The idea for Dad Dancing came about when we were studying dance. Our dads - Adrian, David and Andy - would come and dutifully support us by sitting in the audience, but were befuddled by contemporary dance and ultimately, our career choices.

As a way to bring our dads into our realm, we nudged them into a dance studio with the promise of good music and great lunch. We wanted to explore their unique ways of moving and also spend more time as adults with them.

Since then we have continued to develop the project in partnership with Battersea Arts Centre through creative residencies and workshops with father-figures, sons and daughters who generously shared their stories, ideas and best moves with us. Together we built a supporting cast and made a show that encourages us all to reflect on fatherhood and dance our own dances with joy.

This photo essay shares our story so far.

Rosie, Alexandrina and Helena, January 2015

SO T

HE ID

EA IS

...

Finally we got into the studio with OUR Dads! Dad Dancing the piece, began. Through the weekend we were mostly dancing and talking with moments of counting, thinking and eating bacon sandwiches. I naively thought that the Dads might take some persuading to get moving but they were ready and came with bucket-loads of ideas. I wasn’t the only one who was treated to a sentence starting with, “So, the idea is…”

It was great to move alongside my dad, especially in a particularly stunning moment in a mirroring game where my father proved where I had inherited my long hamstrings from! But what I really enjoyed was WORKING with him. It was so good to be focussed and productive on the same thing and amazing to see so many transferable skills from financial writing (and advertising- David and geology-Adrian) to choreography. Of course there had been instances of this shared working before; maths homework, tax returns etc, but on this occasion both parties had vested interest, no one was just kindly helping out. My dad commented on this at one point saying it was a more collaborative process than he expected. But one of our first points to make clear to the Dads was that we wanted it to be a piece that we made between the six of us, not three leading three. A new group dynamic began to evolve over the weekend, with six adults WORKING.

Written by Helena, November 2012

While I thought I was reasonably fit(ish) in a cardiovascular sense, Dad Dancing has been a massive eye opener in terms of aching in places where I didn’t know I had places. If you want a work out without realising you’re having one, lining up alongside professional contemporary dancers is definitely one of the best ways. Also great to collaborate on something where your ideas (however dire) get a chance of being used. Also, while I don’t think a stated objective of Dad Dancing is to eradicate ‘dad dancing’ as practised by Boris and Dave, it might just have that effect too. Working for even only two days with daughters who are professional dancers, you can’t help picking up a lot about movement and (inadvertantly) becoming slightly less rubbish at dancing. (Suspect Helena may not entirely agree with this conclusion.)

Being a Dad in Dad Dancing...

Written by Andy, December 2012

My one regret is that over the past 20 years on every occasion, every family gathering when I have been invited to get up and dance I have declined. Even when asked by my Daughters I have doggedly sat put. I gave up dancing when I realised that I was no longer the agile twister I always imagined I had been. Yes I could still go down but I could not get up again without reaching down and placing one hand on the dance floor to help me. An embarrassment I did not know how to manage. Now having plucked up the courage to join and appear in Dad Dancing I realise that I have no reason to be embarrassed when moving to music I love together with someone I love. The dance does not have to be perfectly executed. Other couples are also moving with each other to the same music not perfectly and more to the point, not looking at me! So I have now decided to grow up, to join in and to enjoy the pleasure of dancing amongst the Family I love. No more regrets.

Written by David, December 2012

One Regret

So what has Dad Dancing taught me (a geologist) about creativity? Science is often perceived as finding a solution: how do things work? You are focussed into finding a fix to a problem. You go into a lab and come up with a Law. Sometimes those very laws Science comes up with form straightjackets of thought that can prevent progress. It can also be popularly perceived as a white coated man (preferably with weird facial hair) with a light bulb above his head who just happens to come up with an idea. The Eureka moment.

Of course this is far from the truth. Real science is born out of curiosity. It is an investigation. It comes out of what if? Very often it is a collaboration of minds from quite different spheres who have a chance encounter and come up with genius. It does also come out of funding with a purpose.

Dissolving a few Scientist/Artist stereotypes

There seem to be some parallels with the Dance world I am discovering. It is perceived that there are certain techniques that a good dancer must have. Heaven forbid an unpointed toe. So what chance does an untutored Dad have? Well just maybe our role is to occasionally break the rules and see what happens. Maybe the lack of training is unconstraining. There have certainly been times when there has been a clash of cultures – sometimes generational, sometimes gender, sometimes our different backgrounds but this has often brought about some very interesting dance. For example an exercise to create a dance out of 4-5 support moves was married to texts from our own experiences and with a bit of tweaking formed quite moving movement. Good Dance can also come out of funding with a purpose.

