Company Chameleon Tours THE SHADOW This Year

This Spring, Manchester based dance company, Company Chameleon will tour, The Shadow, choreographed by Co-Artistic Director, Anthony Missen, to theatres across the UK before returning to home for a run at their newly refurbished studio theatre - dates to be added to the Tour soon.

Anthony Missen said: "The last couple of years have been tough for the industry - along with so many others, our touring programme was decimated. I'm delighted to see things starting to move again, and especially that we're able to get this work out there again. The Shadow is an incredibly powerful show, one which I'm very proud of, and that I'll be delighted to share with audiences."

Since inception in 2008, Company Chameleon have developed a reputation for creating socially relevant dance theatre, which explores everyday human issues. Themes in their work include mental health, masculinity and relationships.

In The Shadow, Company Chameleon explore the hidden parts of the unconscious mind and the darker side of our personalities.

Choreographer Anthony Missen says, "The shadow is present in everyone, but we only see it when light shines in particular way.

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung identifies the shadow as the unknown or unconscious dark side of our personality. Most of the time we don't see it at all, or acknowledge it, but it's always there if you look closely enough.

Everyone has masks they present publicly which may or may not reflect what's going on privately. We all prefer to put our best face forward. We don't generally share the things we are embarrassed by, nor readily share comments and opinions which might offend.

It's said that we all have three faces: our public face; the face that we show to our friends and family; and the face that nobody sees. It's the latter that is supposedly our truest likeness, and this is what The Shadow explores."

Highly athletic and physically impressive to watch, The Shadow encompasses a rich mix of dance styles and an innovative and fresh movement language, which carries meaning.

In choreographing The Shadow, Anthony's method involved taking a collaborative approach with the dancers. To create an honest and authentic performance, he worked closely with the cast to help them understand their own shadows and to shape the movement.

Anthony explains: "Audiences recognise honesty, so honesty has to be found. I find the most meaningful performances are when audiences can empathise with the perfomers and feel what they feel.

There has to be an authenticity to the performances, and this means the dancers revealing true parts of themselves in the parts they play."

The incredibly talented cast includes Company Dancers Alice Bonazzi and David Colley, the formidable Lee Clayden, Gustavo Oliveira and Reece Denham, along with rising stars, Kadafi Mulula and Alice Marriot, who are working with Chameleon as part of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance apprenticeship scheme.

Supporting the Company's ongoing committed to developing emerging dance talent, the shadows will be performed by alumni and dance students from different universities as the production tours, including from Edge Hill University, The Place and Northern School of Contemporary Dance.
Company Chameleon is supported by Arts Council England, Manchester City Council and GMCA.

Tour Dates

Thu 10 Feb, 7:30pm
The Place, London
Tickets £17, £13 conc
020 7121 1100 | theplace.org

Thu 24 Feb, 7:30pm
The Arts Centre, Edge Hill University
Tickets £10, £8 conc, Free EHU students
01695 584480 | edgehill.ac.uk/artscentre

Sat 14 May, 7:30pm
Riley Theatre - NSCD, Leeds
Tickets £15, £10 conc
0113 219 3000 | rileytheatre.com

Thu 26 May, 7:30pm
The Civic Barnsley
Tickets £15.50, £13.50 conc, £9.50 student/child
01226 327000 | barnsleycivic.co.uk

Dates to be announced soon
Chameleon Studios, Openshaw, Manchester
Tickets £10, £8 conc
0161 223 6280 | companychameleon.com

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