Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company

TOUCH was a year long programme of dance activity run by Blue Eyed Soul in 2005.Over 1500 people between the ages of 4 and 99, with and without disabilities took part in a range of inclusive dance projects culminating in a large scale performance at The Shrewsbury Music Hall in November 2005.

 

Touchline, a youth dance group, was established as part of the TOUCH project and involved young people aged 13 – 16 years drawn from local special and mainstream schools. Touchline worked with Blue Eyed Soul to create a new performance piece which premiered as part of TOUCH and has since featured in the National Youth Dance Platform in Birmingham.

The Company began ‘flying’ in 2000 and has developed an international reputation for its aerial dance training and performance opportunities for adults. In 2005 the Company felt that the time was right to bring this work to younger people and with support of the Ragdoll Foundation a group of local children, both disabled and non disabled, attended Blue Eyed Soul’s first Children Flying day held in August 2000. Once the basic skills were learnt it enabled participants to explore a whole new world of movement, freeing the body from the constraints of gravity.

 

 "I enjoyed the experience, it has been different from anything I have done before"

Blue Eyed Soul is a pioneer in the development of inclusive dance in the UK. It embraces ‘difference’ and produces exemplary creative partnerships between disabled and non-disabled people of all ages. The company explores a wide range of creative ideas brings people together in an inclusive context. They have danced in water, on wheels, (that’s everybody in chairs, roller blades, trolleys etc) made dance videos in cupboards, beaches and on railway platforms and have created dance paintings, sculptures and soundscape.

The second grant given to Blue eyed Soul in 2007 was focused on sharing their learning with other arts and dance groups in Wolverhampton.

TRACE premiered at the Arena in Wolverhampton in February.
TRACE created a whole dance work with large cast with a great diversity of participants. Community involvement was key to the project resulting in new partnerships and the development of an enlarged network.

TRACE Surprised and moved people, it provoked thought, it worked with a diverse team of artists and reflected a trace of Wolverhampton.