West Midlands-based dance company, 2FaCeD, bring their unique fusion of hip hop and contemporary dance to Birmingham this week with their latest touring work Still Breathing.
Performing at The Patrick Centre for three nights only, we spoke to Artistic Director Tamsin Fitzgerald about the show and the company’s plans for the future.
“Still Breathing is about how we live when we do not give ourselves much space and keep bowling around and just don’t give ourselves room to breath,” Tamsin said.
The piece will comprise of eight male dancers, some BBoys, some contemporary trained, melding contemporary and breakdance styles to an equally diverse score of classical, dubstep and hip hop music.
“People expect a certain level of tricks from breakdance and picture something like Diversity, but it’s not like that at all. I’m far more interested in footwork and the roots of the style and combining it with contemporary dance while not alienating your audience. Our audiences used to be very young, but that’s growing and changing – we see children to grandparents coming along and I like that our work can span generations. This is a good piece for people who are sort of into dance but not quite accustomed to it.
On stage there will be eight light-beaming ladders which slowly encroach on space as the dance progresses, emulating the theme of diminishing space.
“It’s quite a big change from other dances we have done before and a leap from where we were a year ago. It’s a much more whole piece, where as pieces before have been in sections. I think I have the strongest company I have ever had, which hopefully makes for a much stronger piece.
Still Breathing first showcased at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, toured throughout the UK and the company will tour again in February 2010 internationally. Tamsin hopes to collaborate with other choreographers creating on the company for a triple bill for Spring 2011. She is enjoying seeing the growth of the company and hopes 2FaCeD Dance will become a more permanent figure on the dance seen as they become more well-known. She said:
“The work has been really successful and it’s nice to get it out there and travel round the country,” Tamsin said. “It’s always hard when the stage changes.”
The company has been in residence at the Courtyard Centre for the Arts in Hereford after being created in 1999. Tamsin, who is also an associate artist at DanceXchange, said the company was looking forward to returning to the region.
“It’s really nice to perform in Birmingham and one of our dancers in from there so he’s got all his friends there. It’s the only venue where we’re performing for three consecutive nights.”
2FaCeD DaNcE company will be performing Still Breathing at The Patrick Centre from Wednesday 25 November to Friday 27 November at 8pm. See DanceXchange website for more about the show and booking details and visit the company website for more info.
