My day at The Place

The day that Tavaziva Dance performed at ‘The Place’ was a busy one and an important show as it was their London premiere and the press were present. Everybody both from the company and The Place worked extremely hard to make this day a success.

I arrived at The Place on the morning of Tuesday 8^th March and was told to go to the sixth floor to the back entrance of the auditorium. I entered a pitch black room feeling my way around to find the seats and seeing just a chair in the middle of the stage it felt quite eerie. All was soon to be revealed when Antony our lighting designer cued the technician from The Place and the chair was awash with colour, I realised that I had stepped into the technical preparations of the lights for Double Take.

                               (Antony our lighting manager)

The dancers arrived in the auditorium at 11am to start warming up for their class before tech rehearsal, which I took part in; we were also joined by three of London Contemporary Dance School’s third year students. The class was fast paced and energetic, thoroughly warming up the dancers for the day ahead. The class included exercises for stretching, a section of rep from Double Take as well as Bawren’s contemporary sequences infused with African steps and beats.

Next was the technical walk through, when the dancers had to go through all the positions for the piece and Antony stopped and started them at different points to make changes or repeat certain sections, and microphone problems with Tsungai the singer were sorted out. The dancers then had their technical rehearsal which was photographed so they had to be in full costume, it astounds me how they can go so quickly from the walk through to doing the piece full and performing all the relevant intentions behind each section.

At about 4pm, 48 children from local schools (who had attended workshops with the dancers to create curtain raisers for the show) arrived and filed into the studio next to the auditorium to warm up and practice; ready for their tech rehearsal. The pieces were varied but equally as excellent, they kept true to the repertoire and emotions of Double Take, with one even including live drumming from the students.

After the schools’ tech rehearsals there was just a little time for me to set up my table by the entrance of The Place before the audience started arriving. I really enjoyed being at the front of the house, talking to the audience and getting them to sign up to the mailing list, unfortunately a lot of people weren’t able to get tickets as the show had sold out the day before. For those people and everyone else out there, remember that we have two other London performances at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre this coming Friday 18^th and Saturday 19^th March at 7.30pm (nearest tube: Seven Sisters on the Victoria line) book your tickets on: 020 8365 5450 or online at www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk.

The show was exceptional; it seems to change every time I see it and the dancer’s energy was higher than it had ever been before, they seem to explode onto the stage with passion and energy. After the show numerous audience members relocated to the café downstairs where there was a talk led by Lucy Field. Many of them were itching to ask Bawren and the dancer’s questions about the piece, the creative process and the work in general. There was a general consensus that the evening was a huge success and the company felt that they had achieved something great, whilst also knowing that the hard work isn’t over yet, as the tour still has five tour dates left!

Double Take received two great reviews in The Times and The Stage, I will publish these in my next post.

Tavaziva Intensive Day @ Paddington Arts

The intensive day that took place last Thursday 24^th at Paddington Arts Centre was an initiative set up by Jenny Hammond our education manager; it was the first time the company has done anything like this so the fourteen participants were the guinea pigs if you will. The day was lead by Bawren Tavaziva and three of the company’s dancers Chevon, Hannah and Kristina.

The day started off with class taken by Bawren Tavaziva, which I took part in; it was a jam-packed hour and a half, starting off with a warm up including tendues, jumps and pliés, moving into a contemporary sequence that was influenced with African movement. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and I felt pushed and my memory was challenged with the fast pace. It was nice to rehearse and perform this section in twos as we got to use the whole space so we could make our movements full out.

                               (Dancers in class with Bawren)

After a quick break we had a session learning some repertoire from ‘Double Take’ taught by Kristina. It was great to be able to learn a manageable chunk of the new piece and it was very helpful having Bawren there to remind us what certain sections meant and the particular way in which they should be performed. The solo we learnt was about struggle and grief so included lots of sharp movements with our hands and strong jumps, the solo ended with a strained movement leading to a release, showing that the weight of the struggle had been lifted.

Learning a duet from a section of ‘Double Take’ that Bawren adapted made up the final section of the day which I observed. The dancers loved this part as they were able to really get to grips with the material and interact with one another. The duet required strength and style to make it look slick, and after having learnt it Bawren went through the intentions for each part, after this it was great to see how things changed in the way some of the dancers executed the movement. The dancers repeated the duet a few times and each time it was possible to see them improving and becoming more comfortable and confident with it.

                           (Bawren and Kristina demonstrating movement)

                          

                             

                               (The Duet)

To sum up the day in three words: professional, intense and eye-opening, it’s definitely something that the participants would do again and hopefully next time we can get even more people involved. The feedback from the class was excellent, with most of the dancers wanting the day to be longer and in a bigger space; this is an initiative that the company will look into offering again as it was so successful, watch this space!

