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The Dance of Time Theme

‘The Dance of Time’ Theme of Billingham Festival 2023, inspired by famous artists Salvador Dali’s sculptures and paitings.

 

The theme will be launched at Billingham Festival 2023, weaving across nine days of the Festival . Using Salvador Dali’s artwork as a vehicle we  will explore:

 

  • the nature of time, as perceived by individuals, depending on the period of their lives, emotions, state of mind, age and abilities;
  • how time is portrayed by creative artists in different art forms, from paintings to poetry;
  • the meaning of time for our memories and the connection between past, present and future;
  • how perception of time changed with Covid, isolation and coming together after Covid;
  • how time has shaped nature, flora & fauna and the environment around us, and what ‘time for change‘ means to us all with regard to climate change happening now;
  • how time shapes every moment in our lives and how precious it is; how important it is to make every second of one’s time count.

 

For Salvador Dali, who was hugely fascinated by dance and movement,  time meant not only moving but dancing in the rhythm to the beat of the universe, time is perpetual and ‘dances on’ stopping for no man, history or even the cosmos.

 

Dali’s relationship with time, its fluidity, influenced his perception of its constricting limitations and its importance, he believed, for time to be inherent in memory.

 

In the sculptures Dance of Time, the clock appears to be literally “dancing”. Unrestrained by the rigid laws of a watch, time, for Dalí, moves to the rhythm of a perpetual dance, speeding up, slowing down, stretching out, liquefying.

 

For Dali, dance symbolised  representation of the world as it should be, exploring the full range of human emotion, which our festival would aim to fulfil through involvement with the community, our audience, performers and partners.

The Dali Time Theme will weave through all activities. Dali’s surrealism enables people to escape their normal day-to-day life, and go on a journey of personal discovery and learn about one of the world’s most respected artists of all time. Outreach community engagement programme will include:

 

  • Dance workshops in traditional dance for children, young people and adults by visiting dance companies celebrating Dali’s love of dance.

 

  • Poetry sessions for children and young people aged 8-16 in Billingham Library, enhancing children’s literacy and creativity in writing. Tell a story looking at a painting, poems about time.

 

  • Curtain raisers by community groups dedicated to various strands of the Time Theme, including curtain Raiser by Respect Theatre, Billingham, featuring community performers with learning disabilities.

 

  • ‘Time Trail’ for children during Festival 2023. Each of festival 9 days, a festival volunteer will introduce participating children to the theme of the day and guide them along the route. Children will receive Activity Cards with a range of tasks for them to complete: colouring, painting, writing or crafts. Children will need to bring their artwork the following day to receive the new information and new task. On the last day of the festival, all the children who took part in the trail will be invited to Children’s Performance at the Festival Arena.

 

  • The Memory Tree. This festival will be our first full festival since the Covid pandemic. Many people feel they have lost a year or two of their lives as a result of the pandemic and the restrictions enforced to reduce the spread. More than that, over 6.66million people actually lost their lives to the virus. It’s something which the whole world has in common and has been, and continues to be, directly affected by. In acknowledgement of this we would display a tree for volunteers, participants and public to hang a memory of loved ones. In form of cards, photos or small artwork. In recent years the festival itself has lost several of its volunteers. We would ‘unveil’ the Memory Tree during Festival 2023 Opening Ceremony. The Memory Tree will then be displayed at Billingham Library next to Festival Arena for duration of the festival. Funded by Tee Valley Community Fund

The Theme will culminate in Gala performance – Billingham Festival 2023 – Forum Theatre, Friday, 18th August

‘‘The Dance of Time’ performance will celebrate the art of dance in all styles, from contemporary to traditional Just as Dali applied his concept of dance and movement to creatively express his understanding of time, ‘The Dance of Time’ performance will use Dali‘s concept of time and memory to portray the variety, connection and fusion of different dance styles through time and their relevance to the dance of today.

-Community dance cast of local dancers and ice skaters as ‘Melting Clocks’ and ‘Butterflies’ (symbolising Dali’s image of a dancer)

-’Ode to Time’ commissioned by BIFF with Ballet Tupa Marka, Chile. ‘Ode to Time’ is inspired by famous poet Pablo Neruda’s poem. The poetic language of many famous poets has inspired great dance interpretations around the world, including those inspired by the two great poets closely connected with Salvador Dali – Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Pablo Neruda is one of the most influential and widely read 20th-century poets of the Americas, famous for his odes and love poems.

-Performance by 6 visiting traditional dance companies: ‘Ballet Tupa Marka’ (Chile),  ‘Gotse Delchev’ (Bulgaria),  ‘Hertage Dance Company’ (India),  ‘Ballet La Grana’ (Mexico), ‘ArtPerUK’ (Peru/UK),  Baranggay (Philippines). 30 dancers and musicians in each company, live music.

The 2 hour performance will culminate in grand finale with all performers and community cast.

Billingham Festival 2023 will also feature several special performances dedicated to ‘The Dance of Time’ Quest:

  • ‘Juanita’s Magic Quest’ Specially commissioned dance theatre performance for children, telling a story of the world coming together to help and heal a friend. Commission with ‘Talentos’ Dance Company, Colombian Dance Company based in the UK.

 

  • New version of ‘The Two Fridas’ performance commissioned by BIFF with Ballet La Grana (Mexico) and Baranggay Dance Company (Philippines) with choreography by Israel Orlando Ramirez (Mexico) and Ronnie V. del Barrio (London) at Middlesbrough Town Hall Crypt on Tuesday, 15th August

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“When I awake, ballet dancers leap in my brain. As I retain the image I sketch them before they run away” .

Salvador Dali

 

Dali brought his passion for dance into photography, when he created the shots that show the dynamism and movement, jumping and dance, with the photographer Philippe Halsman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1958, Salvador Dalí was photographed beside his beloved muse and wife Gala while he watched the famous Spanish flamenco dancer, Micaela Flores Amaya (nicknamed La Chunga) dancing barefooted on a blank canvas. During the dance intervals, Dalí painted under the feet of the dancer, transforming the canvas into one of the most unique examples of the relationship between the visual artist and dance.