Latest Projects
Melanin Migration: Brothers In Arms
The oft asked question whether art imitates life or life imitates art has again been placed at the fore with the creation of Melanin Migration: Brothers in Arms. The multi-layered project, led by artistic director David Blake, founder of Blake Arts and a principal of Disney’s The Lion King, West End, draws inspiration from the lived experiences of six professional male dancers from varying cultural backgrounds, namely the Caribbean, the United States and the UK.
In today’s era of the Black Lives Movement where issues of race, social injustice, lack of diversity and prejudice are topical and the protests have been widespread, the project had its genesis.
A critical element of the project is the choreographic piece that tells the personal stories of the male dancers, who are navigating a cultural space pre and mid Covid-19 and BLM, by finding a new way to look beyond their circumstances through the gift of dance.
Melanin Migration: Brothers in Arms comprises a number of components and as part of the project, artists will be guided through a series of professional development workshops, masterclasses, choreography and documentary, mentorship by international artists, directors, experts and scholars to enhance their artistic, personal, financial and psychological well-being.
The overall vision of the project is to enhance, motivate and inspire a more positive and uplifted view of self and a greater appreciation and awareness of identity as an artist.
Breathe Visuals Photography
Let's Dance International Frontiers 2025 Brochure
Let’s Dance International Frontiers 2025 (LDIF25) returns for the festival’s fifteenth edition. The festival offers an opportunity to highlight the trailblazers who have pushed boundaries for Black dance internationally, to forge new movement vocabularies, and to champion the voices of the African, African Caribbean and Latin American Diaspora and intersectional perspectives. LDIF has established a reputation as a leading UK voice and home for Black dance. LDIF25 explores the theme Intersection: Diasporic Dialogues. It is an opportunity for conversation that celebrates the richness of Black dance. The festival explores how common movement languages can be found, even if different ones are spoken. Conversely, LDIF25 is a forum that refuses to be reductionist in the representation, opening discussion around culture, connections and collaborations.
BLACK BRITISH DANCE PLATFORM
TETHERED is a new ballet centred around a particular sector of the human experience expressed through the music selection, and the virtuous efforts of the dancers. Conceptually, the work embodies the current state of mental health in society and the impact of the aftermath of the pandemic, racial tensions and inflation. Daily reports of mass shootings, domestic violence, hate crimes and murder are at the forefront of news outlets and social media. Yet despite these occurrences, the public are still held to the functional expectations of a society that existed prior to the traumatic events of the past four years.