Category: Dancers

RTDI Company Profile: Uchenna Dance

In the second of our Rural Touring Dance Initiative Company profiles, we find a little bit more out about how Uchenna Dance are preparing for their Autumn rural tour of ‘The Head Wrap Diaries’ from their Creative Director Vicki Igbowke.

What are you most looking forward to?

Being on tour! This is our first tour of this scale and to rural audiences, we are really excited to be part of the scheme and sharing this show with those we would not normally engage with.

What have you packed in readiness for rural locations?

Food is VERY important to the company (LOL) so we have all packed those essential snacks that will keep us going while on the road. We also have some equipment, set and a mobile installation that we hope to be able to display at most venues.

How do you think it will be different from touring to towns?

The difference is that rural touring as a real intimate feel to it, we are being welcomed into the local community by the local community on all levels including communication with promoters pre-tour, recreating bespoke versions of the show for each individual venue to being looked after post show in the homes of those from the community. You just don’t get this kind of intimacy touring to town and big cities. 


Can you sum up your show in 3 words?

Culture, Laughter, Hair

What would you say to anyone who has never seen dance /theatre?

Come with an open mind, know that you do not need to get all of it as there is not always a deep and meaningful story to work out and just enjoy the dance and music

RTDI Company Profile: Find out more about James Wilton Dance

In the third of our Rural Touring Dance Initiative Company profiles, we find a little bit more out about how James Wilton is prepared for his Autumn rural tour of ‘Last Man Standing.’


What are you most looking forward to?
New audiences in new areas, as well as testing our work in a completely new setting.

What have you packed in readiness for rural locations ?
Welly boots and our cocker spaniel Henry-thought we’d make the most of the lovely walks whilst in the country!

How do you think it will be different from touring to towns?
It will be nice to be really close to our audience, so often we perform to an auditorium in darkness, I suspect that this may not be the case which is an exciting new challenge as a performer.

Can you sum up your show in 3 words?
Grace, gravity and grit

What would you say to anyone who has never seen dance /theatre?
It can change your perspective on the world without even realising. You can visit other worlds and go inside other peoples minds, without even leaving your seat.

RTDI Company Profile: Find out more about bgroup

Each month we’ll be profiling one of the seasons Rural Touring Dance Initiative companies! First up we have bgroup who won the first-ever RTDI commission to make a dance show specifically for rural touring.

What are you most looking forward to?

A warm welcome for the most part  Point of Echoes is an exciting return for us to touring work in the UK. After spending the last three years choreographing more large scale work for Opera and Theatre stages in Sweden, this challenge of developing an intimate work specifically conceived to work in non-theatre spaces has been extremely engaging. We are looking forward to the proximity of performing up close to our audiences whilst retaining certain epic proportions within the production.

What have you packed in readiness for rural locations?

An area Press coffee maker, a full bag of Huel ‘nutritionally complete food’, oh and a van packed dot the hilt with set costume and lights.

How do you think it will be different from touring to towns?

I guess it’s the intimacy of the communities involved. We have already been bumping into individuals here in Langport who came to see one of our dress rehearsals, I like the immediacy of the conversation that can ensue. In many ways, it feels like the circus has come to the village and it is exciting to be at the hub of that curiosity.

Can you sum up your show in 3 words?

Kinetic creepy storytelling.

What would you say to anyone who has never seen dance /theatre?

Don’t come with preconceived ideas. We have developed a show that draws on the full spectrum of my working experience and curiosities. Point of Echoes is a blend of genres and disciplines. Although the work is based on a script by Stuart Warwick our storytelling methods drift between movement, song and spoken word. I am interested in working expansively, creating a sense of boundlessness, the categorisation of the show is less interesting to me than getting an engaged and curious audience involved. Think an episode of Tales of the Unexpected or The Twilight Zone performed by dancers.