Here’s part of the first review for Spiltmilk Say Dance:

“Founders Adele and Sarah, along with co-dancer Jenna, convey an infectious delight in what they do as well as a technical mastery that is simply amazing, especially in the close-up environment of the Paupers Pit.”
Robbie Carnegie

You can check out the rest here:
www.buxtonfringe.org.uk/reviews2009dan.html

Thanks to every who came to our first performance, which was a sell out by the way.


There are still some tickets left for Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday’s performances (all of which start at 5.30pm).

But go quickly to avoid dissapointment -> www.undergroundvenues.co.uk

A list of all the upcoming performances of Spiltmilk Say Dance:

Thurs 9th July
‘Springboard’ platform, The Castle Studio Theatre, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire (an extract only). 8pm start.

Sun 12th July
Fringe Sunday, Pavillion Gardens, Buxton.

Sun 19th July
Underground Venues, Buxton. 2.15pm start.

Tues 21st July
Underground Venues, Buxton. 5.30pm start.

Weds 22nd July
Underground Venues, Buxton. 5.30pm start.

Fri 24th July
Underground Venues, Buxton. 5.30pm start.

Buxton performances are as part of Buxton festival fringe and tickets are £7 (£6 concessions, £5 children) and can be bought at http://undergroundvenues.co.uk

This work is inspired by social dance crazes of the 20th Century. These dances were at the centre of popular culture at their time of prevalence, driving new trends in music and fashion, and leading fresh generations of young people to the dance floor.

Inspiration has been taken from the many ways people interact with others through social dances; from intense competition, to joining together to explore the latest dance trend.
Spiltmilk say Dance takes a look back at these dances but re-imagines and re-invents them for a 21st Century audience. As with our previous work, this new piece takes the form of five short dances, each one looking at a different dance craze. If you catch one of our tour dates over the summer, you’ll see The Twist, Hand Jive, Disco (and more!) as you’ve never seen them before.

At this stage the company are working through a process of research and development for the work. The aim is to investigate where the work can be staged most effectively to access and entertain as many new people as possible. As well as the more usual theatre spaces, watch out for us in your local pub, train station or shopping centre!

The company began their summer tour this month with performances in Coventry and Sheffield. Spiltmilk Say Dance was met with great success being extremely well received by audiences.

This tour is the first stage of a research and development phase for Spiltmilk say Dance which is being made possible by the support of the National Lottery through Arts Council England. For info about more up-coming performance dates for your diary click here.

The company are currently working with The Arches School Sports Partnership to deliver after school sessions to secondary school students in Sheffield. The project runs from April 2009 – April 2010 and has been made possible with funding from Sport Unlimited.

During the 2009 Summer term, Spiltmilk Dance have been working in Firth Park Community Arts College, and King Edward VII Lower School. At Firth Park they have been leading an all boys group who have created a great piece that has been performed at a range of events. At King Edwards they have done sessions outdoors, using the landscape of the playground as stimulus for movement, and this is due to culminate in the creation of a film.
The projects have been a great success and they company are looking forward to starting new ones in 3 other Sheffield secondary schools from September.

This project draws influence from the life and work of Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987). Warhol was a central figure in the pop art movement of the 1960s. His work presented images that encapsulated American popular culture at that time. Some of the best known examples of this are his prints of Campbell’s soup cans and Coca Cola bottles.

The main concepts 5 Dances takes from Warhol’s work are;
• Simple images being portrayed in a way which makes them visually striking
• The use of repetition on an absurd scale
• Ordinary tasks becoming extraordinarily engaging to watch.

5 Dances literally takes the form of 5 short dances, each one drawing on one or more of the above concepts, and developed through its own intricate process.

5 Dances was originally created in 2007 and was later revised in 2008 with support from the National Lottery through Arts Council England. In 2008 the piece was performed at choreographic platforms throughout the country, and at Buxton Festival Fringe, where the company received the festival’s award for dance.

Audience reaction to 5 Dances:

‘This is the first time that I have seen modern dance, and I did not think that it would interest me. Quite the opposite impression has been created, I found this display fascinating’

‘I didn’t expect to understand or appreciate it, and yet I did. Very impressed’

‘I didn’t feel I had to be ‘in the know’ to appreciate the dances – they were original, delightfully performed and great to watch!’

‘This was intelligent and beautiful. I now have more understanding of Warhol + dance’
‘The precision of the dancers, along with the dynamism of the choreography ensured that audience attention was held. In addition, a marked lack of dramatisation ruled, which felt very much in keeping with the nonchalance of Warhol.’ (Cloud Dance Festival Review: Mary Kate Connolly)
‘The company performed a prelude dance followed by four other dances. Each of the dances has been intricately and beautifully choreographed to create a stunning performance. Although the use of repetition was apparent the dances sustained interest throughout by slowly changing the movements from one fluid image to another. Before the performance started each person was given a programme; which included a short introduction to each dance, with an explanation on how they have been created and what has inspired them. This added a nice touch to the performance making the contemporary dances accessible to all people. This production is for anyone who would like to watch something original and fun, I believe that it is a Fringe must-see for 2008!’ (Buxton Fringe Review: Toni Saxton).
To see video clips and photographs of the 5 Dances project, go to our Gallery page.

Spiltmilk dance are now running community classes in Darnall, Sheffield.
The classes take place on a Saturday morning at Mather Road Pavilion.

The times of the sessions are as follows;

9.30am – 10am: Parent and Child Dance (age 2 upwards)
10am – 10.30am: 3 to 6 year olds
10.30am – 11.15am: 7 to 10 year olds
11.30am – 12.30pm: 11 to 16 year old girls
12.30pm – 1.30pm: 11 to 16 year old boys

Sessions are £3 per person.
No need to book, just turn up and join in!
(Please note there will be no classes on Saturday 11th July)

These classes are currently run in association with Darnall Children’s Centre.

For more information contact Adele on 07790 821 181.

Spiltmilk have been presented with the Best Dance Award from the organisers of Buxton Festival Fringe for their performance of’5 Dances’! Go team! We are delighted with the award as it recognises all the hard work contributed by everyone involved in making the performances happen so thank you to all of you and thank you to Buxton!!

Spiltmilk have recently returned from a successful stint at Buxton Festival Fringe.  Thanks to recently awarded funding the company were able to deliver a new and improved version of their piece ‘5 Dances’ at the festival and have been delighted by the response it received from audiences. 

Many thanks go out to all who attended the performances and to those who organised the festival, we hope you enjoyed the experience as much as we did!  Dancers and technical experts worked tirelessly to produce an evening of entertainment which was described by one audience member as ‘Exceedingly good! Like a Kiplings cake.’ We think that sums it up nicely!

Keep an eye out for photographs documenting the whole process which will be posted up shortly.  Spiltmilk will definitely be returning for more adventures at the festival in 2009!