“Uchelgais o godi safon y maes dawnsio proffesiynol yng Ngymru a hefyd chodi ynwybyddiaeth o ddawnsio traddodiadol.”
”To raise the standard of the professional dancing field in Wales and also raise awareness of traditional dancing.”
Gweithdai Proffesiynol
Professional Workshops
Roedd y gweithgor wedi adnabod gwendid yn y maes dawnsio proffesiynol yng Nghymru a diffyg ymwybyddiaeth o ddawnsio traddodiadol. Ymgeisiodd Cwmni perfformio Kitsh n Sync am un o gomisiynau Prosiect Wyth. Ni fuont yn llwyddiannus gyda’r cais, ond gan eu bod yn awyddus i ddysgu mwy am y grefft o glocsio i’w gynnwys yn un o’u perfformiadau, trefnwyd diwrnod o hyfforddiant ar eu cyfer gyda Angharad Harrop.
Trefnwyd gweithdai clocsio gyda Meinir Siencyn ar gyfer 12 o aelodau Cywaith Dawns hefyd. Mae rhain yn ddawnswyr llawrydd sydd yn dod at eu gilydd ar gyfer hyfforddiant achlysurol. Yn dilyn yr hyfforddiant, perfformiodd 12 o’r dawnswyr mewn prosiect ar y cyd gyda’r band gwerin Vrï yn Eglwys Santes Fair, Betws y Coed.
Gweithdai Proffesiynol
The collective partners had noted a weakness in the professional dance sector in Wales and the lack of knowledge of Welsh traditional dance. Kitsh n Sync applied for one of Prosiect WYTH’s commission, however they were not successful they were keen to learn more about the craft of clog dancing to be able to include it into one if their performances. A training day with Angharad Harrop was organised for them.
A workshop with Meinir Siencyn had also been organised for 12 members of Cywaith Dawns / Dance Collective. Cywaith Dawns / Dance Collective are freelance dancers that come together for occasional training. Following the training the 12 dancers came together to perform in a project alongside the folk band Vrï at St May’s Church, Betws y Coed.
Professiynal Workshops
ADBORTH
FEEDBACK
Cwmni Perfformio -
Kitch N Sync
-Dance Company
“Without the support from Angharad the piece wouldn't have had the right foundations…We had great feedback to say that it was a beautiful, emotional piece”
Kitch N Sync -Cwmni Perfformio // Dance Company
“Thanks for supporting our project by giving us time with Angharad Harrop to learn some traditional clogging footwork. We had a day workshop in Inkspot Arts Centre in Cardiff and were introduced to a few different clogging steps and techniques.
Myself, Lara Ward & Christine-Jennifer Felkin from Kitsch & Sync all have I.ST.D Tap dance training and so it was interesting to see the similarities and differences between the two dance styles and how we could merge them.
The choreography we wanted to create was part of a site-specific performance called 'Menywod Y Môr' under Penarth Pier in collaboration with Splatch Circus company and bilingual singer songwriter Teifi.
We created choreography sat at spinning wheels and took inspiration from the mechanics of the wheel, the treadle action and building complex rhythms to compliment Teifi's music which had an unusual time signature. We fused contemporary choreography with the traditional clogging techniques and then the added challenge of adapting the steps into a seated position whilst playing around with fitting these into a new beat and time signature.
Without the support from Angharad the piece wouldn't have had the right foundations, as we only have tap dance experience and wanted to make sure there were traditional elements in the show. We had great feedback to say that it was a beautiful, emotional piece and very evocative with the landscape and changing weather, seeing a glimpse of welsh history but in a contemporary context and great to see dance, circus and live music come together.
We'd love to develop this piece further in the future and another concept called 'Y Fenwod Barfog' where we want to utilise more clogging and folk dance into our choreography.”
Cywaith Dawns - Angharad Harrop
“Mae wedi ein galluogi i feddwl yn uchelgeisiol am y gwaith y gallwn ei greu”
“It has allowed us to think ambitiously about the work we are able to create”
- Angharad Harrop, Cywaith Dawns
“Mae gweithio gyda Meinir drwy’r prosiect wyth wedi bod yn amhrisiadwy i ni fel mudiad. Mae wedi ein galluogi i feddwl yn uchelgeisiol am y gwaith y gallwn ei greu, yn enwedig am sut y gallwn ddysgu am Gymru nawr drwy edrych ar ddiwylliant traddodiadol Cymreig. Mae mentoriaeth Meinir wedi arwain at gynhyrchu noson o berfformiad ar y cyd â VRï. Mynychwyd y perfformiad ym mis Hydref yn Eglwys y Santes Fair, Betws Y Coed gan 120 o bobl o bob oed a oedd i gyd yn hynod ganmoliaethus am y gwaith.”
Dyma peth o adborth y gynulleidfa- “I can’t begin to tell you how special it was tonight. From the Parkinson’s Dance to the encore. I had goosebumps the whole way through. And needed it so much. Diolch o galon.”
“Ni allai gredu bod noson fel hon wedi ei chynnal ym Metws y Coed. Noson o berfformiad o’r safon uchaf. Gobeithio y cawn weld mwy yn fuan.”
