RECLAMATION

Creative Directors: Blodwyn Jenkins & Lucy Bennett  

Music: Adithyanarayanan Shankar and Cerlyne Tung Shuo Ling

Dancers:Amy Adams, Tegan Emery-Barker, Roxi Beca, Evie Cummings, Macy Dear, Blodwyn Jenkins, Chanice Johnson, Kat Kirwin, Cayleigh Long, Ashleigh Stohr, Jessica Williams

It is when we realize that other people’s bodies are not our battlefields that the true fight begins.

The fight to be heard in a world that silences us, the fight that needs us to have the strength to stand alone but the courage to stand together. 

In a world that has beaten, broken and betrayed us by taking so much, look down at your body and know there is no place like home because here you are living despite it all.

Image by Ellie Piri 

Blodwyn Jenkins (she/her) is a Welsh-born disabled dance artist whose practice looks at challenging the perceptions of disability in the arts, promoting individuality and inclusivity in her works. Blodwyn's movement vocabulary conveys emotion through exploring extreme physicality, athleticism and embodiment of movement, which stems from breathwork and uses voice. Training in all musical theatre disciplines, including opera, for thirteen years before expanding her practice by studying contemporary with particular attention to Graham and release techniques -Blodwyn uses all her training to create a multidisciplinary approach to works. In addition to performing and choreographing, Blodwyn has been teaching since 2014 and is keen to continue this aspect of her practice -making dance more widely accessible and inclusive as she believes that every 'body' can dance. Her activism features strongly in choreographic works as they are centred around socio-political issues both past and present. Forever fighting forpeace, freedom, and equality is at the very heart of Blodwyn's practice. 

Lucy is an experienced dancer and budding choreographer who has trained extensively in contemporary, jazz, commercial, choreography, heels and burlesque (under the stage name Lulu Latex). Lucy is also trained in circus arts including fire stunts and aerial hoop. Lucy is known for founding Lucy Bennett Dance Company in 2019 after receiving funding from The Arts Council in collaboration with Dance Umbrella under the Next Level choreographer scheme. Lucy also works in relationships and sex education and in maternity care as a birth doula which she takes influences and inspirations from when creating her art.