Tag Archives: ffin dance

Birth of The Three Sections

Posted on by

What a marvellous 2 weeks we have just spent in the studio with choreographer Liam Riddick creating our new work for FFIN DANCE titled The Three Sections

The piece is a 15 minute dance work which is inspired by Steve Reich’s orchestral work (1987) titled The Four Sections. The musical score is an exceptional example of “interlocking of similar instruments to produce a contrapuntal web filled with resulting melodic patterns” Steve Reich

Liam has taken three sections of the music and woven together solos, duets and trios for the three company dancers, that interlock and produce a counterpoint in movement bearing a parity to that of the score. Here’s a short film of Liam speaking with me about the work.

You may ask how we did all this through lock down! Zoom of course.
Each day the dancers took class as we would in the studio, but in their own homes. We then began the enormous task of creating an online creative symbience across the miles. It was odd at first. The dancers needing to use screen vision instead of peripheral vision, allowing for a slight time delay in sound, dealing with poor wi fi connections on times but by the end of our studio time together, we actually felt as if we were in the same room as each other. It’s pretty amazing what you can achieve with the passion and hard work that dancers possess. I am incredibly proud of them.

The Three Sections is not a dance piece for film. It’s made online, but not a dance film. We have a very clear idea where we want to take this work and over the next few months we are going to be sharing more and more of this work with you.
In the meantime, here’s a little glimpse of a live stream that we made of Liam working with Catrin, Julian and Georgina

sue lewis

Welcome back Liam

Posted on by
Image Nick Guttridge

We are delighted to share our news with you that we have commissioned Liam Riddick to choreograph our new work for 2020/2021 The Three Sections

Liam, a former dancer with BalletBoyz and principal with Richard Alston Dance Company, is no stranger to The Beaufort Theatre and FFIN DANCE.

When he was a dance student with Sue Lewis at Coleg Gwent he was a staunch member of the dance faktry youth dance class, Combination Dance which is still running on a Wednesday evening (via Zoom at the moment)

Liam is thrilled to be working with us, we begin the process remotely on November 2nd.

Keep posted for all the news, films and vlogs

Meet our new Outreach Coordinators

Posted on by
Image Jack William Parry

Due to generous funding from the WCVA Recovery Fund, we have been able to appoint two exceptional new members of staff to expand our Outreach team at FFIN DANCE in this most difficult time.
Catrin and Julian will be working with our current partners and also making new links within the community. We will be finding alternative ways of engaging with everyone, you may wish to have a look at some of our projects by clicking this link.
We are delighted to have this opportunity to increase our work within the community.

Image Catharina Conte

Here are their e mail addresses should you wish to get in touch
ffindancejulian@gmail.com
ffindancecl@gmail.com

We are setting up new projects all the time and would love to hear from you if you would like to be included.


Text 07854 910926 if you’d like to get in touch

The FFIN DANCE zoom school

Posted on by

the FFIN DANCE zoom school

We’d like you to be the first to hear all about our new inititiatve – the FFIN DANCE zoom school.
Following on from our highly successful dance classes throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, we have launched our new term of classes starting in September.  In addition to our weekly classes and videos,  we are introducing short courses which last 3 or 4 weeks aimed at an intensive learning experience.

The timetable will be out very soon, so keep keen …

ZSLOGO

The New Normal

Posted on by



As we move further towards life back in the normal lane, I take the time to reflect on how things have been over the past few months during lockdown.
We have been most fortunate to get support from The National Lottery Community Fund, Community Foundation in Wales and more recently from GAVO to keep in touch with our community and find new ways of working together.

Children and young people from our dance faktry have written and sent postcards to members of the community who have been self isolating, those who have been in hospital, those who may have needed a bit of “cheering up” and those who are alone.
Our company dancers and teachers have filmed dance classes and exercises to do at home and they have been posted on social media.  We are now in our ninth week of online dance classes via Zoom, having taught 30 classes in that time.  The classes are free for the community and we have had some wonderful feedback from parents and the young people themselves.
I think that we are one of the first professional dance companies in the UK to announce our virtual summer dance school.  This is free to participants of all ages and abilities and will involve the creation of a new dance film to be screened on August 7th.
We have plans to reopen our café with a take away service as our first step to resuming activity in our beloved Beaufort Theatre
We have found new ways of working and will continue to do that, already we have found that many things can be done differently to good effect.

