THE MIDNIGHT BELL - choreographer and director -Sir Matthew Bourne, Credit: Johan Persson

There’s so much to do and see during Dancin’ Oxford’s October Festival running from 16-30 October. Audiences can talk dance, see dance or just dance…whatever takes their fancy. There are events for teenagers and adults, for under 5s, for under 11s, in person and on-line. The choice is enticing…

Here are our highlights:

  1. Amal Meets Alice, Oxford City Centre, October 26, 1pm – 3pm, free, all ages

Taking the form of giant puppets, join Alice in Wonderland as she welcomes Amal, a 10-year-old refugee girl from Syria, to Oxford as they walk through the city, joined by dancers,  performers and community groups.

Part of The Walk, in which the puppet Amal will follow in the footsteps of thousands of unaccompanied child refugees who have been forced to take the same treacherous journey. Starting in Gazienter in late July, Amal is passing through 50 towns and cities across Europe, including Oxford. Presented by The Story Museum

The public are invited to walk with Alice and Amal through the city. Ways to get involved can be found at https://www.storymuseum.org.uk/ Follow her incredible journey at https://www.walkwithamal.org/

THE MIDNIGHT BELL by Matthew Bourne ,

2) Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell – the new World Premiere for New Adventures at Oxford Playhouse. October 28-October 30. 14+

Explore the under-belly of 1930s London life where ordinary people converge at The Midnight Bell, a tavern where one particular lonely-hearts club gather to play out their lovelorn affairs of the heart.

Inspired by the great English novelist Patrick Hamilton (Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky, Hangover Square), master storyteller Bourne once again joins forces with the Olivier and Tony award-winning team of Terry Davies, Lez Brotherston, Paule Constable and Paul Groothuis for this brand new production. The cast features 12 of New Adventures’ finest performers. This is a dance event not to be missed. https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/the-midnight-bell

THE MIDNIGHT BELL by Matthew Bourne, , Credit: Johan Persson

3) Go Origami crazy with these two amazing family events:

Little Big Dance – Club Origami, October 23 and 27, 11am, 12.30pm & 2.30pm, Pegasus. £6, 5 years & under and their families. Pegasus Theatre

Little Big Dance is coming to Pegasus for the first time with Takeshi Matsumoto’s Club Origami: here to rip, fold, and scrumple in this immersive and interactive show. Dive into the magical world of Club Origami, and explore whole new ways of thinking, playing, and moving. Make sure to book in advance! https://pegasustheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873625050

The workshop follows on October 27 from 10.45 – 11.30 and 2pm – 3pm at Museum of Oxford. https://museum-of-oxford.arttickets.org.uk/museum-of-oxford/2021-10-27-club-origami-family-dance-workshop-with-takeshi-matsumoto-ages-2-5-years

Little Big Dance presents Club Origami by Takeshi Matsumoto. Image_ Summer Dean

4) FAM JAM, October 23, 11.30pm – 3pm Ark-T Centre, and 10.30am – 12pm at Rose Hill Community Centre. £1 per family. Ages 11 and under & their families

FAM JAM is a disco, with a DJ on the decks, created for all young family models to enjoy.  The music and games are specially selected for adults and their children with face painting and lots more to get involved in. Everyone is welcome so come and join the party. Limited to 15 per session, book by emailing famjamoxford@gmail.com. https://www.dancinoxford.co.uk/event/fam-jam-27/ or https://www.dancinoxford.co.uk/event/fam-jam-29/

Alexander Whitley

5) Alexander Whitley Dance Company – Anti-Body, Oxford Playhouse. October 26,
7.30pm – 9pm
. Part of IF Oxford Science & Ideas Festival. Watch the film from 2pm – 4pm

Three performers, isolated yet connected digitally in an interactive space. Sadler’s Wells New Wave Associate Alexander Whitley creates ambitious and intellectually engaged work with innovation and digital technology at its core. Motion-responsive visuals by Uncharted Limbo Collective. Soundtrack by Hannah Peel and Kincaid.

At 2-4pm on the same day October 23, enjoy related film Digital Body: Ascent. 13 yrs+ as choreographer Alexander Whitley‘s new digital dance film examines these themes and more. Created with scientists from Oxford Flight Lab and young people from Oxford’s Parasol Project, this premiere is part of the Digital Body project, a collaborative platform for digital dance exploring how human movement can be represented using motion-capture and 3D animation technology. https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/anti-body#dates-and-times

Z 2 alpha – image Bar Alon, multimedia Dror Shohet

6) Z 2° αlphα, October 16. 12pm – 1.15pm. Digital. Part of IF Oxford Science & Ideas Festival. Pay What you like – suggested donation £5. 13 yrs+

This interactive dance workshop, led by choreographer Sivan Rubinstein, King’s College London, artist in residence 2019-20, draws on philosophy, dance, music and visual art. Participants are taken on a journey about our planet, in relation to our body and home. https://if-oxford.com/event/z-2-αlphα/

Seeta Patel’s The Rite of Spring Photo © Foteini Christofilopoulou.

7) Seeta Patel’s Rite of Spring. Firstly enjoy Talk About Dance, October 20 and November 6, 2021. 1pm – 4pm. £35 per session at The Mill, Spiceball Park, Banbury a unique new course where we will explore Seeta Patel’s work. https://www.themillartscentre.co.uk/shows/talk-about-dance-autumn-2021/

Led by independent dance dramaturg  Miranda Laurence and choreographer Seeta Patel herself,  this will be a fun, discursive session giving an insight into the creative process of making dance. The full work can then be seen at The Mill on November 12 at 7.30pm. https://www.themillartscentre.co.uk/shows/rite-of-spring/

Dance Dialogue

8) Dance Dialogue October 24 1pm – 2pm. Part of IF Oxford Science & Ideas Festival. Digital. 13yrs+

Renewable and Logue are two screen dances created through a digital dance residency – a collaboration between Ballet id (Indonesia) and Marc Brew Company (Scotland). Reflecting on the pandemic, renewable energy and the different landscapes of the two countries, and meet some of the collaborators. https://if-oxford.com/event/dance-dialogue/

For more details on Dancin’ Oxford go to: https://www.dancinoxford.co.uk/whats-on/