Hedydd Dance Company to perform vertical dance in Caernarfon

Rhyl Journal

4 days ago

Hedydd Dance Company will present two shows of Hiraeth, Lost Roots at Galeri in Caernarfon on August 16 at 2.30pm and 7pm.
The company blends ground-based movement with vertical dance, in which performers are suspended above the stage using climbing equipment.
Lisa Spaull, co-director of Hedydd and a dancer from Colwyn Bay, said: "It's fair to say vertical dancing is very niche, we use climbing equipment to suspend dancers off the ground and we fly through the air.
"We blend our vertical dancing with dancing on the ground."
The show is directed by Lisa Spaull, Despina Goula, Angharad Jones, and Kseniia Fedorovykh.
Before the main performances, audience members can take part in a hands-on introduction to vertical dance—including the opportunity to try out a harness and be suspended in the air.
Ms Spaull said: "We're adopting that model and including the option of having a go in the harness, so if somebody wants to, they can experience what it feels like to be suspended from the ground.
"People who are sighted can also come to that as well, it's available for everyone – it's a lot of fun."
The show features live music and narration in both Welsh and English, composed and performed by singer-songwriter Eadyth Crawford.
Creative audio description will be provided throughout the performance to make it accessible to visually impaired audiences.
The production explores themes of home, belonging, migration, and memory, drawing on the dancers' personal backgrounds and stories.
It also weaves in elements of Celtic, Greek, and Ukrainian mythology.
Ms Spaull said: "We have four languages between us and each of us has our own individual story and cultural background—bringing them together makes the show richer and celebrates our cultures and life experience."
For St Asaph-based dancer Kseniia Fedorovykh, who left Ukraine in 2022 following the Russian invasion, the show's theme of lost roots feels particularly personal.
Ms Fedorovykh said: "To leave was a forced decision, a decision I would not normally take in a peaceful time.
"Leaving is a huge decision and it definitely changes your life and I think this performance that we are doing is very personal."
The Caernarfon performance is a full hour-long version of the piece previously performed at Pontio Arts Centre in February as part of the Bangor Music Festival.
The project is supported by the Arts Council of Wales, Tŷ Cerdd, and other organisations.
Tickets are available from Galeri at www.galericaernarfon.com or by calling 01286 685222.
To take part in the pre-show touch tour, email [e-mail] or call 07962 424410.