Group's Winter Dance 2011
Pair Dance are once again featured in the Elstree and Borehamwood Times paper with event: Winter Wonderland 2011 published by Bruce Thain.
More than 50 young performers who take part in the programme performed for their parents and councillors on Saturday 10th December. The Company runs dance lessons at weekends and after school for young people aged between five and 16, and the performance featured routines from both classes.
Pair Dance organiser Harriet Macauley said: 'It was brilliant and we didn't expect so many people to turn up'. 'The whole programme has shown that young people are keen to get involved with community projects'.
At the end of the event, all children who performed were given certificates for their work. The company is based in Shenley Road but operates out of Farriers way community centre and Hertswood centre, in potters lane.
22nd December 2011
Borehamwood dance company puts on winter performance!!!
Pair Dance A CONTEMPORARY dance company put on a special winter performance on Saturday.
Borehamwood-based Pair Dance held the Winter Wonderland event, at Farriers Way Community Centre.
The four-hour event was an end of year celebration of the work done by the young people over the year.
More than 50 performers who take part in the programme performed for their parents and councillors on Saturday.
The company runs dance lessons at weekends and after school for young people aged between five and 16, and the performance featured routines from both classes.
Pair Dance organiser Harriet Macauley said: “It was brilliant and we didn’t expect so many people to turn up.“The whole programme has shown that young people are keen to get involved with community projects.”
At the end of the event, all children who performed were given certificates for their work.
The company is based in Shenley Road but operates out of Farriers Way Community Centre and Hertswood Sports Centre, in Potters Lane.
Thank you to a great team: Iris Calherios, Michael Joseph and Theo Alade
By Bruce Thain
16th December 2011 to 31st December 2011
Elstree and Borehamwood Times.....Dancing in a winter wonderland 2011 - Pair Dance showcase in Borehamwood
Employing dance as a way to bring communities together is the aim of Hertfordshire’s Pair Dance.
Founded in 2006 by choreographer and performer Harriet Macauley and sound design artist Richard Leonard, the group uses choreographic works combined with original scores to explore the relationship between movement and sound.
The Pair Dance Winter Wonderland Christmas party is a celebration of their work including a variety of performances and street dance sessions.
The showcase is being held at the newly- renovated Farriers Way Community Centre, Borehamwood on December 10, from 1pm-6pm.
Photograph of the Author
By Melanie Dakin
Photo: Jui Wei Hung and Sammi Fang
10th December 2011 to 29th December 2011
Search for a celebrity | Creative Learning
A Dance group for young people, in Borehamwood, searches for celebrity for National Dance Event
Pair Dance - Borehamwood is searching for a celebrity from the area to support them during a National Dance Event next year - Big Dance 2012. Pair Dance, based in Shenley Road, provides not-for-profit classes to young people in Hertsmere.
Artistic director Harriet Macauley has lived in Borehamwood for seven years and has been running the group for four years.
She has toured the world working as a professional contemporary dancer with the Richard Alston Dance Company and Rambert Dance Company. She works with Community Action Hertsmere and receives funding from the Arts Council, The Co-operative Group and Hertsmere Borough Council among other groups to provide the dance classes.
Planned for July next year as part of the Olympic celebrations, Pair Dance will be participating in a National Campaign to get people dancing. The national event is titled BIG DANCE 2012
The group will be performing at the Ark Theatre, in Thrift Farm Lane, in Borehamwood, on July 7.
The event will include dance and music performances from bands and dance groups.
Ms Macauley is searching for an established performing artist or celebrity living or working in the area that would support the group on the evening.
The role would involve introducing the event, presenting awards and certificates and meeting members of the community with a short photo session.
She said: “We aim to create opportunities for young people to play, explore and investigate an endless capacity for leadership, engagement and development through movement and sound.”
To contact Ms Macauley call 0203 489 9223 or email admin@pairdance.org
For more information about the group log on to www.pairdance.org
By Suruchi Sharma - Elstree and Borehamwood Times
6th November 2011 to 1st March 2012
Pair Dance Featured in Watford Observer
See members of Borehamwood-based Pair Dance take part in a Dance Challenge Community Showcase, in Potters Bar next week.
Choreographed by Michael Joseph with music arranged by Richard Leonard, this event is an opportunity for young people who attend PairDance's current weekend programme RUSH to show off their talents, and all ideas, movements and structure are created and devised by those taking part.
It takes place on Tuesday, May 17, 7pm, at The Wyllyots Theatre, Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 2HN. Details: www.pairdance.org
17th May 2011
Borehamwood dance group celebrates charity status with Summerswood youngsters
NewTeacher, Borehamwood says...
9:49am Wed 30 Mar 11
'Fantastic group who run a kids dance class on Saturday afternoons at the Hertswood Centre'.
My son loves going there!
Notsimplesimon, Aldenham says...
5:43pm Wed 30 Mar 11
'What an amazing group. So great to see good news for a change. Great work, keep it up guys!'
okereke, Elstree _ Borehamwood says...
5:43pm Wed 30 Mar 11
'I have my 2 children in these classes and not only they enjoy it immensly but the are value for money.
well done Pair Dance!
