The Open-Ended Entity (7 March 2023)

A blog from dance artist Hayley Guest at the beginning of an Early Years Action Research project called Move Play Create.

 

Intertwined (22 November 2022)

In this blog Somerset based artist Hannah Lefeuvre talks about how the mindful art of weaving and gardening has influenced, and become intertwined with, her early years dance making and practice.

Participation in Performance - Part One 

Participation in Performance - Part One: with Takeshi Matsumoto

This insightful interview with Takeshi Matsumoto was first shown in May 2022. Featuring clips of his participatory performance Club Origami, currently on tour nationally and internationally, this film unpacks the structure of his piece and how he made choices about participation within his work.

In discussion with People Dancing's Associate Artist for Early Years, Liz Clark, Takeshi reflects on how his community dance practice has influenced the way he makes and performs his show drawing on his Japanese culture, as well as exploring the key elements of participatory performance.

Summer 2017 article

What happens when we move and play together with our infants?
Movement practitioner, educator, trainer and writer Jasmine Pasch describes her approach to working creatively with infants and their families, and the fundamental role of movement in the early years of development

Winter 2006 article

Alfresco - intergenerational performance
Luca Sylvestrini, Artistic Director of Protein Dance describes the process of making Alfresco a large scale intergenerational piece commissioned as part of Danseopolis, Yorkshire Dance's second community dance festival in Leeds Summer 2005

Summer 2003 article

No right or wrong
Being open to new ideas and ways of working, making space for the conventional and the unconventional: Jane Greenfield talks about changing the face of work for children

Family Arts Campaign

Reaching families in need with creative packs and resources webinar. The session explored best practice, key partnerships, curating content and adaption techniques.

Reaching families in need with creative packs and resources

Primed for Life resources

Primed for Life website
Primed for Life are advocates for a wider understanding of the body as a child's first place of learning

All about... dance in the early years
Young children’s experimentation with movements is linked to what we later recognise as ‘dance’, say Anne O’Connor and Anna Daly, directors of Primed for Life Training Associates

Itay Yatuv

Itay developed ContaKids based on his experience of contact improvisation. Below is his TED Talk based on his work:

Contact Improvisation: An Intuitive, Non-Verbal and Intimate Dialogue: Itay Yatuv at TEDxBGU

International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People

Rise and Fall: Stretching the Imagination of Young Audiences 
Written by Caleb Lee & Chloe Stephens 

Sonshine, written and edited by Hayley Grove and Kirstie Beaven - writers, feminists and parents of boys

Introductions: Andrew Coombs
"There are very few men working with early years" meet Andrew Coombs, Artistic Director and CEO of Hackney Children’s Theatre

pacey - professional association for childcare and early years

My home as a playground
Helen Battelley, music and movement, blog on supporting physical development in the home

Our Creative Adventure - blog

Movement - a child's first language
Liz Clark's blog about meeting Sally Goddard-Blythe, author, lecturer and Director of The Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology, who’s work she deeply admires

Fitzwilliam Museum - blog

Dancing Together at the Museum
Nicola Wallis and Ruth Clarke's blog about what happens if we bring our bodies to the museum … along with our heads and hearts?

Early Years Dance Network (EYDN) network discussion

As part of EYDN we hosted a network discussion which included guest speaker Rachel Dean who delivered a short practical for all ages, and network participants shared findings from breakout group discussions. If you missed the event and would like to watch the recording click on the video link below.

Early Years Dance Network (EYDN) Event

Thank you to those EYDN Members who joined us to hear Dr Jools Page speak about Professional Love in November 2022. Jools’ research centres on exploring the concept of ‘Professional Love’ to understand the intimacies that arise for practitioners within day care settings who are caring for young children. This research is relevant to anyone who builds caring relationships as part of their early years arts practice.

EYDN (Early Years Dance Network) event: In-person gathering in partnership with Déda, Derby

On Tuesday 12th December our Early Years Dance Network met in person at Déda, Derby for a wonderful session delivered by Kath Kimber-McTiffen from Sonrisa Arts.

Kath shared some of her approaches to developing work with participation in performance for children under 4 and their families. The EYDN members got to explore resources and creativity taken from Kath's new show 'Dance in the Dark' of which People Dancing is a supporter. This beautiful film shares her collaborative approach to the research and development process in making the work. Kath has written a blog for us to expand on her approaches which will be released in the New Year.

Research & Development - Dance in the Dark film