In 2001 – 2003, the team expands to include Kat Bridge as Professional Development and Events Coordinator, Wendy Steatham as Administration Coordinator and later Finance Coordinator, and Rachelle Greene and Caron Loudy as Community and Education Coordinators. Lydia Wharf joins the team as Admin and Marketing Coordinator. Class teachers on the community programme include Lisa Kendall, Kath Manners, Jose Olivares, Conor O’Donnell, Pat Sparow, Lorna Anders, Martin Bowes, Caron Loudy and Jody Morgan.
“Early 2000s and the Borough Hall was buzzing morning till night. How lucky I was to begin my career – fresh-faced and enthusiastic – surrounded and supported by the most incredible, generous and talented people. A memory that really sticks is the constant flow of dance artists, teachers and musicians popping into the office for ‘a quick chat’ – not interruptions, but inspirations. How much I learnt and how gratefully and gladly I carry all of these memories with me throughout my career.”
Wendy Steatham
Performances in 2001 included Gaby Agis’s touch UN SITE performed by Gaby, Kirsty Alexander and Florence Peake; Caron Brown and Esther Rolinson’s Machine for Living, Kerry Nicholls Dance Company and Prised Open with F-Stop choreographed by Athina Vale. In 2002, Protein try out Publife, Roses’ Thoughts (direction and choreography by Ruth Segalis) presents Dakini alongside extracts from their wider repertoire; Clare Missingham presents Urban Memories and Union Dance Company present Dance in House.
Flyers for Rose's Thoughts and Union Dance
In 2002, gDA presented a South Asian Dance Season featuring Vena Ramphal and Mavin Khoo, Angika and Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, Step Out Arts with Jie Qong 2002. CandoCo’s The Dancers Project – a result of two weeks of research, exploration and creation under the mentorship of Jasmin Vardimon – resulted in a work specifically for the Borough Hall which made full use of the expansive floor area and was followed by a discussion by Celeste Dandeker, Brendan Keaney and Jasmin Vardimon.
A brochure for gDA's South Asian Dance Season
Greenwich Youth Dance Company performed as part of Greenwich and Docklands International Festival with Break choreographed by dancer Banksy and performed again in the After School Dance Club sharing featuring 8 local schools (Cardwell, Millenium, Henwick, Mulgrave, Cherry Orchard, St Thomas More and St Pauls RC, and Eltham Green Secondary schools). DanceAbility, a project supporting adults with learning disabilities also took place at Heathview Day Centre in Abbey Wood as well as classes for SEN children at a school in Charlton.
A flyer for Greenwich Youth Dance Company
The London Summer School, a partnership with Chisenhale Dance Space and Independent Dance at the Jerwood Space also took place each year with artists including Gill Clarke, Scott Clark, Lucia Walker, Ruth Zaporah and Yvonne Rainer. In addition, gDA in partnership with Sadler’s Wells offered an Alvin Ailey Dance Company summer school.
Ricochet’s dance in the community project for GDIF also took place: five company members selected five local dancers of all ages to join them as partners in five duets which they created at a site at the Royal Arsenal. Hugo Glendinning and composer Gareth Williams joined them.
In 2003, the company’s 10th anniversary year, professional class leaders included Theo Clinkard, Ellen van Schulyenburch, Yvette Perry Campbell, Rachel Krische, Anna Williams, Jasika Pate and Heather Regis Duncan. Performances included Kompany Malachi’s Hip HopStory, Union Dance and Vital Moves with Permanent Revolution V2R, Kerry Nicholls and Ben Wright with a double bill and Temujin Gill’s That Swing Thing.
Flyers for That Swing Thing
