Dance

Dance @ the Ark T

Dance

Contemporary, Irish and African Dance happen each week, some of the work leads to performance, some is just for fun and all of it furthers the creative spirit. In 10 different classes with an age range from 2 to 80 years+, there are groups for parents and toddlers, for children, young people and adults.

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Wednesdays 5-8pm
(contact Maria Sweeney: 01865 773611)

Oxford Youth Dance

Cecilia Macfarlane, an independent dance artist, started Oxford Youth Dance (OYD) in 1986.  OYD is non-auditioned and is open to any young dancer under 5yrs with parent or carer up to 25yrs. Every year the company builds a new repertoire devised by the dancers with direction from the professional dancers who teach the sessions. OYD believes that dance is for everybody and celebrates young people's individuality, creativity and love of dance. It works in a non-competitive environment and fees are kept at the lowest possible level.

Performance is an integral part of the work of OYD and shows are taken annually to Pegasus Theatre, the Oxford Playhouse and to non-traditional settings such as Dorchester Abbey, the Cowley Road Carnival and much further afield to Perm in Russia.

OYD offers a wide range of classes at the Ark T Centre, during term-time, for young people of all ages:

Slipstream (13-16yrs): Mondays 5.00 – 7.00pm

Parent and toddler's classes (0-5yrs):
Tuesdays 2.30 – 3.15 & 3.30-4.15pm

Children's classes (3-12yrs): Saturdays 9.00am-1pm

Irish Dance

As part of the dance programme at the Ark T Centre, there are also Irish Dance classes run by Denise Flannery and Maria Sweeney. They are for girls and boys, ranging
from age 3 upwards. Irish Dancing is great fun and great exercise and is a wonderful introduction to music and movement. The classes are very structured and are arranged according to ability with a desire for the young people to enjoy Irish dancing as a hobby. If a young person becomes interested in exploring it at a deeper level through competing then we will advise and support them all the way!

Southern African Music & Dance Workshops
Zulu dances, Gumboot dances, Mbira and more

Spencer is a professional performer from Southern Africa, he has been performing with groups since the age of 9, and specializes in traditional  musical forms such as Gumboot dances from the mines of Southern Africa and Zulu warrior dances.

DugOut Adult Community Dance

Cecilia also teaches Dugout, an adult community dance group which meets on Tuesday evenings from 7.15-9.15pm during term-time. The group is made up of 25 men and women aged 24 to 84.


Writing about DugOut dance, one of the members, Jeremy Spafford, says ‘We dance because we like to play, we like to express ourselves in new ways, we feel better for it, we enjoy being part of a supportive group….Fran pleads for it to be “more acceptable for middle-aged people like me to dance. There are too few places to dance!” And when asked why she keeps coming back, 84 year old Ursula replies “because I’m not yet dead.” ‘

For details about Oxford Youth Dance and DugOut contact:  

Cecilia Macfarlane ceciliamacfarlane@talk21.com 07968 073763

 

Thursday 7-8.30pm
(contact: Spencer on 07883 367 629 or 07906 302 933)