In November 2023 Rachel, Ray, Chloe & Mervyn from Shropshire Inclusive Dance were in residence at 2 Penrhiw for 4 days. Their visit included leading the My Moves Cardigan class; CPD for local practitioners; a workshop for Clynfyw Care Farm participants, & an Every Body workshop which was attended by a wide range of the public, including families with children.
SiD’s second visit in September 2024 built on their previous work, visiting again with the same groups, spending time by the river devising new river scores, & expanding into a development workshop for a smaller group of dancers interested in working more at length together.
Reflections from SiD:
”Rivers provide cascades in torrents of imaginative visual imagery….
Movement patterns and energetic variations.
Changes in mood, colour and light.
The river carries us, the dancer, through varied and contrasting landscapes.
Energy and business - decelerating to a deliberate pause.
Large swirls and curving patterns to the minutest of shivers and gentle, delicate connections.
Rises of energy and serenity.
Observation of the river conjuring up starting points for movement exploration.
We watched how these mosaics of ponds skaters would be carried by the river in eddies and circles, a group journey. The experience of being by the river stayed with us in the studio as we planned for our workshops. Pond skaters gather in pools of light in clusters and disperse – picking up and dropping off one another, moving away and towards the group – changing direction and regrouping. The flow of the river, obstacles change and disrupt flow. The banks of the river ‘hold and contain’ the river, made of layers of mud, shingle, sand or boulders - creating a strong support structure.
River carries and transports. …. crossing, intermingling, back and forth, flow, change, disrupt, pick up – drop off – gather, quickening, slowing, reflection, stillness, changes in colour – light & shadows, flock, ripples……change course……. gentle listening.”
