Hush will be our most ambitious festival yet, to be held at Cochrane Theatre in Holborn - it will be a fantastic venue for showcasing our performers, and it will also be a lot more accessible for our audience! Hush will be held on 16 - 18 July, and companies already confirmed include Slanjayvah Danza, Vex Dance Theatre, Pair Dance, Nexus Dance and Sol Dans.
The application deadline for this festival will be 30 May.
Slanjayvah Danza is a Dance Theatre Company, formed in 2004 producing professional, youth and community dance/mixed art form works, as well as providing educational dance workshops for all age groups and learning abilities. With a growing reputation for closing the gap between performers and the audience. The choreographies of Jenni Wren and Slanjayvah Danza are layered into complex reflections of the human psyche. The work is peppered with diverse alternative artistic practices, complementary to dance, that help to convey narratives that any audience can relate to. The Company believes that diversity and eclecticism are key to produing unique and innovative work, for example; the fusion of a variety of dance styles such as Contemporary, Contact, Flamenco and Tango, employs tools and skills beyond those of an average Dancer.
Nexus Dance is a collaboration between music, dance and visual art, formed in 2009 and based in London. Their process has a strong emphasis on how it is experienced by the dancers, aiming to create a space in which individual expression and development is a natural part of the whole. Conceptually, their work is focused around the connections between different people's communications of internal experience within a common framework.
Sol Dans is a contemporary jazz dance company founded by American choreographer Melody Squire. Influenced by the music and athletic dance styles of her native Chicago, Melody brings a breath of fresh air to the British dance community. Sol Dans premiered in Resolution! 2008 at the Robin Howard Dance Theatre and continues to entertain audiences with emotionally colourful performances.
Vex Dance Theatre explores the point where dance meets theatre, playing with the tension between body and text. Using this shared space to comment on contemporary society, we invite our audience to question assumptions of the world around them.
Taking inspiration from as wide a spectrum as possible, Vex, through rigorous investigation strives to make work that connects with and comments on the real world.
Through highly physical and energised choreography we endeavour to make creative, engaging and unpretentious work.
Hagit Yakira is a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher currently working in London. She graduated from the Music and Dance Academy in Israel and the Laban Centre. She is also a qualified Dance Movement Therapist.
In recent years, after years of performing and teaching dance internationally, she has been developing her own choreographic work; creating unique dance theatre performances, working on solo works, on group works as well as collaborating with other dancers, musicians, designers, film makers and actors; performing around London the UK (Including Derby Dance, The Point, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and more), Europe (winning the second place at Burgos New York Dance competition, Spain for New Dance Category 2007, the first prize at the Kajaani dance competitiion in Finland 2009 and more) and Israel.
Since having a successful career as a professional contemporary dancer working in Europe with both Richard Alston Dance Company and Rambert Dance Company Harriet has moved on to establishing Pair Dance with Sound Design Artist Richard Leonard.
Motivated by the opportunity for mutual exchange Harriet Macauley has performed in nationally and internationally to include UK, Spain, Canada, New York, Denmark and Turkey. She continues her commitment to performance and community engagement through community project Body Basic supported by Arts Council England, UnLtd Award and Hertsmere Borough Council.
Along side her output of performance works, Harriet (Pair Dance) has engaged in professional performances and community projects at The John Ryan Theatre (USA), Sadler’s Wells, The Lillian Baylis, The Place, Robin Howard Theatre, The Hat Factory, The Brew House Theatre, and a further number of regional, national and international venues.