Famed choreographer ‘coming home’ as part of tour
Jones the Dance’s new interactive dance film, Y Dewis (meaning The Choice), follows the story of four pretty cool but questioning young people, each with a tale to tell.
They meet in the desolate ruins of Porth Wen brickworks (located on Anglesey) and with the help of an MC and host, and the onscreen narrator (who narrates in BSL), the audience decides how their stories unfold. The collective choices that the audience makes will reveal surprises for each of them and maybe for the audience too.
Y Dewis has been created by Jones the Dance, who are based in mid Wales, working with Swedish filmmakers, Sekai Media and Theatr Clwyd, supported by Amdani! Conwy, Dawns i Bawb, Pontio and Deaf Hub Wales.
The film element is intimate, interactive and cinematic, weaving together English, Welsh and BSL. Its mix of dance and story, all set against an exquisite natural backdrop that is engulfed in an industrial past, is a celebration of Wales, Welsh dance, and the hopes of young people. Permission to film at Porth Wen was kindly given by the landowners as the site has no public access.
Choreographer and Artistic Director of Jones the Dance, Gwyn, who is from Montgomery and grew up in Newtown, wanted to make it a priority for audiences in communities across Wales, especially mid Wales, to see dance and this unique filmic experience on their doorsteps.
“And being able to present my new film and performance with audiences in Montgomery, Gregynog and Llanfyllin means so much to me, and at the same time being the most terrifying.
“It was down to the opportunities to be creative and perform when I was young growing up in Montgomery that led me to having a career as a dancer and now choreographer and director of a film.
“This experience is what has driven the work we do with Jones Bach, Jones the Dance’s Young Company. Since 2014, we have been running creative dance experiences for young people in and around Montgomeryshire and this year they made their own short dance film which I am delighted that we will be able to share that with them and audiences on the big screen as we tour our production Y Dewis (the choice).”
As part of the interactive cinematic experience, there will be a short film made by Jones the Dance’s Young Company dancers, who include young people from the Quiet Beats project (workshops and dance experiences for young d/Deaf people) and Jones Bach (workshops for young people in north Powys). Their films take inspiration from Y Dewis which they made with professional dancers and filmmakers.
The creative team behind Y Dewis is led by Gwyn as the creator, choreographer and director.
He was joined by five dancers from Wales, England and Sweden, and up-and-coming Swedish filmmakers Aaron Lindblom, Kenneth Ly and Victor Söderlund Lundvall.
Renowned Welsh film, TV, and theatre composer Siôn Trefor has created an epic and beautiful score, with sound design by Nick Davies; costume and set design by Lois Prys, and texts written by Iola Ynyr, Sarah Adedeji and Gwyn. The live host and MC will be announced soon.
Y Dewis will be touring across Wales from April 19 to May 18, to rural villages, towns and cities, with many places that do not usually get dance or cinema.
A number of the performances have been supported by the Arts Council Wales’ Nos Allan | Night Out scheme.
The film includes three languages of English, Welsh and Sign Language, with the live element in Welsh and English. A number of performances will be in BSL with English Interpretation and/or a Deaf/BSL performer.
The full tour details are available on the Jones the Dance website - jonesthedance.com/ydewis.
It suitable for all ages, but ideally from ages nine and up.
Y Dewis is supported by funding from Arts Council of Wales, Kulturrådet, Tŷ Cerdd, Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Trust, Magic Little Grant via Local Giving.
The local dates:
April 26 (7.30pm): Montgomery Town Hall
April 30 (7pm): Neuadd Gregynog Hall, Tregynon
May 1 (7pm): Y Dolydd Llanfyllin Workhouse
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