Rubicon at People Dancing

People Dancing – International Conference organised through Foundation for Community Dance at Millennium Centre, Cardiff – 13^th to 15^th November 2014.

I attended this amazing and inspiring international conference recently and was able to hear from world class artists, dance leaders and teachers about the very best that is happening in the community dance sector across the world. It felt all the more brilliant that the conference was actually happening in Cardiff!

The three day programme was jam packed from early in the morning until late at night and I stayed for every bit of it!!!! It was difficult to choose what I wanted to see and do with such inspired people presenting. I heard from a whole range of the very best and experienced people from the sector but my firm favourites were:

Mark Morris Dance Group, – “Dance for Parkinson’s programme”, New York

Karen Gallagher MBE – “Big Dancing” projects in Merseyside

Sangeets Isvaran, – “Wind Dancers Initiative”, India

Addisu Demissie and Junaid Sendi – DESTINO Dance, Ethiopia

Pauline Tambling CBE – Chief Executive, Creative and Cultural Skills UK

Baroness Kay Andrews OBE – Author Tackling Poverty Through Culture Report, Wales

Epic Arts performance, Cambodia (deaf dancers who were incredible)

Mihaela and Oana our two contacts from Romania (where Rubicon has led a programme for many years) gave a presentation about their dance work with deaf children and young people which was stunning and I can’t tell you how proud I felt to have them at the conference.

Another Rubicon contact Jean Irwin from Utah Arts Council also came over to talk about the Rubicon link and her incredible work across the vast state that is Utah.

Rubicon had a mention in key speeches by Baroness Kay Andrews OBE, John Griffiths, Minister for Culture (Welsh Assembly Government) and Mark Drakeford, Minister for Culture (Welsh Assembly Government). It was wonderful to be recognised in this way.

 

Rubicon groups with a range of ages and abilities were invited to perform on the Glanfa stage at WMC on the Friday evening and in two slots on the Saturday. We had 120 participants showing their work to an audience which was great publicity for us and we were extremely proud of all our dance groups from our hip hop group to our tappers to our 60+ group.

As a whole People Dancing – the International conference is something I shall never forget and have learnt a lot from and been inspired by. A huge thanks to the Foundation for Community Dance team based in Leicester for organising such a brilliant event.

Tracey Brown

Mentoring, Training, Development Leader

Rubicon Dance

 

Spring Term is not Far Away

I know it’s only just got cold, dark wet and windy, but at Rubicon, we are already thinking of the warmer months ahead.

We are currently deep in the task of putting together the programme of classes at Rubicon that you all know and love (hopefully) so well,  and we just thought it would be a good idea to give you a heads up on some important dates for 2015.

Spring Term (Classes) starts on Monday January 5th 2015

Classes for Adults with Disabilities start Monday 12th January 2015

Half Term – 16th February 2015 – 20th February 2015

Spring Term finishes on 27th March 2015
As a reward for reading this far, I can let you into a little secret – Contemporary Dance for adults (16+) will be returning to the programme on a Wednesday evening led by the wonderful Sarah Hudson – time to be confirmed – keep your eyes peeled……

 

 

 

Our Building in the Heart of the Community

Nora Street, Adamsdown, Cardiff.  CF24 1ND.   In the heart of the community.

Originally our building was an end of terrace two story dwelling house built between 1875 and 1879 as part of the mass housing for the ‘working classes’ during Cardiff’s growth from a sea port to a capital city.

In 1908, the then owners, the Lord Tredegar Estate, conveyed the property and adjacent land to the Church in Wales, who erected at the rear of the house a two storey mission hall.

The mission was administered through the Church of St Germans and the hall was used for a variety of educational meetings and religious purposes.  It was run by four sister nuns.

The buildings continued to serve the community through the inter-war years.  In 1932 the building was described as a ‘School for education of children and adults of the labouring, manufacturing and other poor classes in the parish’.

Declining numbers and the improving social standards of post war years saw the buildings fall into disuse.

In 1963 the buildings were sold to the Arts Council.  In 1968 the buildings were developed as a small studio theatre and rehearsal space for the then Welsh Theatre Company.  The building was named The Casson Theatre, and operated successfully for a number of years.  The theatre hosted performances by touring theatre companies, poets, and musicians.  Artists who performed here include Jake Thackeray, Peter Finch, Jessie Matthews and Steven Berkoff.

