LIFE OUT OF LOCKDOWN

Sunday 14th August 2022 @ The Malthouse Theatre, Canterbury

Charity performance in association with Kent Youth Dance Company. Live music by Indie band Disco Drug Store plus Silent Auction of artwork by local Artists.

Raising money for our partners in dance both locally and Internationally and the ongoing work of Nova Grace Productions.

Feedback

“This is triumphant! Choreography is enthralling! This work is a masterpiece! Its tremendous what we can achieve whilst under so much pressure, and watching this took me back to a dark time. One thing is for sure, the arts can never be destroyed or taken from one's mind!”

“I absolutely loved it!. The structure, setting, music and of course choreo and dancing was perfect and so well thought through.”

“You’ve pulled off something beautiful. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!”

We were delighted to raise £450 for 2 charities from the artwork auction at this performance. Money raised is going to Kalerwe Kids in Uganda and Art of Music Foundation in Kenya to support their dance classes for underprivileged children.

ABOUT THE PIECE

Celebrating artistic and choreographic work emerging from lockdown and the legacy Covid-19 has left behind.

During the first stages of the Covid-19 pandemic and our first experiences of life in lockdown, professional dancers of Nova Grace Productions collaborated with Maidstone based choreographer Karen Hill, to push the spacial limits of the home environment and explore their feelings of the situation through the medium of dance. Working on Zoom to rehearse and produce four 15-minute sections representing the various stages of lockdown severity, in December 2020 they presented a virtual performance to a live audience.

Moving on through the past 2 years, we can now look back and reflect on the legacy that the pandemic has left behind. As society now lives freely out of lockdown, NGP presents this in-person reflection and celebration of artistic work that has also emerged out of lockdown.

In association with Kent Youth Dance Company, based in Herne Bay, who provide training and performance opportunities to young dancers in Kent. We’re delighted to invite some of the graduating dancers to the stage with us in this choreographic celebration.

Nova Grace Productions is a registered charity, and supports and delivers opportunities for dancers and young people both in the UK and abroad to experience and participate in dance, where they may not otherwise have the chance to do so. We were delighted to be able to use Zoom to connect with dancers in Uganda, East Africa during lockdown for a Dance Exchange of professional works.

Music by Kent based Indie band, Disco Drug Store along with original compositions for piano and cello by Karen Hill and extracts from Symphony of Light by Kent based Absolute Gospel Company.

Everyone involved!

• Artists donated lockdown-related artwork to our silent auction;

• Local dancers age 16-25 took part with Kent Youth Dance Company.