The DanceHouse is ten years old. DanceEast are marking the anniversary with a family event mixing hands-on activities with bite-sized performances. We take a look at what is in store
DanceEast will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Jerwood DanceHouse on Ipswich Waterfront this weekend by hosting a family open day which will be a mix of music, taster classes, dance performances and the premiere of a new documentary film about local community dance legend Scilla Dyke.
DanceEast's artistic director Brendan Keaney said that the opening of the DanceHouse in 2009 was a significant moment for Ipswich and a moment of celebration for the whole community as the town became the home for dance in the East of England.
Ten years on, DanceEast continues to thrive mixing community work, with dance classes and staging world-class professional performances - many developed and premiered at the DanceHouse before going onto further performances at Sadler's Wells, Covent Garden or on tour at venues both home and abroad.
Brendan said: "We are celebrating our anniversary and a decade of amazing dance - from performances and classes, to workshops and community projects. We have a lot to be proud of but are constantly looking to the future and want to transform even more lives with great dance. We want to invite you to join us at Open House - a celebration of the past ten years and the start of our next chapter.
Open House will combine a mixture of class taster sessions including ballet, contemporary, musical theatre and hip hop, with a programme of bitesize dance performances running throughout the day in the studio theatre. The classes will be suitable for all ages and abilities.
Alongside the dance activity there will be arts and crafts, face painting, storytelling and building tours - there'll always be something you can get involved in while you wait for the next dance activity.
In the evening, there will be a film screening of Made in Suffolk, the story of Suffolk Dance/DanceEast and community dance pioneer Scilla Dyke's lasting impact on dance, directed by Mel Horwood.
Brendan said: "The idea of Open House is to create a festival/party vibe that welcomes a completely new audience to DanceEast. People who have never been in the Jerwood DanceHouse before as well as our regulars. We are trying to show the local town what amazing facilities are available to them on their doorstep."
Performances will include a solo performed by Anthony Matsena from Just Us Dance Theatre Company, a duet excerpt from No Sudden Moves, a duet entitled Divided We Fall choreographed by CAT student Dulcie Gilbertson and danced by CAT students along with filmed excepts of performances from Tim Casson's Carte Postale, choreographed entirely by members of the public and rehearsed in public spaces, Didy Veldman's The Knot, James Cousins' Within Her Eyes and DanceEast's CAT (Centre for Advanced Training) short film Heat. Made and danced by Freya Ahern, James Hall and Eleni Green (CAT students). Heat is a dance film that explores the effects of heat on movement inspired by the current climate crisis.
DanceEast's Family Open Day is on Saturday September 7 from 10am. All events are free Tickets will need to be booked in advance via box office or on the website for the film screening.
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