Early September saw the team from Magna Vitae & North East Lincs Council visit the HQ of PPP project leaders, Pan Optikum, in their home city of Freiburg, Germany. The team travelled over for various audience development workshops and partners meetings but, most importantly, to attend the world premiere of the Big Production for the last phase of the People Power Partnership project – and what a premiere it was! The 12 metre stage with it’s huge angled mirror floating above was awe-inspiring enough alone even before the 32-strong cast took the stage. For the premiere, dancers from Denmark, Lithuania, Spain and Portugal showcased the new production that focused around themes of the Metaverse.
Projection was a big player in this performance, with the dancers cleverly interacting with the specially designed digital projections shining down from above them. The use of reflections and the huge mirror gave the audience a difficult choice – do they watch the dancers themselves or their reflection?! It was incredible to watch how the dancers moved together to create rhythmic shapes to the bespoke soundscape, mesmorising the crowds – it was totally captivating!
If the impressive stage set up was not enough, the production also featured 5 ‘island’ stages dotted around the arena with those magical mirrored columns we’d already been introduced to during the Small Production in March. Throughout the performance, the dancers would run through the crowd to reach these podiums making the experience even more immersive. Click here to watch the Small Production.
Alongside the soundscape, projections and hypnotic dancing, the spectacular lighting effects on the podiums only added to the show, really making it an experience for all the senses!
Following the excitement of the hour-long performance, the UK team are already thinking forward to July 2023 when this fantastic production reaches the Grimsby leg of the European tour. What this space – more info to follow!
Next steps in the project timeline, our Grimsby dance team travelled back to Freiburg for 5 days of refresher rehearsals to learn the last section of the choreography before they go on tour! Here’s a sneaky clip of our dancers in rehearsals.