12 July will see South East London’s Greenwich Park taken over by a skipping extravaganza. Hundreds of people are expected to join in the hugely entertaining and energetic Through & Out: Skipping Extravaganza, a brand new commission by Greenwich Dance for Big Dance 2014, which forms part of the Royal Greenwich Festivals 2014.
Devised by choreographer Jorge Crecis, Through & Out is a cross between dance and rope skipping that paves the way for a new choreographic game for all, dancers and non-dancers alike. Hundreds of dance-skippers, including professional dance artists and a local community cast from across south east London will come together for an epic performance to the sounds of an original score by composer The Artist. Audiences will all be taken into the heart of the action in Greenwich Park, against the iconic backdrop of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, with an audio soundtrack to listen to through headphones, which can be downloaded on to mobile phones or MP3 players in advance for a totally immersive experience.
The team of dance artists are working with groups at schools, community centres and youth dance groups around Greenwich and beyond, ready to jump 121 times per minute, with 1,500cm of skipping ropes following 440 hours of rehearsal and 59 different skipping moved. The dancers are expected to jump an astonishing 4,000 over 30 minutes.
Greenwich Dance is the home of dance in South East London as a meeting place for artists, audiences and communities. It aims to set the standard for dance locally, nationally and internationally. Big Dance is the biennial festival of participatory dance delivered by the Foundation for Community Dance and the Mayor of London and is supported by Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council Wales and British Council.