Trip To Barnsley

Jenny and I arrived in Barnsley at 5pm on Friday 11^th February, took a taxi to our lovely hotel and then sped off to The Civic to join Bawren and the dancers. When we arrived at the theatre the dancers were just finishing their tech rehearsal with Antony our production manager up in the booth controlling the lights and sound. It had been a tough day already; the dancers had worked very hard but were positive about the evening’s performance.

                               (The view from our hotel)

Jenny and I handed out programmes and questionnaires before the show, and it was great to talk to different audience members. A lot of them were big fans -of dance and others had never experienced contemporary dance before but had decided to come along to try something new.

                               (our board outside the theatre)

The show was brilliant, there were new parts I had never seen before that Bawren had changed in the rehearsals between shows, so this made it doubly exciting for me. That is what I find so thrilling about dance, it can be changed at any moment or taken in another direction so easily that even if you don’t feel right about it the first time you choreograph, there are always chances to rearrange and reorganise your material. The dancers had great energy throughout the show and are brilliant and capturing the right emotion both in their face and their movement for the different sections of the piece.

The comments we got about the show afterwards were tremendous, people left with smiles on their faces and we were inundated with comment sheets with very positive feedback. Many people were glad to catch Bawren so they could shake his hand and tell him a hearty well done for such brilliant choreography. The atmosphere from an audience like this leaves you feeling as if your work has been well done, and the dancers were especially pleased upon reading the comments that were made about them.

After the show we went to have dinner in the restaurant beside our hotel, it was great to chat to the dancers, hear stories about previous members of the company and about how Bawren works as a choreographer. The company has become so accustom to change over the years (be that change of dancers or starting a differently themed work) that it doesn’t phase them, it’s all in a days work for them.

Look out for a post soon were I will document a day in the life of a touring company when Tavaziva perform on the 8^th March at ‘The Place’ in London!

Double Take before the tour

The tag line a story of two worlds, a story in two halves couldn’t be more right when describing Double Take, as there is a strong contrast between the first and second half. As Chevon rightly stated ‘The piece is about joy but performed with a heavy heart’, it is clear in the first half that the dancers are burdened by hardship through their strong and grounded movements; and by the pounding heartbeat rhythm which accompanies a lot of the different sections. The first half is a powerhouse of moves, one as striking as the next, even when the dancers shout and rejoice it doesn’t come as a shock as it is so befitting to the rest of the piece. Tsungai Tsikirai lights up the stage with her authoritative but sweet voice and you can really feel the dancer’s adversity through her words.

There is an element of light and shade as the piece progresses into the second half; one can definitely feel the celebration and playfulness which is reminiscent of Bawren’s childhood, seen through the use of Muchongoyo and Zimbabwean dance. The dancers smile and laugh as duets turn into travelling sequences executed mischievously across the floor, it was hard to stop myself getting up on stage and joining them in what felt like a joyous party. My favourite part would have to be when the dancers perform a light-hearted sequence in a line at the front of the stage, with one moving rolling swiftly into another there is a real sense of community and passion in the way they dance, and hey who doesn’t just love a great bit of intriguing unison?

Unquestionably Double Take provides variety; solos, duets, group unison, and canon all make this piece a joy to watch, and with Tsungai the vocalist being involved in the dancing and the formations, you can really feel that the dancing, the music and the vocals are not separate entities that have been fused together, rather; they are one. I found myself knowing that Double Take was at its end when the dancers repeated a sequence from the beginning of the show, but this time sped up as they retreated into the wings. I really didn’t want the piece to finish and almost hoped the dancers would run on and surprise me with one last sequence.

For those of you that have seen Wild Dog, you may be able to spot similar motifs that are distinctive of Bawren Tavaziva, in a way, he is putting his stamp on the piece and is showing the audience how he can develop movement that just gets better with every new work. Make sure you get your tickets early for this poignant and emotional piece of contemporary African dance, because if you miss out, you will be disappointed.

Spring Tour 2011

Double Take

There are two sides to every story...

Through adversity...there comes triumph

Through pain...there comes love

After a storm...comes a calm

Double Take is an intensely courageous double bill, surveying the impact of black dance and Bawren Tavaziva's contribution to the contemporary dance landscape in Britain.

Heavyweight choreographer and musician Bawren Tavaziva unravels an inspirational soundtrack featuring the sweet sounds of African vocalist Tsungai Tsikirai. Immerse yourself in this celebration of culture, hardship, agony and joy performed by eight of the UK’s most fantastically exuberant dancers.

Below are the dates and booking info for the 2011 Spring tour, book early to avoid disappointment!

