Students of dance (aged 16+), or dancers at an early stage in their careers are currently being sought by the ‘Tree of Light’ project to help put together a fantastic series of performances due to take place in June and July this year. Tree of Light is a Community Celebration set up along the River Thames to celebrate the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Workshops are just beginning to rehearse the 1,200 dancers from various groups across Windsor, Slough, Maidenhead, Oxford, Reading and Henley. The project is hoping as many dance students as possible will come forward to work with the community dancers and polish their performance.
Tree of Light and Henley Festival Artistic Director, Stewart Collins, says “This is a brilliant opportunity to get involved in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as part of the Cultural Olympiad, and get some really good work experience into the bar
gain. Our dance assistants will play a crucial role in helping to rehearse the 1,200 Tree of Light performers and will be working as part of a highly respected, professional team. It’s going to be a great experience for anyone who gets involved, something I know we’ll all be really proud of.”
South East England’s natural environment will be celebrated as community members make an unforgettable contribution to the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Participants from schools, colleges, youth and community groups will take part in performances in Oxford, Henley, Reading and Windsor. Most performances include a central Tree of Light – a monumental, sculptured work of art, a visually stunning spectacle, and feature music, choreography and cutting edge digital arts in spectacular settings.
Work has already been going on in the form of various workshops, with ten groups in each of the Reading, Oxford, Henley and Windsor areas taking part – 40 groups in all. Participants’ ideas and aspirations have been fed into the work of Tree of Light’s lead artists towards the final performances. These lead artists include performance director Charlie Morrissey, composer Orlando Gough and installation design team Block9.
The Tree of Light project is funded by Legacy Trust UK,creating a lasting impact from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK. The project is being delivered by a consortium that includes Ciao! Festival, Henley Festival, Oxford Inspires and Windsor Festival.
Dance assistants will assist and support their designated Choreographer and will be asked to commit approximately 3 days per month over 5 months (February – July 2012). To apply to become a Hub Dance Assistant or to get more information contact Paula Clark on paula.clark@oxfordinspires.org. This is a voluntary position, but expenses will be paid. For more information about The Tree of Light visit http://www.thetreeoflight.org