So can creativity be cultivated? The government seem to think so – putting money into Silicon Roundabout near Old Street to allow some digitally creative minds to interact. Though they seem to be crowding out a lot of creativity from the curriculum. But one thing that has been made clearer by Dad Dancing is that you need to create free moments in which you can explore and let your mind wander. Sometimes my most creative moments at work are when doing a dull repetitive job (e.g. data entry) that frees my mind to think of something more exciting. Part of the joy of Dad Dancing has been putting aside a day or two to just explore. Indeed those astute dancer daughters of ours set aside some of the time for us to just see what we came up with, to share it and just let the ideas bounce around. Sometimes there was real effort involved in being creative and sometimes quite the opposite. It has been a great opportunity to dissolve a few stereotypes of Scientists/Artists and find out how much we have in common.

Written by Adrian, December 2012

“If a group of dads are going to bring anything it is going to be humour. Sometimes intentional, sometimes out of our own ineptitude. A member of the audience (perhaps in a well meaning way) said afterwards that it was “interesting” to see the different physicality of the dancers. Yes, the dads move in mysterious ways.” - Adrian

The whole thing is completely and utterly out of the proverbial left field, so it has a far greater beneficial effect than simply sitting on a beach somewhere. Being challenged to think in unusual ways but also to learn completely new material and perform it at very short notice may be a little alarming, but it’s also a fantastic way to use some parts of the brain that are (in my case) distinctly cobwebby. Becoming set in your ways isn’t going to happen here…After Brighton I wrote about the unexpected physical workout - now I’m suddenly realising there’s a major mental workout here as well. And I’m welcoming it. - Andy

In the space of a morning, more useable ‘product’ emerges than in weeks of superficial rigmarole in a conventional commercial environment. Even the trendiest Silicon Valley start up wouldn’t get close. I can feel a new theory of management coming on - Andy

It was surprising how you could get some words to fit movement when all along I thought you danced around a text. - Adrian

Obvious is not an option here and any attempt to introduce it is met by a hooded look and the words: Maybe on another occasion. - Andy

Obvious is not an option here and any attempt to introduce it is met by a hooded look and the words: Maybe on another occasion. - Andy

WOR

KSHO

PS

Sunday was the first official Dad Dancing workshop at Oxshott and Claygate Sure Start Centre. There was bundles of energy, and great excitement as I got ready for our first task with a bag full of musical instruments. Having spoken to the dads individually when they came in, I was aware of an underlying nervousness about the session - the word ‘dance’ seems to send fear into many a dad’s heart. But, as one final comment stated, the session proved to be ‘a chance to be silly in public’!

Written by Rosie, October 2012

The Dad Dancing show was more than learning dances or improvising. It was a process involving self-reflection, reflection on the relationships of others and a process of opening up and being very honest. I was amazed how the community and core participants were willing to talk about broken relationships, drugs, rehab, as well as joyous moments or simply times of uncertainty.

The way this was weaved into dance, both abstract and meaningful, created a piece that had amazing, life-changin depth. Yet at the same time it released a huge amount of joy, especially in those climatic moments when a very disparate cast came together in say the ‘Dad Dancing’ with smoke and fun or circle dance where their energy bounced off each other.

It was provocative and entertaining and exciting and actually important to many people.

Written by Adrian, December 2014

The interactions I saw between the Dad’s and the Children were brilliant and it was lovely to see them working together on different moves and the children definitely enjoyed it. - Laura Devereaux, Centre Manager at Riverview

Energetic, fun and lively, thank you! - a workshop Dad

Energetic, fun and lively, thank you! - a workshop Dad

LETT

ER W

RITIN

GIN

STAL

LATIO

N

Letter Installation made by Kirsty Harris

DINN

ER &

DI

SCUS

SION

In May 2014 we hosted an open event with a shared dinner, discussions, debates and dancing on the themes at the heart of Dad Dancing. With talks led by Dr. Peter Lovatt, Eleanor Massie, Sarah Rackham and Jess Thorpe, the group discussed:

• Fatherhood in modern families• Societal pressures on men dancing • Creativity and art in family/ community relationships • Participatory arts and collaborating with “non-professionals” • The science of “dad dancing”

SUPP

ORTIN

G CA

ST

Dad Dancing is the most challenging and rewarding project I have ever produced. Challenging because recruiting dads to take part was tough. Rewarding because once they were involved they lit up the rehearsal room and they have taken more from the project then they ever imagined they would, in all sorts of ways.

