A development initiative for South Asian Dance in the North West

Comments & reviews

Workshop with Sunny Oak dance ensemble, Cope Foundation, Hollyhill, Cork, Ireland [May 2005]

We in Sunny Oak dance ensemble enjoyed your visit very much. Asian dance was a new experience for all of us. The experience was fun and a and also full of learning for us. We also enjoyed very much the colourful Asian clothes you were wearing. The best way to describe what we received from the workshop is to describe our dance session the following Thursday morning:

We began our session as usual with everyone having a turn to speak if they so wish and listen to one another. We begin always in this way and if i am tempted to skip it when we are coming up to a performance because of shortage of rehearsal time i am not allowed to. I am asked "what about our chat , Mary?" Most of the "chat" was about your visit and Eilis and Lisa demonstrated some of the hand movements you had taught us. Everybody in the group verbalised that they enjoyed the visit very much.

I did not have Asian music in my cd collection that particular morning so I played soft Celtic music and invited the group to remember if they could any of the movements you had taught us? Each person remembered different movements and in a short time we put all the movements together and had our own Asian dance. I was quite surprised and delighted to find what we had learnt from the workshop in such a short time. I realised also Sunny Oak Dance ensemble had evolved and grown since we began in 02, and were ready to receive instruction and information. The self confidence they showed and ability to verbalise their thoughts and feelings when you interviewed them on video after the session was amazing and was proof of the value of our chats at the beginning of all our sessions since 02. This was very encouraging for me. It was also very encouraging and of value to me to observe how you facilitated the workshop.

The performance in the Firkin Crane on the Friday evening was very enjoyable. Personally it touched me deeply, and gave me a new insight into what it must be like to move to a new country and to try and adapt ones own culture and roots into a new culture.

I am very interested in keeping in touch with you and linking up, leading up to Liverpool City of Culture 08. You spoke briefly about us visiting Liverpool in November and performing in a festival there. Please let me know more details of what you have in mind. It would be a wonderful opportunity for Sunny Oak dance ensemble. Mo. thinks there may be funding available for such projects but needs to be applied for now. I would also have to make sure that the families of the clients are supportive and that my organisation has staff available and that structures are in place, considering the groups various medical needs etc.

On a personal basis I enjoyed your company and friendship and hope you enjoyed our little tour in my little car. Would find it very valuable if you could find the time to send me an e mail on your thoughts and feelings about your visit to us .

We in Sunny Oak dance ensemble send our warmest wishes to you. The picture that you gave us is framed in our room in memory of your visit.

Mary Keating.

From: S Harvey
Sent: 25 July 2005 23:28
Subject: Thank you

Dear Bisakha and Shia

Thank you both very much indeed for all the time, effort and energy you gave up for our Indian dance at Brouhaha last Saturday... you've both been gems.

The chorus bit drove me mad, I just couldn't click it! But, despite that, after our second performance, I wanted to do it all over again.... and again, and again!

I haven't the faintest idea how your chorography panned out in the end - you never do when you're actually doing a dance but, just so's you know, complete strangers came up to me afterwards when I was wandering around the stalls spending a fortune, shaking my hand etc, telling me that they loved the contrast from the dead virile 'masculine' Dutch break dancers followed by our dead 'feminine' Indian dance... they loved the contrast, and thought it was deliberate!!!????

I don't think it was, but didn't say that to these well wishers... let them think what they want to think!

I've even been stopped by young kids in the streets around me wanting to know if I was in the festival doing Indian dancing. How they recognised me in my work gear as opposed to my gorgeous costume is beyond me, but they did anyway?

One kid even wanted my autograph, convinced I was some kind of 'celebrity' simply because I'd danced at this festival.

I didn't have the heart to let him down - he was boasting to his mates about how HIS block of flats had a dancer, and theirs didn't - that I signed his school photo regardless. How cute are kids?

So both your efforts were not entirely in vain.

If you're insane enough to want to do likewise next year, then I'm in! Maybe, by then, I'll have sussed that BLASTED chorus... stranger things happen at sea.

Thank you both for a wonderful day, and both of you take care.
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