Looking forward to see the troupe on stage at Potters Bar & Allum Hall in July!
By Josh Darlington - Elstree and Borehamwood Times
5th April 2011
Borehamwood dance group celebrates charity status with Summerswood youngsters
Borehamwood dance group celebrates charity status with Summerswood youngsters
PRIMARY school children enjoyed a special workshop yesterday to celebrate the launch of a dance group charity based in Borehamwood. Pair Dance taught youngsters at Summerswood Primary School, in Furzehill Road, as part of a new creative community learning programme. The organisation recently received nearly £30,000 from the BBC's Children in Need to fund a project called RUSH Young Leaders in our Community, for three years.
Founded by Harriet Macauley and Richard Leonard, the scheme aims to promote confidence, freedom of expression and personal development through subsidised classes and free school workshops.
Ms Macauley said: “We want to pick up young people before they get caught up in other things. We see this project as a way to build up new community leaders by giving them confidence through movement.”
The group says becoming a charity will enable it to put more money back in to serving the community.
Ms Macauley said she hoped that with the backing of Hertsmere borough councillors Pat Strack (Con, Kenilworth) and Sandra Parnell (Con, Hillside), who are board members to the project, schools would be encouraged to take advantage of what the group can offer.
Trustees include: Victor Eni, Sandra Parnell and Pat Strack of Hertsmere Borough Council
For more information about classes and free workshops for schools contact Pair Dance on 0203 489 9223.
5th April 2011 to 12th April 2011
Interview - Borehamwood & Elstree Times
An international performer is encouraging young people to take up their dancing shoes and get creative as part of a community group in Borehamwood.
Harriet Macauley, 29, has lived in Borehamwood for seven years and has been running the group Pair Dance for four years. She has toured the world and worked as a professional contemporary dancer with the Richard Alston Dance Company and Rambert Dance Company.
She works with Community Action Hertsmere and receives funding from the Arts Council, The Co-operative Group and Hertsmere Borough Council among other groups to provide not-for-profit street dance classes for young people in the area.
She will be holding a community outreach class with students at Woodlands Primary School, in Borehamwood, tomorrow.
She said: “Talent should not have borders and I want to encourage children from any background to get involved with the group.
“Our programme is designed for children all around the Hertsmere area. They would benefit so much creatively and get to meet new people. We’re a not-for-profit organisation for young people and we’re highly subsidised meaning we don’t charge a huge amount, which allows people to come along for a reasonable rate. Apart from the work I do professionally I wanted to do this to support my community.”
The group has two age groups with children between five and nine and ten to sixteen.
She added: “You don’t have to be a professional dancer to join. Movement is a universal language and definitely with the Olympics in 2012 people are more aware of physicality. I want young people to be able to be creative and this can help them towards that.”
The classes are held at The Hertswood Centre, in Potters Lane, Borehamwood.
Ms Macauley is holding a Dance Challenge Community Showcase at the Wyllyotts Theatre, in Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, on May 17 at 7pm. To learn more log on to www.pairdance.org
By Suruchi Sharma
10th March 2011
Fringe Guru - Velocity ****
Rush lived up to its name!! Energetic, athletic, it started at pace and kept going as it explored commuter life; small moments of interaction on the tube were wary, distrustful and amusing. Harriet Macauley dances with strength and her duets with David Gellura were satisfying to watch. The hectic commuter life was matched by pulsing, industrial music interweaved with melodic horn.
Reviewed by Susannah Radford
20th August 2010 to 21st August 2010
The Shimmy Skinny @ The Edinburgh Fringe Festival ****
Dancers run purposefully, head down, across the stage, only to stop, turn around, and run back the other way. Others stand as obstacles; they get frustrated and angry. Sound familiar?
Pair Dance’s Rush is an abstract representation of the stressful yet monotonous, bustling yet empty daily commute. The choreography expresses this feeling incredibly well, progressing from pure, purposeful running to antagonistic partnering, dynamic, agitated solos and a section where the four dancers move perfectly in unison, executing a series of frantic kicks and jumps, before pausing, exhaling heavily in frustration, and starting again.
The original score by Richard Leonard, featuring dramatic violins, the incessant throbbing of an engine and the sound of wheels on a track, interspersed with people grunting, cursing, and moaning, compounds the tension built by the choreography, and elevates Rush from a solid dance performance to the momentary creation of an atmospheric, enveloping world. It forces our daily routines into sharp focus, making us examine what we are doing, and why, and if it’s really worth it.
What really puts the icing on the cake — or the fourth star on the page — is that, underneath the ostensible stress and clumsiness, the dancers are centred, assured and in complete control of their bodies, allowing them to express whatever they want with the utmost conviction. The only slight criticism of the piece is that the frustration and antagonism between fellow passengers is exaggerated: most commutes aren’t that bad. However, a bit of artistic license is allowed, as the exaggeration makes for a more dramatic, exciting performance.
Reviewed by Amanda Grimm
www.ballet.co.uk
14th August 2010 to 30th August 2010
Herald Scotland ****
Rush- Pair Dance/Harriet Macauley lived up to its name with a recurring pell-mell of bodies crossing the darkened stage....
