Saturday 17 August saw Dance Woking’s last activity in 2024 take place in three locations around the Borough made possible with funding support from Surrey Community Foundation. New Adventures received funding from Arts Council England to create and tour this work.
One of Dance Woking’s aims is to provide high quality opportunities to watch dance, providing new experiences that inspire artists, participants and communities. We achieved this today by partnering with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, bringing ‘Doorstep Duets‘ to Woking. A partnership started in 2021 when the company first originated the idea of bringing free opportunities where people can enjoy short world-class performance in their local neighbourhood, on their street, in local parks, facilitated through community-based organisations. The aim of the project to bring joy, escapism, and connection, and make world-class dance more accessible to everyone.
Dance Woking CEO Sam McCaffrey toured with the company on Saturday 17 August and writes about her experience.
‘I caught up with the company at The Maybury Centre, a highly valued local community facility that was already a hive of activity when I arrived just after 10am. After registering my car details, a must if you want to avoid a fine, I found the 6 dancers, Producer and Stage Manager busy taking company class. Brief introductions and checking the days schedule followed before I set off ahead of the company to our first stop, Kingsleigh Care Home in Old Woking. Draped in British flags and pictures of King Charles III the Care Home staff were very welcoming. A large space had been created in the lounge where over 28 residents were already prepped for the performance.
Dance Woking has been partnering Kingsleigh Care Home to use dance to benefit residents to support their health & wellbeing through our Dance Gold (weekly dance classes for the over 65’s) and our very popular seasonal Social Travelling Tea Dance tours, a project supported by Surrey Community Foundation and Arts Council England’s Project grants.
The company arrived shortly after I did and prepped the performance space with the set, designed to be highly portable, so each member could carry it easily from place to place. The performance itself was beautifully crafted, a joy to watch and well received by the residents. Audrey, a 99 year old ex-ballerina found the piece ‘very interesting‘; Annie, who had recently celebrated her 100th birthday said it was ‘very unusual‘. Other resident comments included ‘Fabulous, Absolutely beautiful, fantastic lovely people, wonderful, lots of good interaction‘. Staff member Caroline said ‘what was lovely about the piece was the silence, I was mesmerized by it, not used to this type of performance, it’s very different‘. We left as the staff were getting ready for a foam party in the garden and the residents a glass of prosecco.
Next stop Jubilee Square Woking Town Centre. To encourage shoppers to the town the square has been furnished with fake grass, white picket fencing and deck chairs in front of a large screen, plus an inflatable surfboard experience. Luckily there was a sizeable space in front of the war memorial outside Mokka Bistro that was perfect for performance. Two performances were held in Jubilee Square at 12pm and 2pm; feedback was very rewarding, Sophie 10 ‘They’re dancing really good and I like how they expressed emotions in the dance‘; Betsy 10 concurred, I loved how the dancers all had something to do and the different emotions they used to express their mood‘ Meredith 12, ‘I liked how they involved the audience‘ Isla also 12 said ‘I liked how they included lots of different dance styles within the piece‘. Parents ‘Amazing thing to have, just beautiful and just a jump in my day when out shopping to see such a lovely piece of dance‘, ‘Loved it, dancing with storytelling‘.
New Adventures & Farnham Maltings: Doorstep Duets, Hum, by Anjali Mehra, photo: Dance Woking
Final stop, and fourth performance of the day, in Westfield, Liquorice Lane green, partnering with Thames Valley Housing Trust, a relationship Dance Woking has enjoyed for just shy of a decade using dance to enhance community cohesion and engagement.
Whether its a performance for one or a crowd, New Adventures dancers are just as committed to the performance experience of their audience. Despite the heat, the dancers didn’t disappoint and highlighted their professionalism. The one resident who did venture outside to watch, (whilst others were spotted watching from their balconies) said afterwards ‘Very good, really enjoyed it, excellent idea, pity the residents missed a treat!‘ Rosemary – Westfield Resident
New Adventures & Farnham Maltings: Doorstep Duets, Hum, by Anjali Mehra, photos: Dance Woking
Etta Murfitt, Associate Artistic Director, New Adventures, joined the company in Jubilee Square, and spoke to Carol Deakins, Dance Woking Trustee, and myself. Etta shared her joy of how this project has taken the company back to its roots when they toured small community venues in a van, a bit like today. Current company dancers find the experience of this tour humbling, sharing duties such as carrying their set, and being able to get up close to their audience, (unlike a stage performance in a theatre where you can’t see the audience due to the bright lights), making it a thoroughly enriching experience for them. The project also enables the company to offer ex company dancers other opportunities such as producer roles and older dancers to keep dancing. I was heartened by how the company have maintained networks, offer valuable opportunities and training for their dancers post their time with the company and continue links with community organisations like ourselves.
For further dates and tour details: Click HERE
