National Dance Company Wales to be part of BBC Arts #DancePassion 5th April at Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea
National Dance Company Wales to be part of BBC Arts #DancePassion 5th April at Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea.
The BBC, in partnership with One Dance UK will be celebrating all kinds of dance across all its media platforms as part of #DancePassion across the UK, with a hub at Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea on 5th April with live streaming from National Dance Company Wales’ Schools Discover Dance and behind the scenes look at their Rygbi project with the Ospreys.
BBC #DancePassion will be live streaming 11 hours of performance, rehearsals and behind the scenes insights from across the UK. As part of the live streaming National Dance Company Wales will be live streaming some of its Schools Discover Dance which will see local primary school children learn some of the moves from an NDCWales dance piece and learn about a dancers life either from the auditorium or on stage with the professional dancers.
Following the 30 minute live stream of Discover Dance, the stage will then see NDCWales dancers working on their new production, Rygbi – Annwyl I Mi / Dear to Me with rugby players from the Ospreys Rugby club. Rygbi - Annwyl i mi / Dear to me connects dance and our nation’s passion for rugby.
The Rygbi project is a new production by NDCWales’ Artistic Director, Fearghus Ó Conchúir which is a new dance piece which explores how Welsh bodies are made in sport and dance. It celebrates the number of people it takes to make an effective team; and highlights the hopes, dreams, glory and passion of rallying together on and off the pitch.
Rygbi will premiere at the National Eisteddfod of Wales this August, the piece will be performed indoors on stages large and small, as well as outdoors at festivals over the next 12 months.
NDCWales will be working with rugby communities across Wales to develop ideas for the piece including the Ospreys Rugby Club as part of #DancePassion.
"Rugby and dance have historically enjoyed a very strong association. Rugby’s World Champions, the All Blacks, open every one of their games with the Haka war dance which throws down a challenge to the opposition in a very theatrical way. Even here at the Ospreys players like the great Shane Williams have literally danced and choreographed their way around the opposition to score some sensational tries - who can forget Shane side-stepping and dancing around the Argentinians to score a sensational try for Wales in 2004? We’re delighted to be working with National Dance Company Wales to help explore this unique link between dance and rugby for their production of Rygbi – Annwyl i Mi / Dear to Me" - Jamie Rees, Head of Marketing & Communications, Ospreys Rugby
National Dance Company Wales makes innovative work with and for all kinds of people in all kinds of places. The company presents its work in different formats and contexts across Wales and around the world, commissioning primarily choreographers who haven’t yet been commissioned in the UK and finding continued contemporary relevance in existing repertoire
As part of the Welsh Hub in Swansea, there will also be short performances live streamed from Welsh companies Light, Ladd and Emberton and Jukebox Collective. Leading up to the event organisations across Wales will be sharing dance content online using the #DancePassion from 1-5 April 2019.
NDCWales’ Artistic Director, Fearghus Ó Conchúir said, “We are one of several hubs across the UK taking part in #DancePassion and its wonderful to see the breadth on dance being captured on and offline through the BBC. Over 40 organisations and artists are live streaming with over 200 contributing to social media. It will be wonderful for audiences to see the variety of dance and how dance can be for all kinds of people in different places across the UK.”
BBC #DancePassion can be watched online at bbc.co.uk/dance or follow #DancePassion @BBCWales
Schools can book to be at the Discover Dance performance at Taliesin Arts Centre on 01792 602060.