Reviewed by Mary Bernnan
13th August 2010
The Skinny RUSH@Dance Base
Pair Dance choreograph the underground!
When Harriet Macauley explains her inspiration for Pair Dance’s Rush, she moves far away from the world of contemporary dance. “As a regular commuter on London underground, I was very interested in the monotony of the daily commute,” she begins, before listing the joys of the subway. “Bodies moving in the same direction: often flustered and centred on ourselves and our destination. The lack of space and natural light, narrow corridors and low ceilings creates this heated and often intense energy, with buskers playing instruments.”
As a dancer, however, she found herself noticing the natural choreography of her fellow passengers. “The non verbal communication between commuters is fascinating,” she admits. “The long glares, body language, hunching over, body positioning, smiling, and hand gestures.” From these subtle physical cues, Macauley was inspired to use dance to represent this modern hell.
Rush’s vision is pessimistic: Macauley acknowledges that it is “related to the monotony and regimentation of our daily commute but it also touches on the issue of time, relationships, environment and spiritual apathy.” Dance itself is a model of almost repressive regimentation, with the required training and rehearsal requiring a strict discipline. Macauley counters this with her creative process: “It has to be said that as a team we never lose sight of a light hearted and open approach to creating dance works.”
Originally formed as a collaborative vehicle for Macauley’s collaborations with composer Richard Leonard, after she left Rambert Dance Company in 2006, Pair Dance has developed a vision that includes increasing opportunity for young people. Rush, studying a subject rarely considered within dance, suggests that Pair Dance are one of the many companies considering ways to make dance more inclusive. Macauley herself is passionate about the possibilities of dance.
“Our mission is to create opportunities for artists and young people to play, explore and investigate an endless capacity for development through movement and sound,” she says. Yet this is not just about choreographing recognisable scenarios. “Our Creative Learning stream brings dance to a suburban area in Hertfordshire, making high quality dance performances more accessible to those who struggle to travel into the city.”
Despite the optimism of her vision, Rush refuses to blink at the crazed paranoia of the commuting grind: the underground becomes a nightmare of tics, twitches, noise and anxiety. At the point where words fail to express utter frustration and chaos, Rush captures the physical horror of mundane reality.
Posted by Gareth K Vile, Sun 01 Aug 2010
2nd August 2010 to 31st August 2010
London Dance
Pair Dance return to the festival with RUSH choreographed by Harriet Macauley, enthralling the audience from the start. On viewing this piece one has no choice but to become captivated by the intensity of the four dancers!!
The intuitive choreography cleverly interprets Macauley’s manifestation of commuter chaos, the four dancers each representatives of an individual, conveying their own inner personality and emotion. Moments of stiff and rigid movement reflects the nature of today’s society and the daily frustration in the anarchy of our social system.
'Fabulously executed, this piece was a highlight of the evening'!!
Reviewed by Susanne Allen
21st July 2010
RUSH
The piece takes the daily urban commute as its basis to explore how people interact with themselves and with each other. And if choreographer Harriet Macauley is to be believed we don’t interact very pleasantly at all. The dancing, shaped around heightened neurotic aspects of traits such as suspicion, disdain, wariness, and self-absorption was provocative, determined, and technically precise. With its smoky, dark stage and lone tuba solos Rush seemed to give the phrase ‘commuter hell’ a whole new embodiment. A sharp, focussed and breathtaking way to end an overall excellent evening!!
Reviewed by Lesley Perez
21st July 2010
People with Voices
Pair Dance’s exploration of the madness of commuter chaos RUSH is an epic, maniacally intense story that builds and builds.
The unrelenting beat of the music conjures the monotony of the daily commute, with the closeness of the dancers’ motion suitably claustrophobic. The quality of the partner work in the middle of the piece is excellent!!
Reviewed by James Corke
www.peoplewithvoices.com
19th July 2010
Critical Dance Magazine
Focused and talented, performances are slick and unfussy…powerful work
A striking example of how movement can carry strong emotional resonance...
...exhilarating and professional
20th December 2009
Ballet Co
...some bone-crunching dynamics as dancers hurl themselves around.
...helped mightily by Richard Leonard's music/sound collage
14th December 2009
Londonist
...a frenetic take on rush hour... both strong and relentless
5th December 2009
Dancing Times
Macauley can unfold a high extension with lavish ease then arch into a backbend without changing gears.
The flow of movement - complete.
Her dancing is sumptuous… superb
1st October 2009
The Times
…impressive. The dancing – tight and fast.
…well danced and nicely crafted
1st February 2009
www.article19.co.uk - The Awards
This new company to the wide world of dance stole the show at this years Big Mission Festival in Swindon. Excellent dance making with the just the right mix of pacing, music and movement.
A work that's over before you know it and leaves you wanting more, just the way it should be!"
1st December 2008
www.londondance.com
...a turbulent, eruptive piece
...with sublime technique
1st September 2008
www.article19.co.uk
...living proof that the festival circuit is the best place to look for new hidden gems from dance makers.
Most definitely a company to keep your eyes on...
13th May 2008 to 1st May 2008
