As north east graduate dance company Fertile Ground announces prepares to set off on its first ever winter/spring tour, it received the news that former Royal Ballet Senior Principal Dancer and TV star Wayne Sleep has agreed to be its patron.
"Fertile Ground helps young dancers to develop professionally," he said. "I know that this company will inspire everyone, and wish them great success as they embark on the region-wide tour."
"I am really delighted and moved that Wayne Sleep has offered his support," said the company's artistic director Dora Frankel. "It means a great deal to me and to the whole company that someone of Wayne's reputation has spoken so warmly about our work. His help and patronage ensures that our work can be seen more widely."
Fertile Ground aims to nurture, challenge and inspire a new generation of dance artists to develop and present inspirational and accessible dance opportunities.
"As the north east’s first professional graduate dance company, Fertile Ground offers a much-needed bridge between university study and the professional dance industry for some of the region’s most talented young dancers, while at the same time offering audiences the chance to see new, high quality work made right here in the north east," said Anthony Baker, Dance City's Artistic Director and Joint CEO
Dora Frankel added, "we offer dance opportunities to some of the region’s most talented young dancers to work, train and perform intensively with outstanding guest teachers and choreographers.
"By developing our dancers and choreographers we hope to see a real increase in the number of artists staying in the region over the next five years, forming new artistic constellations, inspiring children and young people and increasing appreciation and understanding of contemporary dance in the north east."
Among the venues with which the company will be working is The Bowes Museum in County Durham whose assistant curator Hannah Jackson said, "this collaboration is breaking new ground for The Bowes Museum. It is a unique opportunity to showcase contemporary dance and costumes inspired by the Birds of Paradise – Plumes and Feathers in Fashion exhibition.
"Working with costume students from Cleveland College of Art and Design and dance graduates is a really exciting partnership, which we hope to continue."
This new work is On the Darkened Wing and the company's four graduate dancers—Alicia Meehan (Northern School of Ballet), Alys North (Northern School of Contemporary Dance), Kayleigh Fisk (University of Sunderland) and Holly Bellamy (Teesside University)—will work with second year BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation & Design students from Cleveland College of Art and Design and course leader Jane Havakin (best known for her designs for Topshop, Harrods and John Lewis) to explore the beauty and dark romance of feathers and plumes.
Also featuring in the tour are A New Chimera by Tom Dale and Eleesha Drennan's Shields of Bone, choreographed specially for the company.
The Tour
Thursday 12 February 2015 at 18:00
Henry Travers Studio, The Maltings, Berwick-upon-Tweed
Friday 20 February 2015 at 18:00
Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
Friday 27 February 2015 at 19.00
Something Beautiful: a performance in response to Fertile Ground's work with Epinay School for special educational needs at Bede's World
Wednesday 4 March 2015 at 19:00
Sunderland College
Saturday 7 March 2015 at 19:30
Peter Sarah Theatre, Newcastle College
Thursday 12 March 2015 at 12:30 & 17:00
Outdoor performance, Trinity Square Gateshead
Friday 13 March 2015 at 19:00
On the Darkened Wing, in collaboration with The Bowes Museum, Witham Public Hall
Friday 20 March 2015 at 17:00
Arts Centre Washington school performance
Sunday 22 March 2015 at 19:30
Gala Performance
The Customs House, South Shields