Scottish Ballet’s New Dance Films
Scottish Ballet has unveiled two new dance films created in collaboration with people living with Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and dementia, as part of their creative engagement project Haud Close. From Orkney to Tasmania, Haud Close was a multi-artform project that connected with over 100 people worldwide to celebrate the creativity, strength and perseverance of people living with neurological conditions, and their households.
Inspired by Scottish Ballet’s award-winning dance film, Haud Close Tae Me, with choreography by Christopher Hampson, the project used the film’s themes of reflection and visibility to explore connection at a time of separation. Bringing together choreographer Jack Webb, storyteller and dramaturg Philippa Clark and filmmaker Beth Chalmers, the artists worked with dancers from across the Scottish Ballet Health network each week to create a new dance film called Haud Close featuring movement, poetry and visual art.
As part of the project, a global callout also invited people living with dementia, MS and Parkinson’s to submit a 20 second video response to either a poetry or dance task set by the company. These feature in a new dance film called Haud Close Together that connects local residents from Erskine Care Home in Bishopton, to responses from as far and wide as Australia.
It is clear, after the past year, that the need for connection is stronger than ever. The project has been a way for its participants to find freedom, movement and creativity, confirming the transformational power of dance and movement by coming together to share, move, dance, express and create. It also explored digital technology, and working collaboratively to share ideas of visibility through these challenging times.
The two new dance films, Haud Close and Haud Close Together, alongside a poetry collection and gallery of visual art created throughout the project, can be viewed on Scottish Ballet’s website.