When that company folded, the building was secured and bricked up until a new use could be found for it.

For a brief period between 1979 and 1980 a section of the building was re-opened to provide schooling facilities for the children of the travellers’ community in Cardiff.

In March 1980, the Welsh Arts Council leased the Ruby Street premises to the Welsh Dance Theatre Trust to house the Cardiff Community Dance Project which had outgrown its first home at the Sherman Theatre.

A major building programme was then launched to provide two dance studios and associated office space.  The building was re-opened on 7th June 1982 by Princess Diana, and was named Rubicon.

Adapted from the original written by David Hughes.

 

Down the M4……

I bet that you didn’t know that we hold sessions not only around Cardiff, but in the hustle and bustle of Newport too.  With our great friends, The Riverfront Theatre we hold weekly sessions for young people – from Toddlers right the way through to 14-18 year olds.  For Adults, there’s plenty on offer, again at The Riverfront, and at Stow Park Church Hall.  For a full list of classes available, please visit http://www.rubicondance.co.uk.

In addition, we are also in the middle of a fantastic project hosted at The Riverfront Theatre, with our partners Ballet Cymru, funded by the wonderful Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Part of this project allows for children from selected Cardiff and Newport junior schools to receive scholarships enabling them to attend funded Ballet and Street classes.  We are all extremely proud of this project and of the results that we are seeing in the children.

‘Is that all in Newport?’ I hear you ask.   Well of course not.   We run regular classes out and about in Newport schools, including High Cross Primary, Pillgwenny Primary, St Julians Primary, Duffryn Infants and Millbrook Primary.  These sessions have been run for many years, and our relationships with the schools in the area is very strong.

So you see, our reach is a lot further than CF24…….

As usual many thanks to our lovely funders and partners, without whom none of the above could happen – Arts Council of Wales, Newport Council, The Riverfront Theatre, The Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Ballet Cymru.

If you have any queries on the above, please call Rubicon Dance on 02920 491477.

Many thanks

Rubicon – the unseen sessions.

Hi folks.  Just some info on a couple of sessions that we do that you might not know about.

Thursdays for example – at Rubicon at 9.35am, we hold a session for adults with high support needs and their carers, followed at 11.00am by a session for adults with disabilities and their carers.  These sessions are regularly attended by approximately 15 participants plus their carers.  Currently led by the wonderful Esther Kilbride, and with help from Rubicon’s Full Time Learners and the carers, we provide high energy, movement focussed sessions.  The participants, many of whom have been attending for years always leave Rubicon with a smile on their faces having had a good workout.

Later on at The Hollies School, Pentwyn, we lead an integrated dance / movement session with pupils from The Hollies School and Roath Park Primary School.  Currently led by the very skilled Sharon Teear-Allen, with help from staff from Rubicon, The Hollies, Roath Park Primary, and volunteers, the session allows children from a mainstream primary school (Roath Park Primary) to integrate, work on dance related activities, and become friends with children from The Hollies School who have a range of Special Education Needs.

The sessions are the brainchild of Roath Park Primary Headmaster Mr Skinner who recognised many years ago, that children in a mainstream school do not get many opportunities to get to know children who have different needs.  The sessions are highly thought of at both schools, have been running for many years, and provide a basis for long term friendships between the pupils.

These sessions run weekly and form part of our Dance Development Programme across Cardiff and Newport.  We shall use this blog to publicise these lesser seen sessions…….

End of day 1

Dear diary, this is the end of day 1 with a blog all about Rubicon.   Today in the Rubicon house, we welcomed the Full Time Learners, now well on the way (hopefully) to their Btec qualifications, our adults with disabilities, our Paul Hamlyn Foundation funded placement (in conjunction with Ballet Cymru), Sarah Hudson, our apprentice, Beth Ryland who is working alongside Caerphilly Borough Council, our new Director, Kathryn Williams, our Board of Trustees, our Junior Nubrico and Young Nubrico classes, Nuworx, our flagship Street group, and our Bharata Natyam classes.  Just now sitting down to mop my brow, and to work out where everybody is going to sit….Please form an orderly queue.

Hi there – Blog post no 1

Well hello and welcome to the Rubicon blog.  This is where we intend to post news of what we have going on, events, performances, and work that you may not know about.  Wish us good luck on the good ship Rubi-blog……..