Even When You Are Dreaming: Nottdance2011

Image: Ali Fekih, Flamingos Credit: Sara Iskander

Standing in the queue for the bank counter, in my peripheral vision I noticed a young guy quietly practicing his body popping as though whispering to himself. His muted movements could easily have passed for the fidgeting and rocking motion we make when standing in queues. This was different; it was like he was waiting for that big moment when his whispers could become shouts when he might clear a space on the dance floor and blow people away with cheeky, chess like ‘impossible’ moves.

At this point I realised how true it is that everyone dances, we use our bodies every day to navigate our way through our houses, cities, villages and fields, each location changes the way we move. The busy London commuter, adjusts their walking speed when entering the city their body taught and straight, seemingly the form of abject professional but imagine that same method of walking in their home walking from the fridge to the counter to make a cup of tea.

We use our bodies to express ourselves and to communicate with others, from the ecstatic embraces after waiting for a loved one in the terminus of an airport or bus station or conversely the lingering of hands on hands when someone is Leaving. When we become angry or frustrated our bodies coil or curl up with rage, that makes you feel you might explode. Even when we are sleeping our dreams allow us to continue to move and to dance.

These minute performances go unnoticed to us, they pass us by as we choreograph our daily lives. What if these movements were amplified? Would they look or feel like dancing? If we were more aware of our movements would we do things differently?

This is the second time I have worked on the Nottdance festival, a collection of the world’s most exciting dance and future movement artists presented across the East Midlands region I grew up in. It feels that now more than ever its urgency is felt.

Projects like Rajni Shah’s Glorious, an unusual and tender musical, present a hopeful vision of our collective future against the sense of fear and uncertainty in light of debilitating climate change, political shifting sands and financial collapse. The musical will only be performed 10 times in the world, each time reconfigured with local musicians and performers.

Or the World Premiere of Matthias Sperling & Rachel Krische’s Superdance, clad in lycra and asking whether dance performance could indeed save the world and as if that wasn’t enough it is part of a Double Bill with CoisCéim Dance Theatres’ beautiful duet Swimming with my Mother.

For me the show I am most excited about is the up until recently Secret Show, now announced as Ali Fekih, performing Flamingos (Les Flamants Rose). A self-taught street dancer, Ali has developed his own dance language defined by the abilities and limitations of his body. Nottdance is Dance4’s festival that tests and challenges what dance is, who can do it and I would recommend a dose of dance to anyone.

Nottdance2011 takes place at various venues from 23 February – 13 March. http://www.dance4.co.uk/category/nottdance-festival-2011/

Mathew Trivett
Assistant Producer, Nottdance2011