Samphire, the Isle of Wight’s company for ‘mature’ dancers, and their friends, have once again been surprising walkers and surfers by dancing on the beach, and the cliff tops, at Compton Bay.
This time they were to dancing German choreographer, Pina Bausch’s ‘The Nelken Line’.
Last year, the Pina Bausch Foundation and ARTE (the European culture TV channel) launched a project to bring together people from all walks of life and from all around the world to dance this iconic piece. It’s a few distinct gestures, and the sequence tells the story of the four seasons, with dancers proceeding in a long line.
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Participants have come from all over the world including Morocco, Chile, Taiwan, USA and from across Europe.
Samphire’s director, Michelle Hainsworth, wanted the Isle of Wight to be represented.
She explains,
“The film maker, Paul Windridge, has made a delightful film which not only captures the fun we had, but also shows off the utter beauty that is Compton Bay. It will become part of the Pina Bausch Foundation’s archive and will soon be available on their Vimeo channel.
“I was inspired by the project because the ethos behind it is that anyone, from anywhere, can enjoy the process of being part of a group and dancing together.”
As well as directing ‘Samphire’, Michelle works with organisations and creates bespoke dance projects and workshops that are creative, educational and often therapeutic.
Thanks to Michelle Hainsworth for this report from last weekend. Ed
