EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Chisenhale Dance Space has a history of providing movement activity within non-arts settings. These projects are led by artists and are developed as an extension of their artistic practice.
In addition to outreach, every Saturday we provide creative movement and dance classes for young people aged 2-12 in our space, inviting our local community to join us in the building. We’re delighted to have launched our biggest ever dance and creative movement programme for children in Autumn 2018 and we’re looking forward to welcoming new students to the Chisenhale Dance Space family.
In Autumn 2018 we also launched an all-new programme of dance and fitness classes for adults of all levels and abilities. From complete beginners to experienced movers, we offer a range of dance and fitness classes – from 10 week beginners courses to intermediate drop-in classes. Including contemporary dance, improvisation and Lindy Hop, plus yoga and SWEAT! dance fitness.
Educating our communities through dance and performance has been an organising principal of CDS since its inception.
Dance Boosters
Dance Boosters is an annual project that sees Chisenhale Dance Space bring contemporary and creative dance practioners into Tower Hamlets schools to run workshops for students and their teachers, supplementing the curriculum. Since 2012, we have delivered workshops to over 400 children in the borough who would not otherwise have access to creative dance. This is a great opportunity for our organisation and artist members to engage with the local community and connect t schools using dance and creativity.
We are proud to deliver Dance Boosters alongside the Dance Consortium partners, made up of East London Dance, Green Candle Dance Company and Trinity Laban who we work closely with provide performance opportunities to the schools involved.
In 2017, Dance Boosters are being delivered to St Peter’s London Docks Primary School, Marion Richardson Primary School, and Lansbury Lawrence Primary School. CDS Artist member and Feet Off The Ground artist Patricia Zafra is working with students on movement and choreography towards a performance piece as part of Green Candle’s Spring Youth Gala at Oxford House Theatre, Bethnal Green.
Previous projects have included artist Harriet Plewis creating a Super 8 film with pupils from Central Foundation Girls School and Mulberry School for Girls in 2013-14; and Emelie Wångstedt and Helena Webb, working with pupils at Hague Primary School to carry out a correspondence project with children from Dornoch Primary School in Sutherland, Scotland. Chisenhale Dance Space also led a CPD workshop for Secondary Dance teachers and other interested parties in 2014, focussing on new approaches to watching, discussing, and writing about dance.
Quote from Teacher on the benefits of Dance Boosters:
“The highlight for me was to be able to identify individual children who found their greatest means of expression through dance and their growth mindset combining the performing arts. These were children who in some cases found difficulty in communicating in more traditional lessons, particularly core subjects.”
Part of the Tower Hamlets Dance Consortium programme, supported by THAMES.
OPENLAB
OPENLAB is a model for professional self-development for performers devised Antonio de la Fe. Its frame of work revolves around a basic question: what does to perform entail?
OPENLAB’s model is fluid: always changing, always open to dialogue within the group. OPENLAB sessions are developed by constantly changing group of people. Any person can join the group at any time according to the personal needs and circumstances. Each member of the group may use these sessions the best way they suit them. Generally, the members of the group are artists interested in performance, movement, the body and in the actions the body can deploy as an artistic medium.
Past Projects & Festivals