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Breathtaking

Bock and Vincenzi

© Henrik Thorup-Knudsen
2000

A mysterious show of dance for 3-7 year olds. A bedtime story with no words. Five dancers performed strange dances as they played games to keep themselves awake.

Beautiful & stupid, astonishing & charming, they lead the audience into strange, imaginary worlds. Places where pink rabbits are too angry to sleep and stories were told by dancing feet that lay dreaming in the pillows…

Breathtaking was conceived for an audience of three to seven year olds. Drawing together a team of performers from the extremes of both the dance and performance world Bock & Vincenzi came together with composer Luke Stoneham to create a fifty minute dance theatre work that extended expectations of children’s performance.

They created a work that was both entertaining yet rigorous in content. Incorporating many of the underlying themes of their thought-provoking adult work. Breathtaking was a subtle blend of beautiful and magical imagery, powerful and humorous performances that allowed both young and old alike to engage in contemporary dance theatre on different levels.

A non-narrative reverie on sleep and dreaming, it challenged adult audience on its preconception of children’s work whilst delighting its many younger audience members.

“To enter into the fabulous times, it is necessary to be serious like a dreaming child”

Gaston Bachelard

Commissioned by the Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre. Funded by LAB and the Arts Council of England. Breathtaking was developed following a residency at Leaf Lane School, Winsford with support from Cheshire Dance and the Gulbenkian Foundation.

Breathtaking toured in 2000.

‘What a refreshingly unpatronising, imaginative and beautifully delivered dance-fantasy for under-sevens’
Glasgow Herald

‘This is a beautifully designed, serious piece of dance with some silly bits’
The Scotsman

‘…a moving, thought-provoking piece of dance…energetic, highly engaging and often beautiful thing to behold. So much happens, there are so many moments that I’d love to describe… but a good magician would never reveal such lovely tricks, so I won’t risk stealing the piece’s thunder’
Bristol Beat

Performed by Frank Bock, Laurence Harvey, Ruth Moss, Doran George, Christine Entwisle. Music composed by Luke Stoneham. Lighting design: Chahine Yavroyan. Costumes: Judy Ward.

© Henrik Thorup-Knudsen
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