Ace Dance South Africa Blog

GEARING UP FOR GRAHAMSTOWN

25-06-2008

Digbeth-based dance troupe ACE are representing Birmingham at South Africa’s Grahamstown Festival this week. Here’s tour booker Megan Nelsey’s opening blog.

Having called the dancers back on Friday 20th June after a month’s break, everyone at ACE dance and music realise that their South African experience is almost upon them.

With costumes being ironed and suitcases packed to the brim, our musical director Ian Parmel tries to persuade the girls in the company to adopt a slightly-lighter packing approach. Never an easy task for any man. Impossible in fact.

Sweat, blisters and tears never go amiss for any dance production, but this one is fuelled with the pressure of the company's first international performance, a life-changing opportunity for any company member.

The dancers know that they have to deliver their greatest performance yet, and the pressure's building. It's Monday morning at 10:00am and this means yoga time. Not our sort of yoga, friends, this is 'Yoga for the Professional Dancer' a different technique entirely.

It's hard. Very hard and would make the average human weep with pain.

"5,6,7+8" ring the dulcet tones from the dance studio with the occasional raucous response delivered by the dancers as they run through the production.

The office staff sip 'Earl Grey' tea accompanied with 'hob-nob' biscuits trying to coordinate finalities for the festival and persuading themselves that their role is just as vital in making this trip a successful one.

Watch out for further installments on The Stirrer, and find out more about ACE at www.acedanceandmusic.com