Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Students take over Leeds City Square with dynamic dance performance
The public can come along and watch the performance live at Making a Stand, Leeds City Square, on Thursday 5 October, at 15:00 and 17:30.
The students will be dancing within the Making a Stand installation, a unique piece of urban architecture commissioned by LEEDS 2023 for its Year of Culture. The ensemble dance work Kinematic Forest was created by students across all levels of BA (Hons) Dance and MA Choreography from Leeds School of Arts alongside Course Director, Beth Cassani, and lecturers, Lisa Kendall and Rachel Krische.
Leeds Beckett University lecturer and musician, Dr Tenley Martin, will offer musical accompaniment through live percussion, as the dancers inhabit the sculpture in a vibrant expression of social intelligence. Making a Stand was inspired by the Forest of Leodis and will offer the student dancers an exclusive and prominent stage to showcase their talent.
Beth Cassani, Course Director for BA (Hons) Dance and MA Choreography at Leeds Beckett University’s Leeds School of Arts, said: “This is a stunning performance opportunity for the students, in a public space with the people of Leeds as their audience. Kinematic Forest gives the students an exceptional experience of working in partnership with a large cultural festival, learning about collaboration and creativity in a professional public context. These are the kinds of partnerships and collaborations we see our students forging with industry in the future and it is fantastic that they have the chance to learn about it at Leeds School of Arts.
“The students have collaborated with each other, the staff team and live musician Tenley Martin to create a work in response to the sculpture. Audiences can expect a dynamic, innovative, energetic performance with live percussion that fuses the dancer's athleticism with their personal physical responses to the unique environment the sculpture offers.”
Leeds Beckett University is a Principal Education Partner of LEEDS 2023, playing an active role in the city-wide celebration of culture which offers its 28,000 students the opportunity to showcase their talent on a prominent stage.