Festival of Dance 2023

Friday 14 and Saturday 15 July

Far From Home by Allleyne Dance Company is a hard hitting, atmospheric, abstract narrative dance production that explores the topic of immigration, and the consequences of the search for a better life for those forced to seek it due to social or political devastations.

Tuesday 18 July

The cornerstone event of the Festival of Dance 2023 is the 4X20 Choreography Platform.

This unique platform commissions two emerging choreographers to present one pre-existing and one newly developed choreographic work of up to 20 minutes each, with a maximum of 4 dancers – hence 4X20. Following the Wiltshire premiere, 4X20 will embark on a national tour in Autumn 2023.

Friday 21 and Saturday 22 July 2023

Join us for the performance of the award-winning Family Honour by dance artist and choreographer Kwame Asafo-Adjei. Family Honour examines the eponymous concept through the eyes of a young girl trapped in moral codes mandated by her immediate environment, confronting her past ‘sin’ against tradition.

Saturday 15 July, from 9:30pm

An afterparty officially opens the Festival of Dance 2023 with drinks and great dance music following the Saturday night performance of Alleyne Dance Company ‘Far From Home’. Tunes by DJ Rommel.

Sunday 16 July, 9:00am

Join 4X20 Choreography Platform dance workshops to learn about the methods and creativity of choreographer Chandenie Gobardhan. Beginning with a warm-up developed through Chandenie’s movement research which is fueled by techniques from Bharatanatyam, Hip-hop and Contemporary Dance.

Sunday 16 July, 10:30am

Join 4X20 Choreography Platform dance workshops to learn about the methods and creativity of choreographer John-William Watson. The workshop will focus on two main movement ideas; musicality and randomness.

Saturday 22 July, from 9:30pm

Don’t miss the post-production party with drinks and great dance music following the Saturday night performance of Spoken Movement ‘Family Honour’ (book separately) with tunes supplied by DJ Francesca Rose.

Monday 17 July, 4 – 5pm

During this workshop participants will warm up, play movement games, learn a few dance steps and get the chance to exchange with peers and perform. The workshop will take place outside the Festival of Dance main barn, on the green front lawn.

Sunday 23 July, 11am – 4pm

The inaugural Messums Dance Film Festival offers our audiences an exciting cross-section of the emerging dance artists creating dance on camera today – exploring the synergy between the movement of the dancer and the movement of the camera.