terra/earth
February 2019
My love, outside of theatre, is contemporary dance. In 2019 as part of NT Connections, a piece was commissioned which combined dance and text. It was an intriguing piece to work on and eminently satisfying.
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A group of classmates is torn apart by the opportunity to perform their own dance. As they disagree and bicker, two distinct physical groups emerge and separate into opposing teams.
When a strange outsider appears — out of step with everyone else — the divide is disrupted. A contemporary narrative dance piece about individuality, community and heritage.
I wanted to write a play that used the language of the body as well as the tongue. The point where text meets movement is a fascinating place to explore, and I thought it important to engage young people who might not be interested in straight performance, but something more dynamic. I also wanted to address how many judgements we make when we meet new people, both conscious and unconscious. — Nell Leyshon
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"This show was an object lesson in how to tell a story with few words using mainly movement and dance. You can all be very proud of yourselves for achieving so much and performing to such a high standard. The Young Theatre is incredibly fortunate to have such a talented team both on and off stage." NODA
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