Dancin’ Oxford’s annual spring festival is going ahead with an exciting offering of online activities, in the hope it can celebrate, in true dance style, in the summer.
The eclectic programme for the spring festival includes workshops, talks, dance, new work, magic, classes, several films plus a Baby Boogie disco Live from the DJ Shed.
“Organiser Claire Thompson says: “Dancin’ Oxford usually holds its big annual festival in the spring, so we have chosen some really fun things to do until we can return with an outdoor summer offering in July.”
“There are lots of positives – we just want to make sure our events are inspiring and accessible, and we are confident there is something for everyone in this year’s programme.”
So what can we expect? A course of six films for early years children and families will be released every day of the festival. Join Emma Boor from Wild Boor Ideas as she shares with you five marvelous, magical and mysterious ways to make ‘Shadow Magic’ using things in your home that are easy to find based on the popular topics of Monsters, Birds, The Zoo, Under the Sea and Buildings and Homes, with themed worksheets for you and your child.
There are also the Baby Boogie sessions with Euton Daley, which usually take place at Pegasus but will now be live and online from The Disco Shed, as well as creative dance sessions for all ages.
You can enjoy a live online talk with Neon Dance’s on their new work Prehension Blooms which integrates bio-inspired robotics, followed by a live Q&A.
NEST is hosting creative dance sessions for all ages every morning at 9am and Family Dance: Rumble in the Jungle uses high energy Kathak dance, delicate hand gestures and big bold moves in online workshop is led by Aakanksha Rawat from Sonia Sabri Dance Company for children ages 3-8 and their families to do together, via The North Wall on March 6 at 11am and 1pm. Tickets cost £3 per device – siblings/families can share!
But perhaps the piece de resistance is Dancin’ Oxford’s collaborative global film Spring Awakening which encapsulates Oxford’s twin cities and its own dance community.
Over 20 dance groups from across seven global cities are participating and the film will go live on Facebook and Dancin Oxford’s You Tube channel at 9am on March 6..
Or watch work in motion Still Breathing by Euton Daley’s Unlock the Chains Collective running every night from The North Wall at 7.30pm which explores the struggles for equality, justice and freedom, and help shape its development during the Q&A afterwards.
All-in-all a pretty bumper packed offering then? Claire Thompson said: “It’s been a tough year for many, but we hope we can bring a little sunshine and fun into people’s lives with some dance, in the privacy of their own homes.”
As for the future, Dancin’ Oxford is already planning its outdoor summer offering for the weekend of July 3/4 and then an Autumn Family Week involving lots of family dance companies in October.
The ever popular Moving with The Times co-commission with Pegasus with emerging dance artists moves to Dancin’ Oxford’s summer festival in July.
Dancin Oxford’s on-line Spring Dance Festival runs from 6 – 13 March 2021. Some events are free others ask for a donation of £3. Full programme at www.dancinoxford.co.uk
