Dance projects & partnerships
At Greenwich Dance, we believe that partnership gives us a bigger voice to help develop the profile of dance in South East London. We are always working on new and interesting projects, finding fresh ways to inspire and bring communities together through dance.
Here are some of the organisations we work with, and examples of the projects we have developed.
Animation Artist as part of Dotdance
Celebrate Animate is Greenwich Dance’s annual celebration of our education and community work with young people. In 2009 and 2010, some of our regular groups collaborated with animation artist Tom Cross to create performances for the Borough Hall.
The Art of Wellbeing
The Art of Wellbeing project in Bexley aims to encourage local people to be more physically active. Greenwich Dance have teamed up with Laban to provide free dance classes for adults and children in the borough.
Dancing to the Music of Time
Greenwich Dance recently received Arts Council England funding to pilot a project to help develop our work with older people and expand our inter-generational arts projects. After a period of consultation with over 60’s and a range of local organisations, including Age Concern, NHS Greenwich, GOPOV (Greenwich Older People’s Olympiad and Voice) and Greenwich Council, Dancing to the Music of Time was launched in summer 2010.
Participants took part in weekly rehearsals at Greenwich Dance, led by the choreographer Maria Ghoumrassi incorporating contemporary, Swing Dance, African People’s Dance and improvised movement. The result of these workshops was performed by the group at Eltham Place on 4 July as part of Greenwich World Cultural Festival and BIG Dance.
Fair Trade in Greenwich
Greenwich Dance’s youth group participated in the Fair Trade Fashion Show in October 2009, and will do so again in autumn 2010. A collaboration with the Heritage Centre, Greenwich Community College, Greenwich Theatre and Greenwich and Lewisham Young People's Theatre.
Greenwich Council and Greenwich NHS Primary Care Trust
We are working with Greenwich Council and Greenwich NHS Primary Care Trust to encourage local workers to dance for health in a project called Active Workplace Dance. A team of specialist dance artists will explore different ways that people can fit dance into their working day, whether it’s 15 minutes at the start of a staff meeting or a class during lunch break.
Greenwich and Lewisham Young People’s Theatre
Every week, Greenwich Dance deliver Hip Hop Create! classes at the Tramshed in Woolwich. These classes are delivered in partnership with Greenwich and Lewisham Young People’s Theatre (GLYPT) for young people ages 8+.
Jam Free
Jam Free is a School Sport Partnership project designed to kick-start dance activity for 11–16 year olds. Working with London Youth Dance and Sadler’s Wells, we have already run one Jam Free club in 2010. Pupils at St Thomas More School performed at The Borough Hall and the Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler’s Wells. A next phase of the project will start soon, working with another school.
National Maritime Museum
The Big Maritime Dance has been led in partnership by Greenwich Dance, the National Maritime Museum and Greenwich School Sport Partnership as part of BIG Dance 2010. Involving 6 local schools, 6 school teachers and over 160 children this education project has been inspired by Greenwich’s maritime heritage. Dance artists began the project working in collaboration with museum research staff and the 6 school teachers to use the National Maritime Museum collection as stimulus for the creation of dance sessions and ultimately dance performances that will be presented within the UNESCO World Heritage site on 2 July. It has also provided a chance for the children to visit the museum’s new Asian Seas Gallery to participate in the research for the dance pieces. Dance artists from Greenwich Dance have been working throughout the term with the 6 school teachers to develop their confidence and ability to deliver cross-curricular inspired dance sessions and simultaneously provide an exciting dance project for all the children involved. This work has taken place over 5 sessions led by the dance artists and a further 5 led by the teachers themselves over the summer term.
Following the project artists meet to share ideas. This helps them to plan and deliver a day of continuing professional development for other primary school teachers.
Thames Gateway Dance Partnership
The London Thames Gateway Dance Partnership (LTGDP) brings together Chisenhale Dance Space, Greenwich Dance, East London Dance Laban, and 10 east and south-east London boroughs.