You Don't Stop Dancing Because You Get Old

Sage Dance Company for over-55s will put on a show with Arts Ed students

A ballet-based company for people aged over 55 is planning a show at Arts Ed which will iinclude members in their 70s dancing with students. The show, 'Every Body Dance' will be staged on Tuesday 10 April in the Andrew Lloyd Webber Theatre at Arts Ed, Bath Road.

The mantra of the Sage Dance Company is 'You don't stop dancing because you get old, you get old because you stop dancing', according to Chiswick resident Maggy Pigott who joined the dance company in her sixties.

Says Maggy: "I took up ballet classes a few years ago with Chiswick based Ballet4Life and due to their wonderful teaching got accepted by Sage in 2017.

Sage Dance Company is a charity and performs at a wide variety of venues, from Festivals to small Arts Theatres, retirement villages and hospital. They have given several performances in west London. The company is a ballet based performance dance company for people aged 55 and over (some are in their 70s). Their Director/ Choreographer, Simon Rice, is an ex First Soloist of the Royal Ballet and the 15 members have a very wide experience from starting dance in their 50s/ 60s to a professional, and everything in between.

The show 'Every Body Dance!' is Sage Dance Company's most ambitious event yet and they have five exciting guest performances with dance groups of all ages, including Arts Ed students. There will be a range of dance styles from classical ballet to contemporary and hip-hop.

Maggy says: " We are trying to spread the joy and benefits of dance for all, whatever your age or ability. Our mantra at Sage is: 'You don't stop dancing because you get old, you get old because you stop dancing'.

Tickets are ( £13/£11) and the five guest groups are: .

Ready Willing Able Dance Company was established 14 years ago and is supported by East London Dance where they are based.

Thomas Page Dances is a contemporary dance collective that aims to create thought-provoking work to nurture the creativity and development of young artists, whilst striving to make dance accessible for all. Based in Oxford and London and working on a project-by-project basis, the ever-growing collective consists of artists from the many strands of the contemporary arts industry.

SLiDE is a Croydon based inclusive dance charity that aims to expand the understanding of dance and increase access to the performing arts for all members of the community. SLiDE works with disabled and non-disabled people of all ages and abilities, providing classes and performance projects. Daniel de Mendoza will be performing a solo work. He has danced with SLiDE for six years and is a valued member of the family with an exceptional talent and passion for dance.

Manifest Nation is B-Better’s professional hip-hop dance company, based in Camden and led by T Damien Anyasi, Dance Today’s Teacher of the Year 2014. They have performed at 2012 Olympic Games, Glastonbury, Britain’s Got Talent, The Royal Variety Performance, Adidas, CITV, The National Gallery, Move It and many others.

Sage’s dance programme will include a brand new ensemble piece, “Gitanes”, choreographed by Simon Rice, our Artistic Director, and danced to the wonderfully spirited Pieces Gigtanes from the album Vivaldi and the Baroque Gypsies.

New work by Sage members themselves will also feature alongside more established group pieces from their repertoire including Chase, Pieces of Eight and Zadok.

March 29, 2018