Sunday 26th & Bank Holiday Monday 27th May
Topos, a year-long artistic collaboration between Cumbria Youth Dance Company and Liverpool based Wired Aerial Theatre has resulted in a suite of new work on the theme of mountains.
Cumbria Youth Dance Company has created three unique piece of choreography. Its first ever outdoor performance will be performed on the shores of Coniston Water at Brantwood as part of John Ruskin’s bicentenary celebrations. It features a purpose-built structure designed and constructed by Jamie Ogilvie, technical director at liverpool based Wired Aerial Theatre, and is based on the notable climbing route of Napes Needle on Scafell. The dancers weave their way in and out of the structure, hang off it, perform breath-taking falls from it and test their strength to the limit.
Cumbria YDC co-ordinator Lynn Barnes explains, “We have noticed for several years now how our young Cumbrian dancers have a unique quality about them. It’s something we can’t quite put our finger on but it’s especially noticeable when we take them out of Cumbria to work with other young dancers. We started to think that it may have something to do with the awe-inspiring environment that they are all fortunate enough to grow up in. Our landscape somehow makes them the people they are, influencing their movement quality, creativity, expression and attitude. This project was hatched as an opportunity to explore this idea in more detail”.
Performances will take place daily at 12.00pm, 1.30pm & 3.00pm. They are all free to watch as part of the admission price to Brantwood House & Gardens – www.brantwood.org.uk.