Goldens Giving it Attitude

Goldens' Dress Rehearsal for Adele's ' Rollin' in the Deep' number performed at the Queen's Hall,
 Edinburgh on Sat 6th Dec, 2015.
And yes, that's our feisty choreographer,(far right), Morag Deyes,  Director of Dance Base,
who actually performed with us too.

Shall we Dance? video

A video about Dance for Older People including some of us in my group,  Golden at Dance Base, Edinburgh.


http://vimeo.com/55430795

Different spaces for Pollen dance

More amazing photos of the Spring Fling Pollen performance. If you want to see how different Pollen looked in the different spaces of two further gardens, Drumlanrig' s formal terracing and the landscaping of Castle Kennedy Gardens have a look at Dancebase's website:

http://www.dancebase.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3311:pollen-by-oceanallover&catid=22:dance-base&Itemid=70

Pollinating Dumfries and Galloway

Alex Rigg performing, also the Director and costumier of Oceanallover's 'Pollen' in Craigieburns Gardens, near Moffat. Photo by Shelagh Neil.

Enthralling, mesmerizing,a performance of  international standard - some of the comments from audience members after the performances first  at Craigieburn Gardens, privately owned, (but they also have a plant nursery you can visit. ) These intimate gardens, enclosed by woodlands, was followed by the formal terraces of Drumlanrig and the 19th Landscaping of Castle Kennedy around a  lily pond with a backdrop of rhododenrum and azaleas so that meant  a different space and feel to each day.
You can see more photos by  Shelagh Neil of the actual performance via
 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/**hu2r22orcvk0dgt/3wyDzjTVbP<https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hu2r22orcvk0dgt/3wyDzjTVbP>

Laini Chrismas. Flower costume by Alex Rigg, of Oceanallover's 'Pollen' performance

Above photo, technically challenged, taken by me, nevertheless suggests something of the fragile essence of a flower, performed by Laini Chrismas as part of Oceanallover's 'Pollen', part of the Spring Fling Festival, 2013.

The photo below is of me behind scenes. Scary or what? No false modesty.  Well, it is my blog.

Not so fragile flower, me, Stephanie Green.

Oceanallover's 'Pollen'

'Pollen' performance during the Orchid Festival, Kelvingrove Botanical Gardens, Glasgow, May 2013.
Photo by Rosie Orr.

'

Above photo shows a sneak preview of an amazing Performance/Music/Extravaganza  to take place during the Spring Fling Festival in Dumfries and Gallowshire, this May Bank Hol weekend.
Devised by Alex Rigg and professional members of his Oceanallover company, it  includes a group from Golden, and Platinum, its twin which I've now gravitated to, both based at Edinburgh's Dancebase. (Incidentally, my move to Platinum is no slur on Golden - it's just that it's so popular, it had to be split into two groups to fit us all into the dance studio space.)

Rehearsals started this week.  I can't wait to see what costumes we'll be wearing - no doubt as weird and wonderful as the ones created by Alex Rigg above.  Rehearsals have been weird and wonderful too - it's like no other dance you've probably ever seen.  Definitely bring your sense of humour as well as sunscreen and hat, or potentially galloshes and brolly to catch us at one of three stunning performances in three stunning gardens (and what gardens! Best time of year for it too.):


Fri 24th May    Craigieburn Gardens, Moffat       6.30pm-7.30 pm
Sat 25th May   Drumlanrig Gardens, Thornhill     1.00-2.00 pm
Sun 26th May  Castle Kennedy Gardens             1.00-4.00 pm

For further details see Spring Fling Festival Fringe. For online programme brochure http://spring-fling.co.uk/
More amazing costumes by Alex Rigg and further info on Oceanallover: lhttp://www.oceanallover.co.uk/Pages/Costume.html

Golden hit the South Bank

Goldens (from Dance Base) journeyed down from Edinburgh to join  several hundred dancers at the Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of 'Dancing Voices' - a show involving 'older' dancers from the community, drawn from 11 groups around London on the 11th July.

It was amazing.  And the experience of a lifetime.  Watching the other groups during the dress rehearsal  was uplifting, funny at times and quite staggering how Natasha Gilmore, with her team of young dancer/stage assistants  dragooned several hundred oldies on and off with maximum efficiency, patience and good humour.  Natasha is a brilliant choreographer and there were extraordinarily moving moments - in particular the opening when one dancer, with striking  long silver hair in a pony-tail down her back, walked on stage with the aid of a stick then performed a stately arabesque.  The full cast on stage for the finale then half of us walking into the audiorium and up the aisles was a terrific climax.  The cheering from the audience matched by the elation of us dancers. Talk about adrenalin hit!

 900 seats sold out. Part of Big Dance, Capital Age Festival, the South Bank's Festival of the World, oh and the Olympic cultural celebrations.  Sigh, I doubt such an opportunity will come again for a long time. But wait a minute. We have to do it all again in Glasgow at the Merchant City Festival on 29th, though that will be rather less numbers - only  Scottish groups and some invited guests from East London Dance. Could be fun though.

Golden Flash Mob at Science Festival

Go Goldens! Dance group Flash Mob takes the Science Festival by surprise in Edinburgh today. That's the National Musuem, by the way in the fantastic 19th c hall.

No, I'm not in it. More's the pity as I'm one of Goldens, but I have flu but at least I can watch on you tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a10Sny0c2CQ