Kyra Norman - Distant Dances

Kyra Norman

DISTANT DANCES

Distant melodies.

Distant memories.

Distant moves.

Somewhere at the edge of our perception, dance hovers...

somewhere, under the ribs, memory stirs.

Drawing: Faye Dobinson

Distant Dances is an artist-led programme of guided adventures in movement and dance. For all bodies that like to move - no formal movement experience or training required. Come get involved...

Weekly class, Thursday mornings at the Acorn, Penzance.

Monthly Sunday Sessions at Old School Studio, Newlyn.

See Events | Join In page for current schedule.

Email kyra.norman@gmail.com to join the mailing list and receive updates.

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Dancer and choreographer Kyra Norman launched Distant Dances in February 2020 at The Hypatia Trust. There was some idea about presenting dance performances, and hosting dance gatherings - for all bodies that like to move - in spaces which used to be for dancing (former nightclubs, ballrooms, dancehalls), and now hold some other purpose. (Re)dancing ourselves and the places where we gather. Bringing distant dances closer once more.

And then the Covid19 pandemic happened. We shapeshifted our way through all of that, with lockdown online choreographic collaborations, outdoor socially distant knees-ups, some memorably beautiful times at Trebah Garden (where each session ended with us bobbing about in the water), lots of solo/ small group work, and lots and lots and lots of changes of plans. These days, we're mostly dancing up close, and on dry land, but the energy remains the same: dancing as if our lives depend on it, because, as it turns out, maybe they do.

"Different every time, always somehow brilliant."

Since September 2021 we train weekly, on Thursdays, at The Acorn, Penzance. Currently open for new recruits - get in touch if you'd like to join us.

Previous pop-ups and collaborations include:

Lizard Reading Room

The Newlyn Centre

Old School Studio, Newlyn

Penlee Park Open Air Theatre

Trebah Garden

Kyra has also led expanded versions of the Distant Dances format for groups including Continuum, Freefall and Inner Ground.

Photo: Diane Hadden

WHAT TO EXPECT AT A DISTANT DANCES CLASS?

Distant Dances events have been described as "different every time, always somehow brilliant...".

Classes are led by choreographer Kyra Norman, and grounded in Kyra's 20+ years of experience and training in movement and dance, particularly improvisation i.e. making things up as we go along, thinking creatively about what's available in a given situation, and what we might want to make from that.

Together we create a welcoming space for people (of all ages, bodies, backgrounds) to find ease, challenge and joy in the experience of co-existing with others, on the move, with a lively, generous group of movers and excellent music, in a beautiful venue.

You will be guided through individual, partner and small group movement explorations, taking time to notice your own body's needs and moving impulses, and then taking time to connect with others, finding a balance between leading and following, offering and stealing moves.

Arrive feeling however you're feeling, leave feeling more alive.

What people say:

"Exciting and invigorating"

"A brilliant group of people"

"These sessions make me very happy"

"It's rare to find a space for adults to take our dancing seriously"

"So much fun!"

"Such a relief to just be"

Other things people have said mid-class (that have really made me laugh):

"What is going on?! I looked back and it was carnage!"

"Anarchy in action!"

"Did I miss an instruction, or is it just one wild jamboree?"

DISTANT DANCES: RE-DANCING PEOPLE AND PLACES

Established in January 2020, these sessions were initially inspired by the many people, over the years, who have said to me 'Oh! I used to love dancing...' and then reflected on why, over time, they moved away from moving for pleasure. I've come to think of these sessions as a process of re-dancing ourselves and the places where we get together. (Like re-wilding: only, you know, dancier.) There are no set steps to learn, or remember: instead you will be guided through clear, simple tasks that invite a fuller experience of your own physicality - with all that that might mean on any given day - and gradually generate a connected, often surprising, mutually inspiring experience for all involved, every time. Sometimes it feels like a workout, sometimes a nightclub, sometimes a meditation. We've been calling it a somatic disco.

FAYE DOBINSON X DISTANT DANCES A DRAWING/ DANCING COLLABORATION

Visual artist Faye Dobinson has been part of Distant Dances since the very first event at the Hypatia Trust in 2020: sharing here some of Faye's work from Distant Dances events in 2023.

