Willow Tree Academy Residency


Culture, Story & Creativity Through Dance was a year-long BSDC residency in Willow Tree Academy's four primary schools in Rotherham. The project, devised by Balbir and led by guest dance artist/facilitator Nisha Lall, was an exploration of dance and culture and a workshop programme that emphasised creativity, wellbeing, and the environment. It provided pupils, teachers and artists with a unique opportunity to grow both as individuals and as part of a collaborative artistic process. The project culminated in outdoor dance performances at the schools, and, in Clifton Park in July 2023, Willow Tree Wonders a large-scale work with an audience of parents and schools communities celebrating the students' hard work and creativity. 






 A year of exploration through dance



The BSDC residency Culture, Story & Creativity Through Dance at Willow Tree Academy in Rotherham, led by Nisha Lall and Balbir Singh, spanned an entire academic year and engaged 180 pupils across four primary schools in a rich tapestry of dance, cultural exploration, and creative expression. The project unfolded over six half terms, each marked by distinct themes and activities aimed at enhancing the pupils’ dance skills, cultural understanding, and overall wellbeing. Themes like nature and superheroes were woven into sessions focusing on dance routines, skills, choreography, storytelling, world cultures, creative activities, and well-being. These workshops provided a platform for artistic expression and cultural immersion, nurturing creativity and fostering a sense of community among the participants.



Workshops


Introduction and Taster Sessions

The initial half term focused on introducing the students to the project through engaging taster sessions. Activities included learning a dance routine to "Immortals" by Fall Out Boy, participating in a Story Walk based on the theme "I Stepped Outside," and exploring world cultures with an emphasis on Diwali. Pupils developed foundational dance skills, including posture and arm movements, and participated in creative activities and wellbeing exercises to foster a positive and inclusive environment.




Consolidating Learning 

In the second half term, the pupils built upon their initial experiences by consolidating their learning. They refined their "Immortals" dance routine and participated in "Dance A Mile" sessions featuring upbeat tracks like "Happy" by Pharrell Williams and "Jai Ho" by A.R. Rahman. The cultural exploration continued with an introduction to classical Indian dance forms such as Bharatanatyam and Kathak. The schools enjoyed a visit organised by BSDC from Yakshadhruva Patla, a Yakshagana artist, telling stories through dance, costume, music, dialogue and costume. Dance skills were further developed to include balance, timing, and coordination, alongside choreography skills like focus and mirroring. The term also featured a guest session with Devika Rao, enriching the pupils’ learning experience.






New Learning and Expanded Horizons 

The second term introduced new dance routines and continued the "Dance A Mile" series with tracks like "Dancing" by Megan Trainor and "Vivir" by Marc Anthony. The "Story Walk" theme shifted to "Take Your Shoes for a Walk," encouraging students to explore new narratives. Cultural activities expanded to include a Chinese Fan Dance, enhancing the students' appreciation of global traditions. Dance skills emphasised turns, jumps, and footwork, while choreography sessions introduced flocking and cueing techniques. The groups had further experience  of BSDC’s work through video clips and activities from "Bones, Bodies & Beats." The programme included world culture explorations, such as Flamenco and Holi, providing a rich backdrop for learning. Students honed their choreography skills and began incorporating props and puppets into their performances. This term laid the groundwork for the final creative push towards performance creation.





Performance Creation

In the third term, pupils used the audio, movement, and visual art materials they had developed to start creating their final performance. This collaborative creation process allowed them to integrate everything they had learned throughout the year, from dance routines and choreography skills to cultural appreciation and creative expression.







Special Event Workshops



Throughout the year, BSDC curated special events, offering selected artists a platform to showcase their craft. Among them were visual artists Louise Grassby and musician Ford Collier, who provided an Inset Day for teachers, as well as the vibrant Yakshagana troupe from India, introducing traditional Indian dance and storytelling to students.



Inset Day





Yakshagana Performances








Clifton Park Celebration Event



The final half-term was dedicated to rehearsing and presenting the final performance ‘Willow Tree Wonders’. Pupils worked on synchronising their movements, exploring the use of props perfecting their dance routines. The culmination of the project was the celebratory event, "Willow Tree Wonders” held on July 5, 2023. This grand affair saw numerous artists invited by BSDC engaging with hundreds of children in Clifton Park, delivering joyous performance. The project  wrapped with evaluation sessions to reflect on their learning journey and the overall impact of the project.






 “

It’s been really fun because we’ve been learning new things every lesson. I’d say one of my favourite dances would be immortals, because of the high energy movements.

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“

I enjoyed the dancers and the different ways we have been travelling to the locations.

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“

I found it really cool when we did it all (danced) together down at the bandstand.

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“

I found it fun because we’ve done this project and we’ve done the dancing, and to just dance in front of everybody makes me really happy and really joyful.

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“

I’ve enjoyed everyone being here, because you can see friends from other schools and perform with them and see what they perform.

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Dancers

Bobak Champion
Devika Rao
Kade Ferraiolo
Nisha Lall Musicians

Aniruddha Mukherjee
Ford CollierVisual Artists

Louise Grassby
Sarah PartridgePhotographers

Gavin Joynt
Paul Floyd Blake

   


© 2024 Balbir Singh Dance Company