Vertical dance

  • Katharine Lawrence (Participant)

    Impact: Cultural, Economic, Health/Quality of life, Societal, Technological

    Description of impact

    Contribution to a relatively new field of practice through performance, pedagogy, scholarship, consultation, collaboration and networking activities. Establishing North Wales as a centre of excellence for vertical dance practice and increasing the
    employability of local artists through training activities and employment opportunities. Engaging with international artists on pushing the boundaries of the art form. Workshops with young people.

    Impact Summary for the General Public

    Vertical dance is a new area of dance and performance practice which has its roots in the 1970s when postmodern US choreographer Trisha Brown made a work entitled 'Man walking down the side of a building', and it was exactly that. Since then the idea of dancing on vertical floors has spread and there are now several artists and companies who practice this dance form. Kate Lawrence's company, Vertical Dance Kate Lawrence (VDKL) operates in and from North Wales, training local people, from professional to amateur, young and old, in this form of dance. This has resulted in increased employment opportunities for local dancers. Workshops have attracted international participants, putting North Wales on the map as a special place to come for vertical dance training. VDKL is part of a network of 7 international companies - Vertical Dance Forum - who meet to improve standards of teaching and safety, share best practice, make funding applications and collaborate on creative projects.

    Description of the underpinning research

    14 performance outputs in a range of contexts from 2002 to the present
    Pedagogical activities developing the quality of teaching practice in vertical dance
    Research activities developing the applications of vertical dance
    Scholarly activity, articles, seminars and lectures

    Beneficiaries and reach of impact

    Vertical and Aerial dance communities in UK and internationally through teaching and scholarly activities
    Local dance artists through training and employment
    Local arts centres (Pontio, Venue Cymru, Galeri) who benefit from expertise in this specific field
    National Arts Organisations specialist consultations, eg Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, National Theatre Wales, Theatr Bara Caws
    Impact statusOngoing
    Impact date2002
    Category of impactCultural, Economic, Health/Quality of life, Societal, Technological
    Impact levelAdoption

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