EXPLOSIVE - Centrestage's Advanced Dance group perform Fawkes
(Credit: Centrestage)
Members of a dance theatre group in East Ayrshire say their recent production connecting with history was made to feel “more personal”.
Advanced Dance Theatre at Centrestage in Kilmarnock performed “Fawkes” – a dance retelling of the infamous gunpowder plot of 1605 – on 15 November with participants believing their involvement went far beyond the choreography.
One participant said: “Dance allows me to let go, be myself, where anything bottled up I let go of. It’s been like this since I was a child.”
Directed and choreographed by stalwart member Isla Grant, the production “brought to life the story of the rise, betrayal and downfall of the failed conspirators”. The arts establishment thanked everyone who came to support their cause.
The arts community praised Grant’s impact on the group to deliver their best performance through character research making them tell the story and feeling “more personal”.
They added: “This important co-design element of our delivery helps connect participants to the stories they tell, and where their character and personality becomes infused with the performance itself.”
Centrestage said Fawkes allowed members to display the “many positive outcomes” which grow naturally when engaging with the arts including improving mental health, developing meaningful connections, and new friendships.
The show’s inspiration was taken from the original Fawkes Festival, an art event held at Kilmarnock’s Dean Castle in November 2023 commemorating the events of 1605.
Centrestage’s previous shows include The Band, the Take That musical, performed by their Adult Musical Theatre in June and Hi-de-Hi by their Adult Actors in September.
The arts community was first started back in 2006 by Fiona McKenzie OBE originally based on James Little Street before completing a move to the new premises of the former Kilmarnock Academy building in 2021.
An investment of £5.2 million was put towards the organisation’s transition, allowing them to work with 30 co-located public, private, a third-sector organisations in the local area.
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