Award-winning dance company Protein returns to Stockton to bring together local residents through a series of outdoor dance performances.
Commissioned by Stockton International Riverside Festival, Luca Silvestrini’s Protein will take over the town centre with their celebrated outdoor show (In)visible Dancing, a series of immersive performance pieces culminating in a flash mob style finale and incorporating non-professional dancers based in the region and members of the local community.
The show, which aims to reconnect individuals with the town and each other in a celebration of dance and community, will see Protein’s professional company take residency for two weeks, working with and performing alongside local apprentice artists and dance groups from the Tees Valley. During the five days of outdoor performances the company will immerse themselves in the day to day town activity, appearing as random, incidental occurrences. The mini-performances will grow in scale, becoming increasingly visible before culminating in a fully-formed finale performance involving over 100 dancers, including any passers-by who have learned the steps.
Councillor Norma Wilburn, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Arts, Culture and Leisure, said: “We’re very excited to welcome Protein’s thrilling dance performance to Stockton in August. SIRF never ceases to amaze and this performance is just one of the many exciting acts you can see at this year’s festival – with around 100 talented performers involved in In(visible) Dancing, including those from local dance groups, it’s going to be an exhilarating spectacle to see on the town centre.”
Luca Silvestrini, Artistic Director Protein said, “We are really excited to come back to Stockton and reconnect with artists and communities we have met through our previous shows and projects in the region. This time, we invite everyone to join us on the high street for (In)visible Dancing, a fantastic celebration of dance and local talent as part of Stockton International Riverside Festival.”
The company aims to make this show one of their widest reaching project yet with performers of every kind, from dancers to jugglers, all from Stockton-on-Tees and the surrounding areas participating. Local talent joining Protein for the show include Dance Jam, Latin in Line, newly established cheerleading squad Limitless Allstars and Stockton celebrities Urban Kaos.
SIRF’s Artistic Director, Jan Doherty, said: “The SIRF team is delighted to be working in partnership with ARC to welcome (In)visible Dancing to Stockton. It such a wonderful project involving emerging local dancers, a wide variety of community dance groups and a fantastic inclusive flash mob finale. I’m so pleased to have Invisible Dancing as part of this year’s SIRF programme and I’m sure our audiences will give Luca and the Protein team a warm Stockton welcome and enjoy dancing in the streets of Stockton.”