However, nothing can take away the feeling of being together in a studio – creating, learning, dancing together.  Nothing can be as good as the thrill of seeing our Main House full of people coming to watch live performances, maybe for the first time.  Nothing can beat the feeling of family that we have at FFIN DANCE

We hope that we will all be together again soon, in whatever way the new normal dictates.  Stay safe everyone and keep dancing …

IMG_0888

sue lewis

Onwards and upwards

Posted on by

It’s been almost 3 years since we took over the management of The Beaufort Theatre, and I’m delighted to to tell you that we’re going from strength to strength.

I’d like to introduce you to our latest partner Lybec Arts Performing Academy who has become artist in residence with us. We are delighted to welcome the Academy to The Beaufort. Lybec Arts is a qualifications academy offering weekly skills development in a range of performance pathways, all groups are fully subscribed at the moment with new students able to apply in the summer term.

Image Paul Trask

Image Paul Trask

Our dance faktry classes are an absolute joy!  The recent winter dance faktry festival provided an opportunity for our children and young people to showcase the work that they had created throughout the term. The young dancers also got the opportunity to watch each other which is always a most valued and valuable experience. The High Sheriff of Gwent came along to the event and was thrilled to see such energy and commitment.

It’s been a few years since we toured our professional work as our priority has been establishing a stronghold in our own community, however now we are firmly bedded in,  we will be touring to Holyhead in North Wales next month. Canolfan Ucheldre has always been one of our favourite places to show our work and we get a great welcome on the island.  We will also be working with community groups including the Barton Dance & Drama Academy with whom we have had a strong working relationship for many years now. We will be making a curtain raiser performance for the students to perform with us.  We are hoping to make new friends too with other community groups of all ages.

On a personal level, I’m happy to say that I can now see properly after having cataract surgery.  One of my greatest joys is that I can now see the faces of the children whom I teach and see the expressions on their faces in dance class. I am most grateful to the fantastic team at Emersons Green Treatment Centre in Bristol for this miracle.

Now that I am able to see to complete more extended writing, you’ll be hearing a lot more from me. Thank you for sharing my FFIN experiences with me, see you in Holyhead …

sue lewis

Image Paul Trask Design Julian Lewis

Image Paul Trask
Design Julian Lewis

Day 2 Powering On

Posted on by

wdff flyer

After a few aches and pains it was time to crack on with day two of production week! The collaborative work between FFIN DANCE  and The Beaufort Theatre is the foundation for the work we do day to day at the Beaufort and today was no different.
As a community-led building we are forever hosting young people and with Santa heading our way later this December it was time for Sam, The Beaufort Theatre’s Catering Operative and myself to get crafty! A morning making Reindeer Dust is hard to beat!

Then it was all systems go! The company dancers arrive and after the coffees and mini morning meetings, I was once again thrown into Georgina’s Class. The second day of a class always seems to feel just right!, the exercises have settled and it’s time to sweat! A class full of tilts, swings and floor work is a winner in my book! At the end of last class Georgina had presented us with a mighty phrase that would take a week to tackle! Second time round was just as fun and to keep us pushing it was time for the second side. Whilst the dancers spent some time rehearsing their newest work ‘An Inspector Calls’ choreographed by Sue Lewis, I got back to work.

FFIN DANCE  has pioneered the way for high quality dance education in the south Wales area for many years and it’s important for us to ensure that the festival presents not only opportunity to perform but to learn. The invited guests bring a brand new type of training and performance so I think its really important that the young dancers get to watch each others’ work. Finalising the running order and programme was my main focus for the day and before I knew if it was time to get moving again. Tonight marks the start our of Headliner project. Headliner is a collaborative project, very much in the spirit of the faktry festival bringing professional and youth dancers together to create a brand new work for this years performance. Led by the FFIN DANCE professional dancers, we started out with a technique class lead by Julian. It was great to start the project pushing ourselves technically. The project pulls dancers from nearly all of the faktry classes all bringing a different approach to their work. After learning a phrase for the work, it was clear that this project provides challenges for all types of dancers. We finished the evening with a great creative task pulling reference from Julian’s phrase, we were asked to create a solo influenced by the movement but also by the overarching theme of the work; exploring speed. Day two was fab!

