the printers, ticket sales are going well and we have some fantastic raffle prizes thanks to The Theatre Royal Plymouth, Woodlands Theme Park, Dartmoor Zoo, Plymouth Pavilions, the Eden project plus many more…….

We have a great mix of performers this year, with 12 groups taking to the stage including Attik 360, Callington Dance Academy, Roc Creative: SculptMotion, Estria (SpinDrift Youth), Katie Ness, Access Theatre, Murlow, Attik Youth Dance, BTEC Dance, City College Plymouth, Exim Dance, Wheelfever & The Boys are back in town project. Plus we have six films from  Spindrift dance company, Gloucester dance, Access Theatre & The Creative Space Group.

We would like to thank City College Plymouth, Print Options, Tom Dooleys, Jeremiahs Journey, Foto Now, Vernon Ballet plus all the performers for their support to make this platform happen.

After completing a Master’s of “Intervention and Management of Physical Activities Adapted for Disabilities and Health” at the University of Lyon (France), I would like to continue to enhance my knowledge in an English-speaking country and bring my skills to people with disabilities.

Dancing in a dance school and in an artistic student Company, I wanted to turn my teaching toward the alliance between art, body and disability.  I studied the management of the artistic and physical adapted activities in order to propose a dance structure for everybody.

Wishing for more experience, I came to Attik, to know how the development of dance and disability works in England. Also I would like to learn English in order to communicate and exchange with the entire world.

Since 2006, I have taught physical activities and especially dance for people with disabilities in institutions. I hope to learn more notions in order to design an organisation who respect as much as possible the wellbeing of disabled people with an international link.

The company worked for 6 weeks to get the 10 minute piece together, and were given various tasks to create movement for the piece.  The piece was based on what it is to be in a dance team… and the personalities and egos that come with it.  The piece featured solo moments, crazy warm up rituals, and lots of clashes between personalities.   The piece was a comical take on the show – over the top and, extremely physical.

We are pleased to now have Mikey and Tom in the company who also take part in The Access Theatre company and were excited to have their acting skills in the piece. Mikey and Tom played the roles of the host, and we were excited to have some spoken text in the piece, something we have never done before as a company!

In February we begin rehearsing the piece and developing it to perform at Drakes Circus Shopping Centre on Sunday 10^th February, outside of Claire’s Accessories on the lower floor. The company will perform at 11.am, 11.30 and 12pm to audiences in the shopping centre.  The idea of performing this piece in public came from the dancers themselves and we are extremely excited to be performing in front of hundreds of shoppers!