Following on from their 2013 Place Prize finalist show Duet , which won the Audience vote seven nights in a row, H2Dance returns with Staging Ages, a show which explores how we meet and interact across generations.
Directed and choreographed by Hanna Gillgren and Heidi Rustgaard, the production draws upon the performer’s own memories and what they imagine it will be like to grow older. Staging Ages covers themes of dignity and pride as we age and the prejudices that still surround ageing.
The show will also mark the début of four children aged between 9 and 15. They will be performing alongside renowned dancer, choreographer and academic Dr Emilyn Claid and established international dancers such as Darren Anderson and Sandro Gillgren.
Staging Ages will contrast youth with experience, challenging the dance world’s attitude to dancer’s age, bodies and expected career span.
Talking about the show Heidi Rustgaard said: ” Hanna and I are now both well into our 40’s and questions around age, in relation to being dancers, regularly comes up. It became important to us to present a range of ages on stage to look at what each age group brings to the work. We are interested in real stories and reactions and asked the dancers to think about how we perceive and act our age, as well as remembering their past and projecting into the future.”
H2Dance was established 16 years ago by Rustgaard and Gillgren and in that time has made 11 interdisciplinary dance performances, two dance films and a number of commissioned pieces for organisations across the UK and Europe.
The show will be performing at the Norwich Arts Centre on Saturday 3rd October and in London at the Place on Friday the 16th and Saturday 17th October.