Ballet at the Bar(re) is an entertaining spectacle in unusual spaces, that will enhance social experiences with found dance experiences, appealing to a diverse range of audiences. Ballet at the Bar(re) is a dance piece that incorporates classical ballet with contemporary dance, that can be showcased almost anywhere with a small bar/cafe space. Successfully piloted in a bar, foyer and café space in Coventry and Birmingham, supported by Birmingham Royal Ballet, Arts Council England & Coventry City Council, the piece breaks down the ballet spectacle bringing live performance right in front of the eyes of an audience including elements of audience interaction and engagement.
Ballet at the Bar(re) is easy for audiences to relate to and understand, regardless of age, gender, cultural background, or language spoken. It has the ability to access new audiences, targeting specific communities if desirable. It’s easy to follow narrative and recognisable dance forms, accompanied by strong technical and impressive movements within close proximity of audiences, and also the potential for people to ‘grab a drink’ with performers afterwards, allow for a strong engagement and breaking barriers and stigmas between audiences and performers. The close proximity with performers of such quality, may change people’s perception and engagement with dance, therefore having a greater impact on audiences. We believe Ballet at the Bar is unique way to blend social meetings/events with arts and culture.
The piece exists in two models, a 30 minute one off performance, or a durational piece over an hour with audience interaction between shorter performances of the material. The piece is currently being developed into a full touring piece and will be ready to tour from May 2019. We envision that each performance will reach up to 100-150 people live. Supported with social media footage and live casting we anticipate a strong social media presence and reach for a secondary audience when delivered with a partner organisation/festival.
Created with support from Arts Council England Project Grants and Coventry City Council Small Arts Grants
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Our expertise is in Contemporary Dance traditions, choreographing theatre work for & with young people, outdoors unusual spaces & city squares.
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In Retold, is an interactive, cabaret-style show, inspired by and using your stories of Coventry. Inspired by the Coventry Evening Telegraph foyer being the place people of Coventry gave their stories, placed their adverts and connected with the city, this piece is rooted in the Coventry stories and the history of the building.
Real-life memories supplied by members of the community will be brought to life by a professional cast using dance and music, allowing audiences to bear witness to the many ways that Coventry has changed across the decades as it approaches its year as City of Culture in 2021.
The iconic, 1950s Coventry Evening Telegraph building is a landmark. Its storeys are heavy with stories. The dusty air of the now abandoned newsroom is thick with them – flying from desk to desk soundtracked by the faint, staccato echo of long-silenced typewriters, dashing to deliver the day’s deadline copy. Situated just over the road from the Belgrade Theatre – another hub for city storytelling – the Coventry Evening Telegraph building will soon enjoy a new lease of life as a beautiful hotel. But before that, for a brief moment in time, it will become a theatre.
Ahead of our performances this summer, we are also offering you the chance to be part of the Retold project by getting in touch to share your stories of the city. Choreographer and director Oliver Scott is calling on Coventrians to send in their favourite tales and anecdotes to be used as the basis for shows running throughout the week. In particular, he’s keen to hear about memorable moments spent in the city; favourite places in Coventry and why; stories from the past; and where you were during significant events that have taken place here.
There are several ways to take part, depending on how you like to communicate. You can email your stories to retold@mercurialdance.co.uk, or write a letter to Mercurial Dance, 11a Coventry Canal Basin, Leicester Row, CV1 4LH. You can also get in touch via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, using #RetoldCov and #CETtakeover.
Running time: approx 1 hour. Seating is arranged in 10 tables each seating 8 people.
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