Movement and Joy!

16 December 2021

It felt like a blessing to welcome friends to our newly refurbished dance studio earlier in December for our #WinterWarmer evening of dance, movement and joy!

Chameleon Youth seniors opened the evening with a magical performance full of colour and hope.

Performances of Amaranthine and Of Man And Beast followed with stunning performances by Company Dancers, Alice Bonazzi and David Colley, Northern School Apprentice Kadafi Mulula, and the phenomenal dance artists, Thom Gulgec and Lee Clayden.

Our Co-Artistic Director, Anthony, also took to the stage as part of the cast for Of Man And Beast.

Having toured across the world, it was the first time Of Man And Beast had been seen in Manchester and our audience loved every minute – especially seated in our new comfortable seating bank!

Our Co-Artistic Director, Kevin, said, “It was a wonderful evening and felt very special to share dance in the ‘new’ studio in front of an audience for the first time. With theatre style seating, state-of-the-art stage lighting and sound, plus, black out curtains, the creative possibilities of the space are now endless. As such, we’re looking forward to offering all sorts of new and exciting dance experiences for people to enjoy with us at our home in Manchester.”

Our Co-Artistic Director, Anthony said: “To stand back and watch (and then perform in!) what is our own performance venue made me incredibly proud, it was a moment to take stock of how far we have come and what we’ve achieved.  It makes me prouder still that we now have the facilities – essentially a theatre and three studio spaces – to support the ongoing development of dancers and movement practice in the city region, and to raise the bar and visibility of what is created here.  I’m incredibly excited to think of all the work, experimentation and creativity that will be cultivated here, it’s a game-changer for dance in Greater Manchester.”

As we say goodbye to 2021, we send all our friends and supporters the warmest Chameleon Christmas Wishes for the festive period.

Looking ahead to 2022, The Shadow, choreographed by Anthony Missen, begins its Spring UK Tour at The Place in London on Thursday 10 February. We’d love to see you whilst we’re on the road!  Full tour dates to be announced in the New Year.

Our classes for young people and professional dancers begin again in January and we will also be launching a new creative adult dance class in the Spring – keep an eye on social for updates.

All the very best and see you for more original dance and movement in 2022.

With love, Team Chameleon x

***Special thank you to our partners, Arts Council England and the Little Greene Paint Company for supporting the development of our dance space in 2021***

Photography: Joel Chester Fildes

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"10 was such a wonderful experience - I cant wait to see more of your incredible work!" "Effortless grace, strength, humour and athleticism - a visual treat!" "We brought 65 young people to your performance tonight - every single one loved it! What an amazing show!" "This show reminded me why I dance and what I’m constantly working towards! Thank you for this experience!" "Such beauty in the small moments of this show - please don't stop doing what you’re doing"

Thank you to everyone who comes to watch us perform and for all your wonderful comments and feedback!