A pioneering youth dance project inspired by the historic links between Cornwall and Brittany will end with a contemporary dance premiere in Liskeard. CreativeLooe's Dancing Borders Away project will present its production, onYon, at Liskeard Public Hall on Wednesday, September 23, at 7.30pm.
The performance draws on the historic Pink Onion Johnnies and the traditional maritime trading links between Brittany and Cornwall. It also marks the 50th anniversary of Looe's twinning with Quiberon.
Ten young dancers aged 13 to 17 from Looe and Liskeard were chosen after competitive auditions in July. They spent the summer working with professional artists and mentors, led by Venezuelan choreographer Gocha (Maria Mendible), who worked for many years with the internationally renowned DRAMO.
The project is delivered in collaboration with CreativeLooe director Luisa Gonzalez and brings together experienced creative professionals. They include dance history icon Julie Felix MBE, Rachel Bond of Bond Dance Company, Southwest Artist Project founders Hannah Dilworth and Izzy Gillespie, and Shockout Arts alumna Jemima Holtan. Local support comes from Sheila Brock, director of Sheila's School of Dancing, and Sam Day, head of performance at Looe Community Academy.
Costume design and workshops were guided by designer Elaine Foster-Gandey, whose career includes work with Vivienne Westwood, Jasper Conran, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. The production features an original live-looped score composed and performed on stage by multi-instrumentalist Arlo Anwin.
Dancing Borders Away was created to address the geographical and financial barriers faced by young people in coastal communities by bringing professional arts training directly to the region. Luisa Gonzalez said the young performers were now ready to showcase the results of their summer of workshops.
Tickets for onYon are available through the events section on the CreativeLooe website.
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