Echo Echo Festival 2019 Review

Echo Echo Festival of Dance and Movement 2019

Echo Echo’s annual international festival returned for a seventh edition in November 2019 featuring performances, classes and events in partnership with a wide range of artists, companies, venues and partners.

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Video recorded and edited by Simon Alleyne.

Festival artwork by zoocreative.

Special thanks to all of the participating artists and companies for use of their video and audio – all recorded at the Festival.

0.00 Intro music by Manhan (Hikari Soma and Ichi-go Miura)

0.54 Let’s Play by Echo Echo Ensemble – Ayesha Mailey, Kelly Quigley, Zoe Ramsey, Tonya Sheina with Amanda Koser, Joleen McLaughlin, Stephanie Pawula

1.14 This Time by Ockham’s Razor

1.35 The Station by Ferenc Fehér

1.50 See Me Disappear by Ayesha Mailey

2.08 Wonderful World by Collective B

2.41 CAAKE and Body Wisdom artists

2.57 Solo Square Dance by Nic Gareiss

3.30 Cuck by Off the Rails Dance with Ryan O’Neill and Vasiliki Stanasiki

3.50 Almost Blue by IMDT and Oona Doherty with Steve Batts and John Walsh

4.10 Nascanna by Liam Ó Scanláin with David Doocey

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Festival information: https://www.echoechodance.com/festival

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Full list of Festival Thanks: https://echoechodance.wordpress.com/2019/11/22/echo-echo-festival-thanks/

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Festival kindly supported by: Arts Council NI and the National Lottery (UK); Derry City and Strabane District Council; Foyle Foundation; Department of Culture Heritage and Gaeltacht; Institut Francais UK (IFRU); Dance Ireland.

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https://www.echoechodance.com

 

PUBLIC STATEMENT ON COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS)

Friday 13^th March 2020

Given yesterday’s unprecedented announcement by the Irish government and ongoing Public Health Agency updates regarding the coronavirus pandemic, we have decided to take the proactive and precautionary measure of suspending all public classes at Echo Echo Studios until further notice. At present we expect this pause to last until Sunday 29^th March and we will be monitoring future government guidance as it arises.

Benno Voorham will show the work produced in his recent residency tonight (Friday 13^th) at 7pm and tomorrow (Saturday 14^th) at 8pm. This will be for a small invited audience and we will be taking appropriate health and safety precautions. If you would like to join this audience please contact us by email or private message. You may also call Steve Batts, Echo Echo Artistic Director on 07946586941.

Echo Echo Studios and office will remain open until further notice however staff will be encouraged to work at home during this period when possible.

This is a difficult time for artists, many who work on freelance basis, so we will strive to reduce the impact of this pause on the Echo Echo Ensemble and other artists we work with.

Physical contact is often very much the point of dancing and moving together and the opposite of ‘social distancing’, so while we may be a little ahead of the curve with this suspension we believe it is the socially responsible course of action.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best wishes to all of our audiences, participants, partners and colleagues at this time.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need further information.

Echo Echo Staff and Directors

 

Classes affected:

• Echo Echo Kids Classes (Saturdays)
• Circle Dance (Saturdays)
• First Act Juniors (Mondays)
• Echo Echo Adult Classes (Tuesdays)
• In Your Space Circus Aerial Classes (Wednesdays)
• Aikido (Wednesdays)
• Echo Echo Company Class (Thursdays)
• First Act Youth Theatre (Thursdays)
• Body Wisdom (Fridays)

 

Body Wisdom at “Embracing Human Rights: Conflict Textiles’ Journey” Launch

Basque Country arpillera, Edurne Mestraitua (2017), “Mi Guernica / My Gernika”

Exhibition Launch with performance by Body Wisdom

The exhibition launch of “Embracing Human Rights: Conflict Textiles’ Journey” took place at a packed Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady on Saturday 7th March, with a special dance performance from the Body Wisdom group from Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company accompanied by Chilean musician Victor Henriquez on guitar. 

Body Wisdom, under the direction of Echo Echo Ensemble Artist Kelly Quigley, created a short movement piece in response to the themes of the work in collaboration with exhibition curator Roberta Bacic.

Thanks to Majella Biernat, Liam Cunningham, Ellen Factor, Deirdre Gillespie, Dennis Golden, Kelly Quigley and all of the Body Wisdom group. Thanks to Esther Alleyne and all at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre.

Photos from the exhibition launch and performance below are by Kevin McCauley.

Public Exhibition at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre

“Embracing Human Rights: Conflict Textiles’ journey” invites you to explore human rights through the tactile medium of textiles. Quilts and arpilleras from around the world, created in different decades will prompt you to reflect on the impact of, and response to, human rights violations and how can we embed a culture of human rights.

The full exhibition in partnership with Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre runs from Saturday 7 March to 11 April 2020 at the centre in Main Street, Limavady. Throughout the exhibition there will be a range of events, including talks, workshops and guided tours, which will give you a chance to engage with and reflect on the lives, stories, communities and contexts behind each textile. Supported by Causeway Coast and Glens Council.

For further information visit the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre website: https://www.roevalleyarts.com/exhibitions/sheena-dempsey

 

 

 

Let’s Play project in rural primary schools

Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company embark on a tour with a difference today as the seven-strong dance and music ensemble take an innovative and inspirational performance project around five different primary schools in the north west.

‘Let’s Play’ features professional dance artists Ayesha Mailey, Kelly Quigley, Zoe Ramsey and Tonya Sheina of Echo Echo Ensemble who are joined by musicians Amanda Koser, Joleen McLaughlin and Stephanie Pawula. The creative movement and music project is part improvisation performance and part dance workshop. Hundreds of local schoolchildren will have the chance to watch and participate in events this month.

The primary schools tour begins today at newly amalgamated school St Michael’s PS in Donemana, followed by performances and workshops in primary schools in Park, Claudy, Newbuildings and Ballykelly.

Breige O’Neill, Principal of St Colmcille PS, Claudy stated:

“We currently do not have access to dance and it is very exciting to anticipate being involved with a new form of artistic expression. As our community is on the outskirts of the city, accessibility of extended activities is fairly limited. Therefore it is vital to reach out through any means to provide this broad balance of opportunities to our rural families.” 

During the project participants will get to watch performances and develop new skills in movement and music improvisation. Ayesha Mailey, Echo Echo Associate Artistic Director said:

“The artists will introduce participants to the concept of instantaneous composition and working as an ensemble. There will be a focus on building self-confidence which is vital to nurturing children’s imaginations and creativity. Children and staff will witness the tools and skills developed in the workshops applied directly to the creation of a playful and eclectic performance by the professional artists, therefore receiving two very rich experiences in arts practice and creativity both as participants and audience members.”

The ‘Let’s Play’ project is funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Rural Needs Programme.

Caoileann Curry-Thompson, Arts Development Officer for Drama and Dance, commented, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to support Echo Echo with funding towards this dance tour around rurally-based primary schools. As the lead development agency for the arts in the region, we are committed to making sure that everyone has access to the arts because we know that taking part in the arts makes a positive difference.  The Rural Needs Small Grants Programme has been specifically designed to ensure that those rurally based communities reap all the many health and wellbeing benefits that taking part in the arts brings and we wish everyone taking part in Let’s Play every success.”

For further information about the company see www.echoechodance.com.

 

Photo credit: Simon Alleyne Photography