News Boundless

Miranda Laurence, Project Manager, writes about 'Boundless', an Unlimited commission DanceXchange is managing with Remix Dance in South Africa

In a converted church hall, overlooked by the magnificent Table Mountain, the African springtime sun streaming through the windows, there is a sound of raucous laughter. The cigarette break is over and director Faniswa Yisa is working the company hard. In the background, a gorgeous sound of fusion English and African music washes over the work of the dancers. This is Cape Town, and its day three of Boundless, a project which is bringing together South African integrated dance company Remix with British-based artists David Toole and Lucy Hind to create and collaborate for six weeks.

The project originated with David Toole and Lucy Hind’s Extraordinary, which toured to South Africa in 2010. Whilst there, the pair met Remix Dance Company and the idea of an international collaboration was born. David received funding from Unlimited, the ground-breaking programme that celebrates arts and culture by disabled and deaf artists on an unprecedented scale for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. The project is managed by DanceXchange in the UK and Remix Dance in South Africa.

Back in Cape Town, David appears to have achieved a certain measure of household fame since last year. “I know this man”, says a worker at the V&A sea front as we take some time off to go sight-seeing. Professional disabled dance artists are still few and far between in South Africa, and Remix is the first and only professional integrated dance company in the country. Company Manager Batya Blankers says: "We are often faced with obstacles with regards to accessibility and being included in mainstream performance platforms. Through perseverance we overcome these obstacles and sometimes take small steps or giant leaps. Boundless is a giant leap for Remix and we are so honoured and privileged that such a special company has been formed around this project."

During this first phase of Boundless, the company will work with four different choreographers or directors. Each will spend one week with the dancers and musicians, starting with the same creative brief drawn up by the team. At the end, the material that has emerged will be shown at the Baxter Dance Festival.

Today, Faniswa is working with the company on concepts of home and of memory. Gradually individual stories are starting to intertwine, with each other and with the accompaniment of the music improvised by Dom Lawton and Bongile Mantsai. In this first week the company members are learning about each other and generating a shared space for the collaboration to grow. In the next four weeks they will be working with Sharon Watson, director Mark Storor, and Arthur Pita, exploring a range of new methods and approaches with each choreographer.

Boundless continues in April 2012, when we look forward to welcoming Remix back to the UK for a four-week creation phase, resulting in a brand-new, full-length work which will premiere at International Dance Festival Birmingham 2012. The company will come together once again during spring time – apt, perhaps, for this project that is about new explorations, new collaborations, new shoots.

Boundless is one of three Unlimited commissions in this round created in collaboration with international partners and with funding contributed by the British Council.  Unlimited is principally funded by the Olympic Lottery Distributer and is delivered in partnership between London 2012, Arts Council England, the Scottish Arts Council, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the British Council.

This article was originally written for the Autumn edition of Dance UK.