NDCWales creates live version of Ed Myhill’s Clapping with Company Dancers in lockdown
National Dance Company Wales has announced its next live streamed online premiere, Ed Myhill’s Clapping, which will unite Company’s dancers together in lockdown.
Following the first ever live streamed dance performance of Alexandra Waierstall’s 2067: Time and Time and Time, NDCWales are again creating a live stream online premiere, this time Ed Myhill’s Clapping created via Zoom and broadcast on Facebook. Clapping will be bringing the dancers in lockdown together for a one-off live performance on Thursday 25 June 7pm.
Clapping uses rhythm as a driving force. The dancers use lively movement and clapping to create a soundtrack for the fun and dynamic dance.
A few weeks ago, the Company created a short 1-minute Clap for Carers version, as a thank you to NHS, carers and support workers across the UK and beyond.
Company dancer, Ed Myhill created the piece originally for National Dance Company Wales’ Alternative Routes in 2018, before it toured across Wales as part of the Company’s Roots tour in 2019. The extended version, Why Are People Clapping?! will be included in NDCWales’ tour of Europe in December 2020, and as part of its Spring UK repertoire in 2021. Following the 10-minute live stream performance on 25 June there will also be a live Q & A.
From 8 June there will be classes for young people and those who have restricted mobility based on the dance piece, as well as an insight into the rehearsals process in two Open Rehearsals on Facebook and Instagram. Audiences will be able to join the Company on Thursday 11 and 18 June 2-2.30pm to watch how rehearsals are developing, plus an opportunity to ask NDCWales questions via comments on Facebook Live during the session.
NDCWales wants to keep connecting to its audiences across Wales and the world, as well as engage with new audiences, many of whom many not have had the chance to experience Contemporary dance before lockdown.
Over the last eight weeks, NDCWales has been premiering many of its productions online for the first time for audiences to watch for free as part of its online programme KiN:Connected, including Afterimage (by Fernando Melo), Rygbi: Annwyl i mi/ Dear To Me (Fearghus Ó Conchúir) as well as a live streamed Zoom version of Alexandra Waierstall’s of 2067: Time and Time and Time where the dancers joined together to create a dance piece from isolation.
Associate Director, Lee Johnson said, “This uplifting dance piece is immediately relatable as you bounce from a tennis match to a rendition of Heads, Shoulders, Knees & Toes, to a dance-off, and from these into full-bodied, energetic & joyous dancing. The choreography is sophisticated and witty yet laidback and down to earth.