“Working with Meinir and project WYTH has been priceless to us as an organisation. It has allowed us to think ambitiously about the work we are able to create especially about how we can learn about Wales through lookingat it Welsh traditional culture. Meinir’s mentorship has guided us to be able to produce an evening performance alongside Vrï. The performance was attended by 120 people in October at St Mary’s Church, Betws y Coed. The audience was made of people of all ages that were very complimentary of the work.”
Audience Feedback- “It was wonderful to see such a wealth of talent, sense of community and relaxed , understated beautiful movement and music. Thank you all for a lovely evening of "allowing things to be" - no feedback forms , no over-analysis . Just the pleasure of being immersed in something wonderful.”
Cywaith Dawns - Colin Diamond
“Mae cael y cyfle i ddysgu ar safon uchel wedi bod o gymorth”
“Having the opportunity to learn at a high standard has been helpful”
- Colin Diamond, Cywaith Dawns
“Er fy mod wedi tyfu fyny fama, doeddwn i ddim wedi bod yn rhan o unrhyw grŵp na thraddodiadau Cymreig ac yn teimlo bo’ fi di colli allan ar ddiwylliant Cymreig. Felly dwi’n falch o gael y cyfle rwan i neud mwy drwy’r dosbarthiadau uwch yn y clocsio.
Mae cael y cyfle i ddysgu ar safon uchel wedi bod o gymorth mewn ambell ffordd. Mae cael y wybodaeth yma a’r gallu i rannu y wybodaeth yma am ein traddodiad a diwylliant rwan efo pobl ac artistiaid o dramor yn hollol bwysig. Hefyd, mae wedi codi fy safon i fel tiwtor a hefyd fy hyder i ddefnyddio’r traed fel percussion a mae wedi agor drysau newydd. Hefyd mae wedi neud fi feddwl sut i chwarae fel percussionist a sut ma disgyblion fi yn dysgu percussion, trwy’r camau nes i ddysgu efo fy nhraed. Ma rhywun sy’n clocsio yn ymateb i alawon, yn ymateb yn wahanol i rhywun sy’n chwarae drum kit er enghraifft. Dwi rwan yn ymarfer y clocsio ac yn gobeithio rwan ei ychwanegu at sesiynau percussion yn y dyfodol.”
“Although I have grown up here, I was never a part of any group or Welsh tradition ac I felt I had missed out on Welsh culture. I am therefore pleased to now have the opportunity to experience more through the clogging classes.
Having the opportunity to learn at a high standard has been helpful. Having this knowledge and now being able to share this knowledge of our traditions and cultures with artists from abroad is crucial. I have also improved my skills as a tutor as well and my confidence to use the feet as percussion has opened new doors. It has made me think about how to play as a percussionist as how my students learn puccussion through the steps I learned with my feet. Clog dancers react to tunes, differently to how someone playing a drum kit would react for example.I now practice clog dancing and am hoping to be able to add it to percussion sessions in the future.”
Tiwtor- Meinir Siencyn
“Mi roedd dysgu clocsio i artistiaid proffesiynol yn agoriad llygaid. Doeddwn i ddim yn gwybod sut fyddai criw proffesiynol yn derbyn “clocsio” a chamau clocsio. Ond yn syth wrth ddechrau’r sesiwn, mi roedd yn amlwg bod gan pawb andros o ddiddordeb ac wir yn gweithio’n galed ar gael y camau yn gywir. Mi roedd y teimlad eu bod nhw’n gwerthfawrogi’r datblygiad ynddyn nhw eu hunain, a bod clocsio yn ffordd arall o arddangos rhythm yn eu gwaith fel artistiaid.
Beth ddaeth i sylw ambell un, oedd eu bod wedi sylwi sut oedd eu disgyblion nhw yn teimlo gan eu bod nhw nawr yn “ddisgyblion” eto. A hefyd wedi sylwi bod clocsio yn rhywbeth nad ydynt yn cael digon o gyfle i ddysgu fel artistiaid yng Nghymru.
Teimlaf bod y dosbarthiadau yma wedi bod yn allweddol at ddyfodol dawns yn gyffredinol. Mae’r artistiaid wedi gofyn am ragor o weithdai o safon uchel er mwyn datblygu dawns yng Nghymru.”
“Teaching clog dancing to professional artists has been eye-opening. I wasn’t sure how the group of professionals would accept ‘clocsio’ and the clogging steps. However immediately from the start of the session it was apparent that everybody had an interest and were focusing hard on getting the steps correct. I had the feeling that they appreciate the development in themselves, and that clogging is another way of displaying rhythm as artist.
It came to the attention of a few of the dancers, that they now noticed how their pupils felt and that they were now ‘pupil’ again, and that Clocsio isn’t something that they get enough opportunity to learn as artists in Wales.
I feel that these classes have been integral to the future of dance in general. The artists have asked for further workshops of a high standard in order to develop dance in Wales.”
“Teimlaf bod y dosbarthiadau yma wedi bod yn allweddol at ddyfodol dawns”
“I feel that these classes have been integral to the future of dance”
- Meinir Siencyn, Tiwtor/ Tutor