I teamed up with artist and facilitator Conrad Murray and together we brought together a 22-strong Supporting Cast made up of dads, sons and daughters of all ages from 7 – 77 from all different backgrounds. This brave and wonderful group of people collaborated with Rosie, Helena and Alex and their Dads to make and perform in the show. It didn’t take us long to feel like we were one big family; we risked, created, laughed and cried together. New friendships were made and existing relationships strengthened. And by the end of the project, the sense of pride in what we achieved together was palpable.

Fatherhood is a big and complex issue for families across the world; dads are so important and yet all too often absent. It is easy to think that you are just one person and you can’t change the world. But each dad, son and daughter who took a risk on this project to dance their dance in front of audiences, are doing just that. Changing the world, move by move.

Written by Sophie, January 2015

                                     Andrea,  53                Coco,  21            Marion,  50        Kim,  25  

 

                                     Vincent,  9                            Philip,  50              Paul,  47          Cleo,  17  

 

                                     Hannah,  20   Dani,  26              Louise,34          Peter,64  

 

                                     My,  28                  Princess,  8            Claude,  55        Ella,  19  

 

                                   Carl,  47                                      Sofia,  24                      Sara,  23            Bruce,  57    

 

                                     Andrea,  53                Coco,  21            Marion,  50        Kim,  25  

 

                                     Vincent,  9                            Philip,  50              Paul,  47          Cleo,  17  

 

                                     Hannah,  20   Dani,  26              Louise,34          Peter,64  

 

                                     My,  28                  Princess,  8            Claude,  55        Ella,  19  

 

                                   Carl,  47                                      Sofia,  24                      Sara,  23            Bruce,  57    

 

                                     Andrea,  53                Coco,  21            Marion,  50        Kim,  25  

 

                                     Vincent,  9                            Philip,  50              Paul,  47          Cleo,  17  

 

                                     Hannah,  20   Dani,  26              Louise,34          Peter,64  

 

                                     My,  28                  Princess,  8            Claude,  55        Ella,  19  

 

                                   Carl,  47                                      Sofia,  24                      Sara,  23            Bruce,  57    

 

                                     Andrea,  53                Coco,  21            Marion,  50        Kim,  25  

 

                                     Vincent,  9                            Philip,  50              Paul,  47          Cleo,  17  

 

                                     Hannah,  20   Dani,  26              Louise,34          Peter,64  

 

                                     My,  28                  Princess,  8            Claude,  55        Ella,  19  

 

                                   Carl,  47                                      Sofia,  24                      Sara,  23            Bruce,  57    

 

Andrea KimMarionCoco

Vincent CleoPaulPhilip

Hannah PeterLouiseDani

My EllaClaudePrincess

Carl BruceConradSofia

SaraNick

Our daughters have also brought together, worked with and created another hugely important and enjoyable element to the show. The Supporting Cast. Recruited locally, with the help of the Battersea Arts Centre, these, dads, daughters, mums and sons bring extra energy and enthusiasm which has an extraordinary effect. - David

I wasn’t entirely sure what type of relationship I had with my dad when this process started. I feel so grateful for how much I’ve been able to take away from this experience, including the wonderful gift of finding my movement, accepting myself and my father more completely and feeling all the excitement of performing with a group of people I adore and admire. - Hannah

It was a very disparate group and because of the wish for us to be as honest about our experiences as possible, it meant that difference surfaced and was presented and I found that amazing. For someone as old and cynical as I am, to have my heart warmed by what I observed in the little exchanges, the larger exchanges, the fundamental statements about that relationship was truly wonderful. - Bruce

I was in a bit of a state when I first started doing Dad Dancing. I wasn’t talking to my children. But after the 2nd session I phoned them, and it was because of this that I phoned them. I was still in a mess, but I thought ‘fuck it’, and I phoned and spoke to them. So I’m grateful for all the things that were brought up in the workshops as well as the show itself. - Carl

This process is a great celebration. A celebration of dads and their kids. It is also a great bonding opportunity. To see alL the different and diverse, and strange and beautiful ways in which men and children and men and men, and boys and girls bond under the guise of father-child relationships. You will experience laughter and fear and dancing. - Conrad

