West African dance workshop kicks off Longford Shawbrook series

Kerry dancer and artistic director Catherine Young hosts a workshop open to all. It will encompass singing, dancing and drumming.

The workshop is a study of indigenous traditions. As part of the research for this work (which are all traditions where dance, music and art is heavily rooted in the land), Catherine uses her background in West African dance. Her collaborators will offer a workshop in West African dance and drumming as part of the residency.

Catherine recently presented the spectacular dance performance 'A Call To You' at Backstage. Shawbrook has been a creative home to Catherine Young Dance company since 2014. For this residency Catherine will use the natural environment of Shawbrook to begin research on a new work inspired by the writing of Native American environmental biologist Robin Wall Kimmerer.

This work will look at our broken relationship with nature and urges us to go back to indigenous traditions in order to re-find and repair these.

“We live in challenging times, void of myth and ritual – a time when everything has become commodified, even our storytelling, which used to be between people and a way for us too to make sense of the world, together,” Catherine says.

“We have lost connection to our myths and rituals and if we cannot find our way back, how do we find a way forward?” she queries.

The new work will ask how we use our collective indigenous thinking, curiosity and imagination to create new myths and rituals, to bring us into closer contact with each other and the environment - while there is still time.

This workshop is free and open to all, but booking through the Eventbrite website is essential. The initial allocation was snapped up within days, so if you are interested, act fast.

If the weather permits, this will be outside on the stage, allowing participants to connect to the natural environment.
Catherine's workshop is the first in a series at Shawbrook. The artistic centre will also have presentations by Morgaine De Leonardis, Katherine Maxwell, Clare Parker, finally Becky Namgauds.

The public are invited to enjoy the full experience, with workshops from these wonderful artists and view their work in progress.