Heather Walrond Company is a newly established professional dance company based in Devon lead by Artistic Director Heather Walrond. The company’s vision is to connect people from all over the world through dance and create touring work that is influenced by cultures, captivating and accessible to all ages. Heather is interested in collaboration between artists and using live music with contemporary dance.
‘The Rising’ is the company’s first piece of funded work that is currently in its R&D stage and has been selected to be apart of the Ocean City Festival. It explores what makes people feel alive and empowered using influences of Fijian, Maori and Contemporary dance, in collaboration with 6 dancers and 2 musicians.
‘After 3 months of living in Fiji and touring to New Zealand, I was incredibly inspired by their culture and their traditional dance forms, as they used another level of energy and power in their dancing. It made me feel alive watching them and as soon as I returned to Devon, I felt the experience I had was so rich and silly to keep to myself. Over the last year I have completed extensive research not just in their culture but into what makes us feel alive, reawakening whats possible and giving hope to the hopeless.’
Artistic Director Heather Walrond
Q. What can the audience expect from the show on the 18th September at the Barbican?
A. Live music, world class dancers and hints of culture.
Q. Where have you completed research for ‘The Rising’?
A. Through talking to people and taking workshops for all different age groups and cultures, within Fiji, New Zealand, France and the UK.
Q.Will company class be available during your R&D?
A. Yes, It is open to all dance students and professionals for two weeks. With a different company dancer teaching each morning, come along and learn from their breadth of culture and professional experience.
8th-11th September, 9.30-10.30@ Studio 6, Space Studios, Dartington Hall.
14th- 17th September, 9.30-10.30@ Barbican Theatre, Plymouth.
Q. What are you most looking forward to about the R&D with your company?
A. I am excited to share what I have experienced in different countries and see what movement and ideas we as a company come up with. It is an incredible honour to have received funding from Arts Council England, and to have so much support from the South West since returning here last November. I feel that what we create as a company, is a collaboration between all the people that have fed into the research throughout the last year and the company which I am so thankful for.
To work with professional dancers and multi award winning musicians Will McNicol and Luke Selby is also extremely exciting and something I’ve been wanting to do since leaving training.
You can watch Heather’s piece ‘The Rising’ at the Barbican Theatre in Plymouth on Friday 18th September. Click here for further details.