People talked in their own time, speaking loudly, speaking softly, jumping up and delivering their story directly to the circle, or preferring to sit in their seat and talk mostly to themselves. A very touching atmosphere of quiet nodding, vibe-ing, tapping feet, pulsing fingers washed over and connected us. - Alex

I was quite shocked when we did the writing exercises – I hadn’t thought about my dad in those terms for a long time. He’s been dead 6/7 years and I was very close to him but you put it in a box and get on with your life. I got really upset and I found it really difficult a couple of times, but I thought how marvellous that is – tears don’t have to be tragic. It felt really uplifting. I felt connected to him again. - Philip

THE S

HOW

Not only do the cast share their details of their relationships with their dads but when they join in dance sequences and display their moves they also bring and share a whole new level of happiness and joy that touches and involves the audience to the point where they too want to join in and share the pleasure. At the end of the show I am not sure who is applauding the loudest, the dads, the daughters, the supporting cast or the audience.

Written by David, November 2014

When I was growing up, my dad was travelling a lot and so I was closer to my mum for lots of the day-to-day stuff, as well as having someone to confide in. When I was 11-13 years old, dad and I wrote letters to each other, but advice and feeling close was in quite broad brushstrokes rather than the personal closeness that comes from seeing someone every day. After the letters, dad and I enjoyed taking long drives together as he drove me to and from school each term and our relationship began to grow.

Several years on, I think part of me was quite nervous to do something with my dad. He is from quite a different generation and never really understood dance. I knew that like my dad, I work hard but I’d never seen my dad at work, I’d just heard stories about my dad and how he was this amazing advertising guy. But for family life he wasn’t always so present and amazing.

So Dad Dancing was a bit of an unknown and I think he felt the same as well.

As we begun our first rehearsals, I was very over protective of him because he was the oldest dad and I was looking after him in that way. Now I am able to see that throughout the project we’ve been able to connect more on an equal level and its really opened him (and me) up.

Written by Alex, January 2015

I mean Mama and Papa were never married, they were hardly in love when the child, the I, popped along.

So he – with scared heart and puppy fear hid, hid from more responsibility, hid from more pain. Not that he left completely, he came along to birthdays, to compulsory and supposedly fatherly meetings every half a year and also always paid the money.

Yet what I lack for the man is respect and compassion. I guess it can be blamed on the habit, the mist of white powder clouding his vision.

This is a happy tale, this is no sad story but a love letter to my mum, the best, the worst, the truest of all.

- Coco

I was 23 when I first met Joy and her three year old Claire. I think falling in love had to be falling in love with two people at the same time. It took a while for me to realise that I actually was a dad.

The first time I started to think of myself as a dad was when we got married and Claire was a bridesmaid. Claire, then aged 5 said that she was getting married too. For me as a step-dad there was no birth moment and marriage was the closest I came to it.

I didn’t get time to learn how to be a parent of a small girl, I just had to be one and make it up as I went along.

- Adrian

16 hours of constant pressureForced the outcomeAnd the drugs released some pleasureBut not the reason for the pain.One obstetricianAnd one consultantAll with knowledge and experienceThey all said“Now’s the time.”So we listened to instructions.My focus now was only you.I have to say If there were choicesThen I chose you.This final battle We were all involved inWas, for me, a fight for you.All my effort and my willWas for you.So again, the expertsUsed their knowledgeChanged the rules

And helped some more.I have to sayIf there were choicesI chose you.I listened and I repeatedWhat the experts said to youAnd I told them what you said.For a moment There was calmnessWhen your bodyReleased the head.Back to battling, far to quicklyThey were twisting, pulling, jerking“Is he ok?”“Is he ok?”Then the nurse Turned aroundPassed him over To his motherAs if he had been Lost and found.

- Carl

My father had no desire to talk about dying. So when he spent his last days in a hospice (a snowy winter, days before Christmas). We all carried on having the same conversations we always had – films, song lyrics, and how bright the moon was last night – it wasn’t that we ignored his dying, but it wasn’t the only thing, so we all just carried on with the living stuff.

- Andrea

One evening, when I was about 12 or so, Dad and I were listening to music and where we live it’s so dark at night the double-glazing acts like a massive mirror. I don’t know how it began but the two of us made up a dance to Andy Williams ‘Can’t take my eyes of you’ where we would stand and take four steps left and four steps right swaying and clicking through the verse and when it came to the chorus my dad would slide forward shouting ‘the fatman takes the mic’ and then he’d sing I LOVE YOU BABYYYYY and I could barely keep swaying and clicking I found it so funny. We both did. I can’t even explain what was so funny about it but we just kept playing that track over and over and hooting with laughter each time.