Drawings by Faye Dobinson, responding to Distant Dances evening event, October 2023

DISTANT DANCES EVENING EVENT: OCTOBER 2023

Poster design: Faye Dobinson Music: griptape. simmerdown

On Thursday 12th October 2023 we hosted our second Distant Dances event at the Acorn, Penzance: an evening-length programme of live movement and dance performance with original music; followed by an all-in Distant Dances disco

Featuring movement performance from a gang of remarkable dancers, aged between 20 and 70, based in Cornwall and Devon: Angus Balbernie, Debbie Fionn Barr, Angus Capel, Hannah Jacobs, Katie Lusby, Phoebe McChesney, Tim Merrifield, Kyra Norman, Harry Scott, Talia Sealey, Kuldip Singh-Barmi, Sapphire Sumpter, Olivia Walton

Featuring recorded music from friends of the project and tunes that have become our kind-of 'national anthems' - - thank you for lending us these tunes

Plus live improvised guitar from Angus Balbernie

And! an extended version of Going, Going, a new music and dance performance collaboration between choreographer Kyra Norman and composer Barnaby Taylor, with the dancers, featuring field recordings from sound recordist Ellie Williams, live percussion from David Oliver, live cello from Kath Buckler and live piano from Barnaby Taylor

With perfect Distant Dances Disco DJ Tim Ridley

And live drawing from Faye Dobinson

GOING, GOING TRAILER, filmed during a DISTANT DANCES live performance event (October 2023)

Going, Going is a new collaboration between choreographer Kyra Norman and composer Barnaby Taylor, emerging from the Distant Dances performance evenings. More information about Going, Going, here

Going, Going trailer, filmed & recorded during a live performance (October 2023, at the Acorn, as part of a Distant Dances event) Filmed by Ruby Ingleheart, sound recording by Chris Fayers

DISTANT DANCES EVENING EVENT: JUNE 2023

Poster design: Faye Dobinson , incorporating photo by Hannah Jamieson Music: Going, Going. Barnaby Taylor, feat. Ellie Williams, Kath Buckler

On Thursday 29th June 2023, we held a first Distant Dances evening event at the Acorn, Penzance: a programme of live movement and dance performance, with original music; followed by an all-in Distant dances disco.

Eleven performers from around Cornwall and Devon met for the day, and in the evening we shared three collaboratively improvised performances (20 minutes', 15 minutes', 10 minutes' duration) followed by an all-in anything-goes quiet-riot proper-disco knees-up....

Thanks to :

Dancers: Angus Balbernie, Winona Guy, Katie Lusby, Polly Motley, Kyra Norman, Harry Scott, Kuldip Singh-Barmi, Sapphire Sumpter, Lois Taylor, Claud Tonietto, Olivia Walton

Recorded tracks from Alabaster DePlume, simmerdown, Pete Judge, Barefoot, Rudi Ae - thank you for lending us these tunes

Thanks to Angus Balbernie for live guitar

This was the first outing for Going. Going. a new track composed especially for us by Barnaby Taylor - we're looking forward to developing this collaboration later this year

Thanks to Tim Ridley for being the perfect Distant Dances Disco DJ

Thanks to Faye Dobinson for drawing throughout the event and for all your support and encouragement

Thanks to our incredible audience for being the most up-for-it, appreciative and heartening crowd anyone could wish for, and for making this such a memorable shared experience

Next evening event: Thursday 12th October 2023. Tickets sold out in June, and people were queueing for returns, so get in early on the booking, don't miss out!

Photos crowdsourced from the audience, June 2023, dancers: Sapphire Sumpter, Winona Guy, Lois Taylor, Kyra Norman, Katie Lusby, Olivia Walton, Claud Tonietto, Polly Motley, Kuldip Singh-Barmi, Harry Scott

Thanks to Distant Dances regular, Andrew Tait, for catching this moment at our event in June 2023. Dancers: Harry Scott, Sapphire Sumpter, Katie Lusby. Music: Visit Croatia by Alabaster DePlume, by agreement. Thanks to all involved

DISTANT DANCES: Future events in development, get involved...

If you're an experienced improviser - mover, dancer, musician - come get involved in future iterations: be in touch

Next date: more to come in 2024, watch this space....

DISTANT DANCES: the thinking that got it started...

A longer article, reflecting on some of the things I've learned from the last few years' of Distant Dances, will be published here, soon. For now:

This is the thinking that got it started:

"What if ‘dance’ is always present, like a force field we can tune into?

"Something that can feed us and restore in us our sense of self, our sense of other, our sense of connection (to the past, to the present, to the future), our sense of humour, our sense of wonder?

"When we dance together we tune in, we negotiate, we attend to our environment, we take responsibility for our shared experience. Sometimes we blend seamlessly into one, sometimes we stick out like a sore thumb; we live at a time that requires all of these skills."

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