Newsletter March 2008

Dear All
Welcome to the DanceBase March newsletter which you will find full to the brim with our latest news and information! If you have any questions please get in touch by phone or email. Office hours are between 10am and 6pm Monday to Friday. We close for Easter from Thursday 20th March to Monday 7th April.

DanceBase

DanceBase Ware

DanceBase Intermediates have particularly enjoyed working with props which they have incorporated into a new story to be performed at the end of term.

A big welcome to Susannah who is already settled into the group and proved to be a born performer at the Showcase when we couldn't keep her off the stage!

DanceBase Advanced have continued to bound with energy and enthusiasm! Since the show we have worked with big group improvisations and group work using pictures, words and props.

Elaine’s comments: Both groups gave very impressive and polished performances at Campus West Showcase. Well done everyone. xx

The DanceBase Ware Team:
Project Leader Elaine Thomas - Assistant Lead Lorna Marsh
Support Worker Katharine Scambler
Trainees John Horne, Anjana Mehta and Alex McHardy

DanceBase Hatfield

DanceBase Intermediates have enjoyed dancing with ribbons and creating movements in response to lots of different types of music.

We were really pleased to welcome Kelly, Charlene and Angelina to DanceBase Intermediate earlier in the term. They have both fast become really valuable members of our group!

DanceBase Advanced have been focusing on being a team and working together. They have been trying out new and challenging ways of moving with a little help from a balloon (!) through contact improvisation and of course their own wonderful imaginations!

Lizzie and Lorna's comments: A huge well done to all at DanceBase Hatfield for their spectacular performances at the showcase. We also had another exciting event last week when Lorna was filmed at DanceBase by the charity Action for Kids!

On behalf of all the team and participants at DanceBase Hatfield we would just like to send lots of love and get well thoughts to Katie Dwyer from the Intermediate group and to Alexander Foster and Caroline How from Advanced. Hope your back with us really soon, we all miss you xxx

The DanceBase Hatfield Team:
Project Leaders Lorna Marsh and Lizzie Streeter
Support Workers Gemma Wallis and Emily Ansell
Volunteers Chloe Robb and Adam Charnochan
Trainees John Horne and Rebecca Chitty

Team News

We will unfortunately be losing Gemma Wallis as a Support Worker from DanceBase Hatfield at the end of this term. Happily Gemma will still be very involved with ActOne working with Special Act and we hope many future projects to come. A big thank you to Gemma from all at DanceBase Hatfield.

We are really excited that Katharine Scambler will shortly be joining us as a Support Worker for both DanceBase groups. Katharine has already started at DanceBase Ware and will join Hatfield in the new term. A very warm welcome from us all!

As you may know Elaine Thomas has been doing a masters in choreography and is now in her final year. Elaine is going to take a break from DanceBase for the second half of the summer term so that she can focus on this last part of her course. Don’t worry! The group will be in very safe hands with Lizzie and Lorna taking over for that period. Very best of luck to Elaine, we are all really proud of her.

You may remember that we nominated Lauren Waterman for this years Young Person Of The Year Award. I am so proud to say Lauren has won the district award! She will now go onto the Hertfordshire final along with young representatives from each of the 10 districts and boroughs across Herts. Part of the award is £500 to donate to your charity which Lauren has very kindly given to ActOne!

ActOne News and Events

We were all delighted with the ActOne Showcase, the performances were of an incredibly high standard and the whole event was great fun for all involved.

As many of you know funding the showcase was quite a struggle but with ticket sales, the raffle and proceeds from the fundraiser we raised just over £1000. With Lauren’s donation from the Young Person Of The Year and Special Act’s contribution we managed to cover costs.

We have been successful in an application to the Children’s Targeted Services Fund which will cover a proportion of costs for both DanceBase projects April 08 to April 09.

Andy and Matt have been busy working on the website's fundraising page and have registered us with Just Giving. If you have not looked at the website recently please do!!

Later this year Caspar Prestidge will be raising money for ActOne and aiming to set an unofficial World Record by becoming the first man dressed as a super hero to run sub 3 hours at the London Marathon in April!

In October Jackie Wilks will be braving a sponsored climb of Mount Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains! At 13,700 ft it is the highest peak in North Africa. Jackie will be raising money for ActOne and Afrikids.

We are so incredibly grateful to those putting their time, effort and courage into raising money for ActOne. I can certainly promise that every penny is valued and goes towards making the experience participants take from our projects better and better.

If you have a bit of time and energy spare why not put it towards a good cause and organise a sponsored event for ActOne?!! Don’t forget if you are organising an event tell us about it so we can help you to promote it and cheer you on!

Uniform

Sincere apologies to those of you who have ordered T-shirts (many of you in the dim and distant past!) and not received them. If you have not received your t-shirt or a refund please contact the office.

I’m relieved and happy to say that a group of parents have kindly volunteered to take over uniform orders!!! We are just in the process of redesigning the t-shirts with the new logo and have changed suppliers but I would hope that by the beginning of next term we will be up and running again. I’ll let you know how to make an order once we are on track. Thank you for your patience on this.

New Projects

Hitchin based group ‘Up on Downs’ contacted ActOne last summer to request a taster workshop. We visited the group in October and as a result have been asked to run a regular dance/drama session 4 times a year! Up With Downs are a family support group dedicated to improving the lives and livelihoods of those with Down Syndrome. We are delighted to be working with them and look forward to the sessions ahead.

ARC, our new performance group made their debut performance at the ActOne Showcase. A great introduction for work to come! ARC aim to produce high quality performances and accompany workshops designed to meet the needs of a wide range of audiences. Performances will promote excellence in inclusive dance and increase professional opportunities for disabled artists to perform.

We are currently looking to make contact with local event planners for events such as carnivals and festivals in order to introduce our work to the community. As usual the best form of publicity tends to be word of mouth so please do shout about us at every given opportunity!

ActOne are teaming up with Three Rivers Council this Easter to run ‘Road Trip’, a 3 day project for 13 to 19 year olds. The project will take place at The Zone, South Oxhey on the 26th, 27th and 28th March. We still have a few places available so please get in touch ASAP if you would like to come along!

I hope you have enjoyed reading about all of our news. On behalf of everyone at ActOne Happy Easter! Looking forward to seeing you in the new term.

Kind Regards

Suzie Scambler
Artistic Director