Press Release: NEW DANCE PRODUCTION TO RECEIVE ITS BIRMINGHAM PREMIERE AT THINKTANK THIS OCTOBER HALF TERM

[Jan McNulty]

 

 

 

 

 

NEW DANCE PRODUCTION BALANCE

TO RECEIVE ITS BIRMINGHAM PREMIERE AT THINKTANK THIS HALF-TERM

 

 

BALANCE photo: Chris Nash

 

Following a successful tour of festivals and venues across the summer the award-winning Midlands based Keneish Dance Company will bring their brand-new and exciting, family friendly dance production BALANCE home to Birmingham for the very first time this Half-Term.

 

BALANCE is a mesmerising and high-spirited dance theatre performance, inspiring wonder and appreciation of the human body. Suitable for the whole family it runs at Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, from 28 October – 1 November marking the first time a professional dance company has performed at the venue.

 

Choreographed by Birmingham-born professional dance artist Keisha Grant, Artistic Director of Keneish Dance Company, this science meets arts dance production features movements inspired by the shapeshifting and flux of cells as they strive to keep balance in our bodies.

 

The development of the piece was supported by discussions with Dr.Darius Köster, Associate Professor at University of Warwick, who works on questions of cell mechanics and how they stick to and move through their environment. 

 

Keisha said: “My previous choreography has connected to nature’s rhythms and patterns through Afro Contemporary Dance. This time I am using cellular research which has been a huge development to everything I care about.”

 

Darius said: “Working with Keisha and her wonderful company on this piece was extremely fun and motivating. It is a rare and wonderful opportunity to work with artists to bring a bit of science out of the laboratory to the wider public.” 

 

In a time when health inequalities are increasing, Keisha has been interested in using the visualisation of cells to enhance and inspire wellness. 

 

Keisha added “Through creating this work it has opened my understanding of human cells - their movement, behaviour and how they respond to environment. How they react, protect us and rejuvenate, resulting in the creation of this exciting new work which will be incorporated into the company’s wellbeing programming.”

 

BALANCE will be performed by a diverse company of talented professional young UK based performers and practitioners including Taylor Crouch, Angharad Jones-Yong, Sera Maehara, Mirabel Huang-smith, Wenqiu Jiang with costume and design by Heidi Luker and Keisha Grant and music composition by Matthew Salmon and Auden Allen.

 

Keisha continued “I’m proud that we are going to Thinktank in Birmingham, it’s a great science museum visited by thousands of families. I feel excited to think that this piece by a dance company can be in this venue where so many diverse families from all walks of life go. Definitely one of the highlights of this project.”

 

For further information dates, times and tickets go to www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/events

 

BALANCE is supported by Arts Council England (ACE), Warwick University, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, Laban Guild International and Sandwell Museums and Arts Service.

 

Instagram:     @keneishdance

Facebook:      https://www.facebook.com/KeneishDanceChoreography/

Website:         www.keneishdance.com

 

 

Note to Editors

 

Keneish Dance Company

 

Founded in 2009 Keneish Dance Company create invigorating interdisciplinary Contemporary Dance and make work for entertainment, creative health, Arts and Black Heritage and dance workshops engaging 1000s of people per year into our activities.

 

The company deliver high quality work across art forms for different sectors and use dance and movement to make sense of ourselves and the world around us. Interested in the man-made vs nature and how it intersects with society and are fuelled by truth, the human condition and liberation.

 

 

Keisha Grant, Choreographer and Artistic Director

 

Born in Birmingham, UK to Jamaican parents, Keisha began dance lessons at the age of 3 at her local dancing school. After entering dance competitions throughout the West Midlands Keisha was awarded Most Promising Dancer on five occasions. At the age of 18 Keisha went on to train at Laban Centre and Roehampton University.

 

Keisha has toured internationally as a dancer across Europe, Southern Africa and Canada and in 2015 began to use her dance practice for people in care and shortly after did research with addiction and recovery charity ‘Change Grow, Live’, leading to ‘High Im’. 

 

Most recently her works include Dance Film ‘She’ and Bot Girl Gone and live Dance and Choral collaboration ‘African Sanctus’ which marked her Symphony Hall debut in Birmingham. 

 

In 2019 Keisha qualified as a Yoga Teacher, strengthening her dance and health practice and shortly after was Arts Champion for Culture Health and Wellbeing Alliance. 

 

Under her leadership Keneish Dance won Best Contemporary Dance Company from SME Midlands Enterprise Awards and most recently ‘Most Innovative Contemporary Dance Company, 2024’ across all industry for the West Midlands.