dance/physical theatre feature
Two faces, Broader appeal
2FaCeD DaNcE Company’s Tamsin Fitzgerald.
For the last three runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, Tamsin Fitzgerald, Artistic Director of award-winning 2FaCeD DaNcE Company, has also had to play the part of chaperone and mother figure to this talented all-male dance company. Not this year, however. Older and wiser, this young professional dance company, who have wowed audiences across the UK and Europe, are back at the Edinburgh Fringe with their latest offering ‘State of Matter’.
From beginnings in sleepy Hereford in 1998 the stakes have been just been upped for the company, as this year’s cast also includes dancers Adam Rutherford and Jake Nowgu who previously performed with Matthew’s Bourne’s ‘Swan Lake’ and Phoenix Dance Company.
So how did it all begin? “I moved back home after graduating from the Northern School Of Contemporary Dance and wanted to see something other than ballet and tap being taught. So, I worked with Nathan [French] and went into schools, formed a youth dance company and it really took off from there.” Three hundred youngsters now regularly attend classes in a variety of dance styles, having fun and maybe working their way up to the professional company.
Tamsin explains the secrets of success behind the performing company: “The Edinburgh Fringe 2004 launched us. We sold out the majority of our shows and things just got better from there. The Fringe has so much energy and buzz that opportunities for increasing your profile are endless.
“Dance is often pigeon-holed as a strait-laced genre with narrow appeal. Because we embrace different styles of dance – contemporary, break dance, hip-hop – we appeal to a broader audience. My advice to first-time dance companies would be sell your performance as a show, not as a piece of dance. You need a unique selling point; every show has its angle. When first time dance viewers come out of our show I want them to think ‘wow.’ If they’re seasoned, traditional contemporary dance-goers, I want them to see that breakdancing can be artistic.
“Being an all-male dance company definitely sets us apart. If the guys simply did breakdance, I don’t think that would be much of a challenge but they study and choreograph other styles of dance as well.”
Are they aware that they’re not your stereotypical dancers? “Some of them definitely are and have got some stick for it from family and friends, but these guys are very masculine; beefy! They have to be to reach a professional standard.”
The strong educational focus also sets 2FaCeD DaNcE Company apart from their contemporaries: “I believe that a dancer has to be more than just a dancer which is why we’re also a peer-led dance company. The guys are also trained in marketing, fundraising and teaching. If they don’t raise the funds then that show won’t go ahead. They rely on each other and we’ve got a great team because of it.”
So what’s next for Tamsin Fitzgerald and her company of dancers? “We’re planning to do an autumn tour of ‘State of Matter’ followed by the creation of a new piece of work and I’ve been headhunted to choreograph an episode of ‘Skins’ for E4.”
So no time to babysit your boys then? Tamsin laughs: “They’re big enough to look after themselves now.”
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2FaCeD DaNcE Company's 'State of Matter' was on at Udderbelly’s Pasture.
published: Oct-2008
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