25th November 2020

Plans are underway for next summer 2021, to bring dancers from Bethlehem to Belfast for the beginning of an exchange project which will see dancers from Northern Ireland going there in 2022 .

Alongside project partners Powerstone and Tinderbox Theatre Company, the second phase of this beautiful project will take place in March 2021 and will involve our youth projects in Dungannon, Sutemos and Suteminis, in the making of a short film on the impact of migration on a child.

All being well our Steering Group will meet in person in December in Belfast. Alongside all of the discussion and catch up, we will be taking the group to experience the in Frederic Huska: The Black Monolith of the Flâneur exhibition in The MAC.

Also postponed on two previous occasions, a screening of our young carers film, IMAGINE, will take place in Enniskillen for an invited audience of family and friends before been shown at Belfast Children’s Festival in 2021.

Having been postponed twice now, we will be delivering a Northern Ireland version of our annual, all island event on the 13th December 2020. Groups from Ballymoney, Belfast, Derry/L’derry, Dungannon and Fermanagh will perform and dancers from the Gary Clarke Company will deliver a remote workshop for all.  There will be no audience but we will be filming everything for later release.

18th November 2020

Back in October, Alternatives & Alternative Energies were delighted to perform outside St James Lodge in Ballymoney, as part of their community connection project. It has been a challenging time for both the young and old, so it felt very special to connect through dance and music and see all the smiles of our dancers and our audience alike.

DU Dance nomination- Janet Sandikli – is short listed

On 9^th Nov One Dance held their annual awards ceremony, honouring people working in many capacities in the dance sector across Britain and Northern Ireland.

DU Dance nominated several people in different categories and Janet Sandikli was shortlisted in the Primary Dance Education Award category.  And even though she didn’t win, to be in the top three among such salubrious company, is amazing.  Very proud of you Janet and look forward to continuing to work with you and Belmont Primary School, Belfast.

On Saturday 14^th November Belfast City Council turned on their Christmas Lights, with a little help from Belfast Boys.  It was a cold afternoon but a lot of fun was performing a Christmas inspired dance performance all while adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Our Youth Engagement Projects in Ballymoney, Belfast and Dungannon are all continuing to meet either in-person or online. 

Recently they made three short films which will be released shortly.  The films are to add to the dancers time-capsules which also contain a podcast and a slideshow of photos and drawings.

If you would like to join us please get in touch, no experience is necessary.

Wednesdays in Dungannon – Sutemos (11-21yrs) Suteminis (7-11yrs)

Fridays in Ballymoney – Alternative Energies (11-21yrs) Alternatives (7-11yrs)

Saturdays in Belfast – Belfast Boys (9-14yrs)

11th November 2020

Connie from our Young Carers dance project in Mid Ulster and Allana from Barnardo’s spoke with the Steve Wright radio show about what it is like to be a young carer and how funding from Children in Need has made a positive impact in the lives of young carers.

Connie participated in the Mid Ulster dance film project using dance as a means to express what life is like as a young carer.

Of the dance film project with DU Dance NI, Allana said ” Their confidence has come up, friendships have been built and even the feedback from parents has been that this is actually making a difference”

To hear more of their interview click the link below (interview begins at 1.47)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000nzz8