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New additions to the IDFB team…

Now we’re getting ready to start announcing our 2012 festival our team is getting bigger again, with new members joining us to produce, promote and deliver four weeks of action-packed dance. The recruitment for IDFB 2012 is nearly over (though any future opportunities will be posted here), so we thought we’d introduce a couple of the people who will be working behind the scenes until the middle of next year.

Charlie Rachwal and Mike Hyde will be part of the marketing team, and we grabbed a few minutes with them to find out what excited them about the chance to work on the festival, and a bit about their backgrounds.

Charlie has joined us from Warwick Arts Centre, a new host venue for IDFB 2012, as Marketing Officer.

“I’m thrilled to be part of the team at IDFB. It’s a great festival full of varied and exciting performances from large scale outdoor spectacles to intimate studio duets, and as well as looking forward to working on them, I can’t wait to go and see them!

I was previously working at Warwick Arts Centre which I think is a great addition to the venue line-up that will attract new audiences for experimental and progressive contemporary dance. I’m also looking forward to working with other venues, partners and promoters to bring an exciting programme of dance to everyone in and around Birmingham.”

Mike’s been working as Digital Marketing Officer on DanceXchange’s Outdoor Dance Programme since July, and will now also be working on IDFB 2012 in the same role.

“I’m a self-confessed dance novice, having only seen the occasional piece here and there during my previous roles in arts centres. However, I have really enjoyed the shows I’ve seen so far at DanceXchange, and I’m looking forward to immersing myself in dance for a whole month next year!

I think being a newcomer to dance gives me a different perspective on marketing campaigns, as it’s easy to make assumptions about audiences and their expectations. As someone who would never have gone to see dance before, I’m working hard to make sure we remember that, for many people, dance is an unfamiliar artform. Luckily, we have some really great outdoor and participatory projects that will make dance accessible to people who wouldn’t normally come across it, so I’m particularly looking forward to working on those.

I’m also relatively new to the West Midlands, having worked in South Wales and London, so the festival will also be an ideal way to visit interesting venues and meet new people!”

We’ll be introducing other new members of the IDFB team in the coming weeks, but for now, you can find a full staff list here.

  • Posted by IDFB on November 15th, 2011
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International symposium showcases youth dance talent

IDFB is welcoming two new host venues in 2012 – mac (Midlands Arts Centre) and Warwick Arts Centre – both of which are partners in an exciting international youth dance symposium taking place in Birmingham this weekend.

Hosted by ACE dance and music, Dance = Desir is the first in a series of symposiums aiming to develop a strong European youth dance network. The programme of activity, taking place at mac on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th October, includes international masterclasses, open rehearsals and film showings.

Dance = desir

There will also be a showcase of work by youth dance companies including ACE Youth, BCSE, W’ire, Being Frank Youth and Compagnie Orteils de Sable, the youth company of Les Ballets Contemporains de St Etienne.
The symposium features an exciting guest panel including Gail Parmel (Artistic Director of ACE dance and music), Mirielle Barlet (Artistic Director of Les Ballets Contemporains de Saint Etienne), Compagnie Virevolte from Switzerland, programmers from across Europe, and key figures from the UK youth dance sector.

Most of the questions being debated will revolve around the future of youth dance, and how stakeholders and collaborators can help build a successful future for international projects.

For more information or to book a place at the symposium contact ACE dance and music (spaces limited) // 0121 314 5830 or info@acedanceandmusic.com.

To book tickets for the performances (Fri & Sat, 7.30pm, £6/£4) visit www.macarts.co.uk // 0121 446 3232 (open 9am – 11pm).

Breathe the Beat

Breathe the Beat is a unique digital dance project from IDFB co-producers DanceXchange featuring renowned international hip hop artist Salah.

Salah, who has just embarked on a world tour with Cirque de Soleil’s new Michael Jackson inspired show, has created five video tutorials that demonstrate how to take inspiration from everyday surroundings to create routines using his unique PABE (Popping, Animation, Boogaloo, Effect) style.

Once you’ve watched the tutorials, upload your video to the Breathe the Beat competition and you could perform at one of the live events planned for 2012, and even win the chance to meet Salah himself!

Along with the five tutorials, Breathe the Beat continues to release interesting behind the scenes footage, including the video below filmed in Birmingham city centre in June.

Breathe the Beat is part of the Outdoor Dance Programme, led by DanceXchange, in partnership with Dancefest, Dancescape and Dudley Performing Arts. It is part of the Dancing for the Games programme, which is part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.