‘Dance has an unparalleled ability to unite people’
There is a significant amount of pride and joy in James Bamford as his Project Dance company head to Somerset for one of their biggest shows, the county that the founder and Artistic Director of the dance troupe calls home.
On 5th August, Project Dance will perform their ‘Growing Pains’ show at Westlands Entertainment Venue in Yeovil as part of their UK tour, with a dance workshop for those with tickets earlier in the day.
The stunning photographs in this article show Project Dance in action and courtesy of Len Copland.
Speaking to Somerset’s Alive!, James has shared his love of dance and what Project Dance will bring with their new show, featuring 30 dancers.
Turning back the clock to when James first formed the dance company, he explained what his motivations were at the time.
He said: “Project Dance came about from being at a loose end during my Christmas holiday off of school. 14 at the time, I had the idea of creating a collaborative dance film, which demonstrated how easy it was to embrace dance into every day life.
“I invited my friends to send in clips of them free styling to ‘Come Alive’ from The Greatest Showman and then stitched the videos together using iMovie on my iPad.”
James continued: “This grassroots project was the point of conception for the organisation, with our founding ethos being that dance can and should be accessible to everyone.”
The growth of Project Dance has been a roller coaster ride and James said that it has been a “rapid pace” since its inception.
James explained: “Now in our fifth year, it can be sobering to look back on how far we’ve come in such a short space of time.
“We’ve gone from scratch book style projects to touring a large scale production in at what I feels like a rapid pace.”
James added: “We’ve produced several shows, countless fundraising event and programmed a variety of engagement activities also. I love that Project Dance has achieved this independently and is continuing to grow into dynamic force within the arts sector.”
So, why should people in Somerset get up onto their feet and get involved with dance companies and dancing? James said that there are a number of reasons and they are not all about the physical aspect.
James told Somerset’s Alive!: “Dance offers both to the mover and the viewer a myriad of benefits. Aside from the physical and mental health benefits, dance has an unparalledled ability to unite people and illustrate the human condition.
“Partaking in a life that involves dance means opening yourself up to a greater emotional education and an opportunity to embrace community, togetherness and self expression.”
He did have one top tip though, for those who are interested in being involved and a lack of dance training doesn’t mean you cannot dance.
James advised: “Focus on the feeling, everything else will follow.”
Returning to Somerset with ‘Growing Pains’ is a special moment for James and it something he cannot wait to happen.
He said: “Somerset is my home. It’s a serious full circle moment to be producing a show that returns back to where I feel in love with dance.
Of course, when one thinks of dance, there is always the shadow of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing but James believes that the popular TV show has opened the door to many who may have previously not tried, but there is an onus on those who can host live performaces to create an atmosphere that encourages people to be involved.
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James said: “Strictly makes dance accessible to the masses and is responsible for ensuring dance stays within popular culture.
“It’s the responsibility of theatre makers to recognise that people enjoy dance in their lives on a Saturday evening in front of the television and so must strive to create work with the same appeal but encourages more people to experience live performance art.”
All images courtesy of Len Copland – check out his site HERE.
Somerset’s Alive! 
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