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Festival showcases black dance talent
Performers in action at the Wyvern
Performers in action at the Wyvern

Three days of performances has shown off black dance to audiences in Swindon.

The three-day Big Mission Festival event showcased the diversity of black dance.

It included work from established and emerging performers and choreographers, as well as seminars, workshops and presentations.

Marie McCluskey, the director of Swindon Dance, said she thought the event had been good for the town.

"It was a fantastic opportunity for Swindon to have the chance to see such a range of artists and productions," she said.

"There was everything from funk to contemporary to African dance - and there were some gems.

"It was good to see some world-class acts, as well as giving a platform to emerging works.

"The audiences really seemed to enjoy it and they gave a great reaction to the performers, which I know they really appreciated.

"I don't think we would do exactly the same thing again because the Big Mission moves around the country - last time it was in Birmingham and the next one will be in London.

"But we don't want to leave it another few years either - we'd like to put on some smaller events.

"It's good for Swindon because it attracts an audience to something a little bit different - and hopefully we can keep that audience and keep Swindon firmly on the cultural map."

Highlights of the event included performances by two international guest companies.

The Paris-based Georges Momboye Company presented an African perspective on two classical ballet works.

Germaul Barnes, from New York, presented a masterclass on the development of artistic expression.

Former athlete and star of Strictly Come Dancing, Colin Jackson, was due to open the festival, but was unable to attend.

Andy Hill, the director of the Wyvern Theatre, welcomed the audience instead.

The event was organised by Swindon Dance in conjunction with State Of Emergency, the Wyvern Theatre, Swindon Council, Swindon Cultural Partnership, the Institute Of Contemporary Interdisciplinary Arts, the University of Bath and ADAD and ran from Thursday and Saturday.

11:53am Monday 12th May 2008

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