Protein Dance Takes to the Streets of London With (IN)VISIBLE DANCING

Hailing from the leafy borough of Greenwich, Luca Silvestrini's Protein will for the first time bring their community-invigorating show to London as they take over the streets of Woolwich with (In)visible Dancing. Surprising and seemingly impromptu bursts of dance will pop-up on the high streets, corners and commons over two weeks, culminating in a flash-mob style finale of over 200 dancers, six live musicians and any passers-by who have learned the steps. The two-week immersive event has been seen by over 122,000 people across the UK and Dublin and is unique to every area it visits. For the event's first performance on London streets, Protein will be taking over their home borough, joining Woolwich in its journey towards becoming a creative landmark with the opening the new Woolwich Creative District in 2020.

At a time when so much in our city divides us, (In)visible Dancing aims to bring together different strands of the community, from apprentices to local performers to everyday people who call Woolwich home, and reconnect them with their high street and each other. The seemingly random, incidental occurrences will grow in scale over two weeks, becoming increasingly visible, before culminating in a fully-formed finale performance.

(In)visible Dancing's landing in London will also mark the next steps towards the opening of the new Woolwich Creative District, a landmark £31.59m investment aimed at transforming the area into a new destination for the arts by 2020. Woolwich will also become the new home of Luca Silvestrini's Protein, who have been based in Greenwich since 2012.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich has been one of the supporters of (In)visible Dancing and will be funding Protein over the next four years to continue their work in the local community and with local organisations. The projects will showcase the talents of people living in the area, and celebrate the people, places and spirit of Woolwich and Greenwich.

Councillor Miranda Williams, Royal Borough of Greenwich Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and the Third Sector, said: "We have a strong commitment to arts and culture in Royal Greenwich. We are proud to support events such as (In)visible Dancing which bring our communities together and showcase our local talent. These cultural activities make Royal Greenwich a great place to be and provide access and opportunities into arts and culture employment for local residents. (In)visible Dancing is a great addition to our programme of events and we're looking forward to seeing Protein take over Woolwich Town Centre this summer."

Luca Silvestrini said, "We are really excited to connect more actively with communities in Greenwich and we look forward to impact people's everyday life through dance. We are going to work with individuals, groups, with our newly recruited dance apprentices, and with the next generation of dance professionals. (In)visible Dancing will animate Woolwich Town Centre as never seen before. We're thrilled to involve the people who live in, work in and visit Woolwich and together create a performance to be remembered."

First commissioned by the International Dance Festival Birmingham in 2010, (In)visible Dancing has been seen by over 122,000 people on the high streets of the UK and Dublin, and most recently in Stockton-on-Tees as part of Stockton International Riverside Festival in 2018 and in Hull as part of the UK City of Culture celebrations in 2017. Local residents will be treated to a free dance workshop in the street after each performance where they will be taught the flash mob routine and encouraged to join in the finale performance on Sunday 4 August.

Apprentice dance artist Bar Groisman said, "I am incredibly excited to be a part of this project with Protein, as I believe it is such a great opportunity to bring dance to members of the public who may not necessarily be a part of the dance community. Transforming their everyday environment into a joyful and moving space. I am looking forward to exploring my character, and to bring it out of the studio into an outdoor setting."

Formed in 1997 and currently one of the most distinctive voices in British dance theatre, Protein uses a blend of original choreography, humour and music to entertain and provoke audiences. The company's idiosyncratic dance theatre is provoked by the everyday and its repertoire includes B for Body, a Place Prize Finalist in 2006, and the award-winning LOL (lots of love), which has toured extensively since its 2011 debut, winning acclaim from critics and audiences alike.

Artistic Director Luca Silvestrini's desire to connect theatrical experience with real life stories results in witty shows, both on- and off-stage, that reflect the absurdity in everyday situations and experiences. Born in Jesi, Italy, Silvestrini trained at Bologna University and Laban, and has worked on a number of large-scale cross-generational and participatory events, including the world record-breaking Big Dance Class, East London (which won a Visit London Gold Award) and Big World Dance 2010. He has won a Jerwood Choreography Award, a Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award and The Place Prize 2006 Audience Award,and was one of the first recipients of a Rayne Fellowship for Choreographers (2006). Protein was awarded the Critic's Circle National Dance Award for Best Independent Dance Company 2011, and was nominated again in 2016. Protein is Associate Company with People Dancing, Resident Company at Greenwich Dance, Partner with Yorkshire Dance and ARC Stockton. Luca Silvestrini is a Work Place Artist at The Place, London.

For updates visit www.proteindance.co.uk

To post a comment, you must register and login.