- Sara

My Dad tends to be a very secretive man, someone who really likes to keeps his business HIS business. So, when certain situations come up that he really should of told you about before they actually happen, sometimes you just don’t know how to react. Here’s an example, when I was 10 my dad came round, he sat me down with my mum and told me he had got a surprise for me; something I had asked for. I obviously got really excited and started guessing. I said “YES, you’re painting my room!” That wasn’t it. “Aah! You’ve got me a to for my room.” Not it either. Mum, looking very amused, already knowing what it was, said “Let him just tell you”. So I did. “I got you a little sister”... for sure the most unexpected surprise of my life so far. He said “You said you wanted a little sister, so I had one”. I didn’t even know he had a girlfriend.

- Ella

Hearing all the other dads stories and meeting such a great group of people was very uplifting - Adrian

For me, I always felt jealous, a bit angry when I saw dads. But doing this made me remember that it’s a positive thing, it’s a great thing. It’s a weird thing to say, but it’s because I always thought that dads were negative. - Conrad

It was about dance, it was about dads and daughters, but it was about human relationships and the piece was hugely affirming of that. And that really touched me as I think it did many others. - Bruce

I remember the excitement of everyone being together and having the support of the audience. - Andrea

Favourite moment = First Show- Cleo

I now encourage all dads, however busy, to share some moments in time, dancing with their children. They too, I believe, will realise how very rewarding and precious this time is. - David

I now encourage all dads, however busy, to share some moments in time, dancing with their children. They too, I believe, will realise how very rewarding and precious this time is. - David

The Dad Dancing show was created and choreographed by Rosie Heafford, Alexandrina Hemsley and Helena Webb in collaboration with their dads Adrian, David and Andy. The project is a co-production between Second Hand Dance and Battersea Arts Centre.

Creative TeamRosie Heafford, Director & Choreographer Alexandrina Hemsley, Director & Choreographer Helena Webb, Director & Choreographer Caroline Williams, DramaturgeSophie Bradey, Producer (For BAC)Conrad Murray, Supporting Cast Assistant My Johansson, Rehearsal AssistantSarah Gilmartin, Lighting Designer Rebecca Brower, Set & Costume Designer

Production Team Dan Palmer, Production Manager (For BAC)Ben Everett, Senior Technician (for BAC) Nic Donithorn, Stage ManagerCharlotte Espiner, Costume SupervisorPolly Avison, Design Assistant Katie Elston, Marketing & Comms Manager (For BAC)Olivia Ivens, Press Officer (For BAC)Sophie Nurse, Producing Placement (For BAC) Sofia Stephanou, Producing Placement (For BAC) Sara Snook, Producing Placement (For BAC)

Cast Rosie HeaffordAdrian HeaffordHelena WebbAndy WebbAlexandrina HemsleyDavid Hemsley

Supporting Cast Carl ChamberlainBruce CurrieKim GillPeter GordonLouise GordonPhilip HeathVincent Heath NichollsMy JohanssonCoco MaertensMarion MaertensDanielle MarshallHannah MribihaClaude PalmerElla PalmerPrincess PalmerPaul WhyteCleo Watson-WhyteConrad MurrayAndrea RobinsonNick Snook Sara SnookSofia StephanouConrad Murray

We were at a family gathering yesterday and my dad was talking about his dad. I had never really heard my dad say so much about his own father and that’s when I realised that the way that he was talking about Pat Hemsley was really shaped by hearing everyone in Dad Dancing talk about their dads. My dad seemed unafraid to talk about a father who he had his own complicated and absent relationship with. I felt very proud that I have been allowed to witness a change in dad. Being in a group of so many relationships has helped me find a language to talk to my dad and helped my dad to find a language to talk to me as well.

With thanks to:Caroline Williams, Jonathan Burrows, Matthias Sperling, Elaine Garfit and Cathy Waller who supported the making of the show. Conrad Murray who championed and cared-for our supporting cast. The father-figures, sons and daughters who offered their ideas, stories and best moves in our R&D.

Our funders and supporters, without whom this show would not have been possible; The Arts Council England, Awards for All, South East Dance, The Thistle Trust and Wandsworth Council.

Huge thanks to our extremely supportive family and friends and our producer Sophie Bradey, who has seen us through traumas and triumphs.

Photos: Zoe Manders, Tim Smith & The Dad Dancing Team