Switch
Press Release
Immediate:
‘SWITCH’ – an evening of compelling dance
ACE Dance & Music combine energetic contemporary choreography with African/Caribbean movement style, rousing musical scores and mixed media techniques, including video projection, to create a truly entertaining experience. The company’s inspirational new show, SWITCH which features two distinct dance pieces is being showcased at The Drum on Friday 6 November @ 7.30pm.
The two pieces are titled ‘SWITCH’ and ‘LISTEN’ both new works by ACE’s founder co-directors, Gail and Ian Parmel and their collaborators Andile Sotiya (‘Switch’) and up and coming choreographer Douglas Thorpe (‘Listen’).
‘Switch’ is a pure movement piece which explores the transfer of energy from one vessel to another; set in a striking monochrome space, dancers form a circuit board, charging from a power source and passing on energy. ‘Listen’ is a modern day muse on war and the effect it can have on the human psyche. Dancers explore aspects of post-traumatic stress, living with the experiences of war and the difficulty of trying to balance and manage a normal life with the horror of flashback.
‘SWITCH’ is a compelling dance double-bill and once again, Ace Dance & Music have excelled themselves in producing a remarkable and memorable piece.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT: Katie Reid, Marketing Manager on 0121 333 2421 or e-mail: k.reid@the-drum.org.uk
Event: Switch
Date: Friday 6 November @ 7.30pm
Venue: The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham, B6 4UU
Tickets: £9(£7)
Box Office: 0121 333 2444
Online Bookings: www.the-drum.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
About The Drum
The Drum is the national centre for Black British culture and arts, dedicated to developing and promoting contemporary art and culture of British African, Asian and Caribbean communities. Through its various initiatives, The Drum continually strives to become a centre of national and international renown firmly rooted within its local community.
The Drum’s ambition is to lead and facilitate the development, celebration, performance and exhibition of the diversity of Black arts and cultures for the benefit of all. It is a place where contemporary Black arts flourish and are enjoyed, nurturing and broadening the appreciation of these arts for audiences and participants from the whole community – Black and White.
About ACE Dance & Music
Artistic Director GAIL PARMEL is a graduate of Northern School of Contemporary Dance and brings the influences of her Antiguan heritage and contemporary training to her work. Gail joined Kokuma Dance Theatre in 1992, worked with Badejo Arts and founded ACE dance and music with her husband, Ian, in 1996. Gail has choreographed eight successful touring productions for ACE: The Path, Colours Within, Solitude or Sanctuary, 3 Shades, En-Trance, REAL, Skin and most recently Switch. She has researched and travelled extensively throughout Europe, the Caribbean and Africa; she participated in the Black Choreographic Initiative and has worked with Batanai, the national dance company of Zimbabwe. Gail continues to build on her skills and expertise as a performer and choreographer through strategic research and choreographic collaborations with artists such as; Douglas Thorpe, Vincent Mantsoe and Koffi Koko.
Director IAN PARMEL was born into a family of musicians and began drumming and playing steelpan at the age of seven in his homeland, Trinidad and Tobago. He came to England in 1988 to teach steelpan music and joined Kokuma Dance Company in 1991. He performed with and composed music for companies such as Badejo Arts, Brummalata, Black Voices, Sampad and Pan Project before co-founding ACE dance and music with Gail. As a composer Ian has created and directed music for all of ACE’s eight productions; he has performed as an individual practitioner around the world and played with numerous international practitioners. He has also introduced the company to new ways of creating music which encompass both traditional and modern styles. He continues to explore digital science within the music arena.