21 January	Dorchester     Corn Exchange (Preview) Box office: 01305 266 926 www.dorchesterarts.org.uk
9 Feb	LINCOLNSHIRE     Stamford Arts Centre Box office: 01780 763 203 www.stamfordartscentre.com
10 Feb	LUTON    The Hat Factory Box office: 01582 878 100 www.thehatfactory.org
11 Feb	BARNSLEY    The Civic Box office: 01226 327 000 www.barnsleycivic.co.uk
17 Feb	MUSSELBURGH   Brunton Theatre Box office: 0131 665 2240 www.bruntontheatre.co.uk
19 Feb	BANCHORY    Woodend Barn Box office: 01330 825 431 www.woodendbarn.co.uk
8 March	LONDON    The Place* Box office: 020 7121 1100 www.theplace.org.uk
12 March	OXFORD    Pegasus Theatre* Box office: 01865 812 150 www.pegasustheatre.org.uk

15 March	LEICESTER     Peepul Centre* Box office: 0116 261 6000 www.peepulcentre.com
18 & 19 March	HARINGEY     Bernie Grant Arts Centre* Box office: 020 8365 5450www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk
22 March	CORNWALL   Helford Theatre, Truro College Box office: 01872 262 466 www.trurocollege.ac.uk/etc
24 March	DARLINGTON    Darlington Arts Centre Box office: 01325 486 555 www.darlington.gov.uk/arts

* Denotes performance with live vocals by Tsungai Tsikirai

When I Took Company Class

I had the opportunity to take company class twice, led by two of the company’s dancers who were teaching contemporary. The class starts out easy going with stretches and exercises to higher the heart rate to get us ready for the class. Both classes included exercises for tendues, developpes and a series’ of sit ups and press ups.  It is clear that the dancers take influence from Bawren’s choreography and material to formulate the sequences in their company classes; this shows consistency in their vocabulary and a relation to the work which they are performing. Also giving the attendees of company class an insight into how the company works, even if they are not attending class held by Bawren Tavaziva.

It is useful to have the dancer who is teaching the class observing the pairs as they dance travelling sequences, so they can give corrections which one can put in place on their next go across the floor. All sequences are learnt on the right and then performed both on the right and left, getting your brain into gear and getting your body used to the movement. The sequences which we learnt were also accompanied by travelling movements from corner to corner, which included skipping jumping and leaping, these worked on balance, technique and stamina. The dancers chose their own music for their classes, be it pop, African or even Christmas songs, which always make it fun and exciting, and the classes take any form the dancer who is teaching chooses, so you could be taking a contemporary, ballet or African class (except on Tuesdays when the class will always be Ballet with Denzil Bailey). I thoroughly enjoyed company class and am hoping to attend a class taken by Bawren when the company returns to the Bernie Grant Arts Centre.

There are three weeks this month where you can attend company class (4^th -20^th) before the dancers start the spring tour of Double Take. If you would like to attend please send your CV to admin@tavazivadance.com where I will send you a booking form and you can chose the dates which you would like to take class. The Dancers will be back rehearsing for their autumn tour from September; therefore there will be opportunities to take company class then. Look out for updates on our website!

Sophie

A Sharing of Double Take

I was able to view a fifteen minute section from the first piece of Tavaziva's new work Double Take, and I was very impressed. It is evident that even after a few weeks that the dancers are working their hardest to get the piece up and running. The section which I saw, as explained by Bawren was about beliefs; it was a representation of how he grew up and where he is now. This section is also about care within the community however burdened the people are with the hardship of everyday life.

The dancers enter the space one by one and as they do they command it and let us know of their presence without saying a word. We wait anxiously as the dancers stare into the audience, when they begin suddenly and simultaneously I am drawn in and put on edge by the power of the movement as the dancers move as one. Duets break off as the pack of dancers at the back of the stage stay strong and grounded with their movement. The duet is repeated by different pairs and because of their different styles of movement; parts seem like new and exciting material, aesthetically pleasing on the eye. It is evident that there are strong relationships between the dancers and these seem to mature throughout the piece.

The dancers have their own solos within this part, and each dancer brings a different quality to their individual pieces, for example Lisa’s solo is very strong and powerful whereas Katie’s has a flow to it and a sense of direction. You will be drawn in by the strong presence of Anna as she beautifully communicates with the audience through her solo – so watch out for it. Bawren uses a soundtrack of emotive music with voice-overs in an African dialect; they have an authoritative voice which leaves us wondering if they are commanding something; and if so is this being displayed through the dancers’ movements? 

Some of the duets which I had watched in a previous rehearsal (see first blog post about Double Take) have been inputted into this first piece. These duets work very well with the theme of hardship and grief and they draw on recurring motifs which Bawren uses throughout his work. One is unable to see that the sections are created separately and in different orders and added together later to form the whole piece, because they flow so well into one another.

You will be stunned by the stamina and stage presence of these dancers; they leave no stone unturned when it comes to engaging an audience and exerting their power as strong dancers. It would be a crime to miss this exuberant and thought provoking work, so make sure you come along when Double Take goes on tour from January. Tour info coming soon!