Tuesday 28th February 2012
As the performers broke into dance
(which I later learnt to be called Capoeira), I was amazed by the use of their
bodies as they entwined using graceful 'martial art' moves - always with eye
contact, and always with a visible, natural enjoyment. Both male and female
performers conveyed beautiful balance combined with heroic muscle strength to
conjure a vision of graceful gymnastics before me.
As the performers sat to sing, the
music that surrounded me took me to a different place. I was no longer sat in a
dark studio - I was in a hot and serene setting that brought a genuine smile to
my face as their voices drifted over me.
The Q&A time at the end of the
performance I found equally as enjoyable. We met each performer in turn
(including Angharad Harrop - formally of DMU), some
with the use of a translator, but nonetheless all with equal amounts of talent
and genuine love for the project they have embarked on, describing to us the
intentions behind the performance. The main description that arose from this
was the sense of being physically apart from somewhere or someone but having a
wordless need that keeps drawing you back and that is exactly what I got from
it.
Demon Crew and Proud! The Demon Crew Creative Writing Launch
Thursday 1st March 2012
The room was bustling today as
excited student along with proud tutors and organisers greeted us into the
Demon Crew Creative Writing Launch.
The Demon Crew Launch is a
chance for DMU's own third year students to exhibit and
read their own work, which today was full of inspiring ideas.
Will Buckingham (Senior
Creative Writing Lecturer at DMU) introduced each writer in turn and they had
two minutes to introduce their piece and offer some background if
they wished.
Pieces ranged from poetry being
presented on plates, clothing, bags, a deck of cards, to already successful
e-books, and crime fiction to music websites. Luckily for speakers who
where not so confident, their pieces did the talking for them.
Although on the whole the
Launch lasted two hours my concentration and enthusiasm never
faltered as the creativity of all of the pieces and the humbleness of
the ones who had created it kept me listening.
If you are interested in being
taken to another world with Cryffon Demon or embrace a few embarrasing
Revelations you can see more at http://demoncrew.com/
'Of Mary' A short film by Adrian Lester
Thursday 1st March 2012
This short film - written and
directed by Adrian Lester (alternatively Mickey from BBC One's Hustle)
brought genuine tears to my eyes. A moving tale of a family having to make life
changing decisions - Adrian's new venture into directing went down a storm with
all who came to his Thursday night screening.
Described as a perfect
"marriage of experience and talent", himself, along with
the two producers of 'Of
Mary', wife Lolita Chakrabarti (established writer and actress) and Rosa
Maggiora (self acclaimed Theatre Designer) shared with the audience
the highs and lows of working on this piece together.
When asked why Adrian had taken
the leap from acting to directing he cracked a smile towards the audience and
stated "One day I was combing my hair - and found a grey
one..." showing the audience how not trying
everything wasn't an option for him as he delved into his range of
past achievements from Hollywood to Shakespeare.
Concentrating mainly on the
hidden detail associated with the short film, he compared the editing
process to that of a sculptor saying you must "take away the
excess until all you have left his the bare essence". He also went on
to say that his biggest fear as a director was knowing that an audience "might
not get it".
All three went on to share
advice and future plans with the audience showing themselves to
be experienced (as well as humorous) individuals which made an
already amazing evening an even greater success.
Sonia Sabri - Tick Box? Which Box?
Friday 2nd March 2012
Sonia first engaged the
audience by showing off her skills as an acclaimed dancer with a short video.
After it had finished she asked the simple question of "What box did that
tick?" vocalising in one question all of what she stands for as an
individual, a dancer and a choreographer.
Growing up in an Asian
family in Birmingham, her Father wanted her to complete the dream he himself
did not succeed at - becoming a famous Bollywood face. This, she said, was the
main influence that got her into dance. Having been rejected from a Kathak
dance group and told to come back a year later, no later that her eight
birthday did she stand in that hall once again. Admitting that - although
appearing confident, combating shyness was a struggle,
once conquered - Kathak became her life.
Wanting to break the
perceptions of 'Exotic dance' as a heading covering every type of Indian
dance we see, Sonia has gone as far as exploring links between Kathak and
Hip-Hop, uniting dance forms and broadening scopes as she goes in her latest
tour KathakBox.
Sonia's one big venture is not
to abolish 'tick boxes', admitting herself that sometimes ticking the right box
can open the door to new opportunities, but to merely show that dance is
not something that can bit put into a certain box or category and that
sometimes in life it is "safer to just choose 'other'" to save from
confining yourself.
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