Louis Norman
FFIN DANCE faktry

An Inspector Calls Day 4

Posted on by

Good evening everyone.
Day 4 in the studio making my new work for the company, based on the themes in Priestley’s play An Inspector Calls.

The emphasis today was finding the musicality in the sublime The Lark Ascending composed by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.  Each duet in Act 2 has varying textures and intentions that we explored through music today.  We have taken on the sequencing of the chronological order of events as described by Inspector Goole in the play – the resulting duets are stunning.  The dancers have made them their own and are really something most special.
Tomorrow sees the last day for R&D An Inspector Calls, more about that next week.
I hope to shoot some film tomorrow to share with you some little snippets.  See you then!

sue lewis

 

We are auditioning

Posted on by

FFIN DANCE Crib

FFIN DANCE Crib

We are looking for a new dancer, male or female, to join the company for the creation of a new work and future projects. The audition will take place on Saturday 7 April 2018, 12-5pm at The Beaufort Theatre, Beaufort Hill, Ebbw Vale, Gwent, Wales NP23 5QQ.

The audition will involve a contemporary technique class, repertoire from our new work Crib,  a creative session and an opportunity to meet and discuss the role with the company. All dancers will be required for the whole session.

Please note, FFIN DANCE is a project-based company, best suited for self-employed artists. All projects are paid. For more information about the company, including commitment and fees, please email info@ffindance.co.uk
To apply, please email info@ffindance.co.uk with your CV and a link to online video footage of you dancing by 5pm on Friday 16 March 2018. This audition is by invitation only and you will be informed if you have been successful by Saturday 24 March 2018.
You must have a minimum of 3 years professional dance training, excellent contemporary dance technique and creative skills. Experience and a keen interest in teaching and working with community dancers is desirable.

Before applying, it is important to understand that the majority of company rehearsals and activities take place in residence at The Beaufort Theatre, Ebbw Vale. FFIN DANCE is unable to provide accommodation and travel expenses and therefore, this role is best suited to dancers who have a base in South Wales and/or have their own transport.

The philosophy underpinning the work that FFIN DANCE produces is centred around quality and innovation. Artistic Director, Sue Lewis, believes in collaborating with her dancers, and the process of making new work is always challenging and of equal importance as the product. Use of music plays a huge part in the company repertoire, as well as a strong emphasis on physicality and technical virtuosity. Alongside the professional company, FFIN DANCE runs an established education and outreach programme, the FFIN DANCE FAKTRY with a series of regular childrens and youth classes, summer schools, professional intensives and one-off projects with schools and community groups.

If you are interested in seeing the company perform before auditioning, the premiere of our new work Crib will take place at The Beaufort Theatre on Friday 6 April 2018 alongside performances from our community groups. For more information, visit www.ffindance.co.uk/the-beaufort-theatre

www.ffindance.co.uk | Facebook: @ffindancecompany | Twitter: @FFINDANCE | Instagram: ffindance

 

Edinburgh bound

Posted on by

cropped-ifringebanner.pngWith just over a week to go before the company heads north, there’s a lot of lists to write, packing to be done, rehearsals and all sorts of things to think about.

 

We have been busy writing press releases and organising our marketing for one of the most competitive and exciting fringe festivals in the world.
viragozooMy piece Virago will be programmed by Zoo Venues (The Sanctuary Venue 124 ) from August 13th – 19th at 7.45pm.  Tickets here

 

We have previewed the piece in London and at our base back here in Wales in various forms and guises, the latter being an interactive performance where the audience was invited to be the jury and decide upon Minnie McGuire’s fate: the jury declared her “not guilty”.  The audience joined in with a final reel celebrating Minnie’s innocence.

 

 

 

Some of the audience feedback:
” there but for the grace of God go I!”

“I have no doubt that Virago will go down a storm at The Fringe.  The story is compelling and the interpretation is excellent”

“Brilliant interpretation in dance, well-executed, enjoyed every minute of it.  Good luck in Edinburgh!”

Keep posted for more of our travel news, get the iFringe app on your phone and book into our show, and share our posts.  Many thanks for your support!

sue lewis