Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London one of the capital’s premier ballet and contemporary dance venues. As well as hosting the more traditional dance companies, Sadler’s Wells also funds the Company of Elders, a group of 25 dancers whose average age is 79. Determined to find a way to keep both mind and body active in retirement, these pensioners want more from life than weekly trips to the bingo hall.
No Experience Necessary
There are no formal auditions for the group, and no previous dance experience is necessary. As one might expect in people of that age, members have experienced a variety of medical conditions including osteoporosis, glaucoma, heart problems and hip replacements. But these men and women have no time for the sedate foxtrot or the stately waltz – the Company of Elders have taken their unique style of contemporary dance all over the world.
Imagine – Save the Last Dance for Me follows the group as they embark on their latest project, with the help of choreographer Chris Tudor. They will have just eight weeks to put together a routine, inspired by Hoagy Carmichael music from the 1930s and 40s, and then give a live performance at Sadler’s Wells. As a starting point, the group gather at the theatre to watch the Richard Alston Dance Company perform “Shuffle it Right” for a bit of inspiration.
Rather than merely devising a routine and teaching it to the dancers, Tudor assesses the capability of each member and structures the choreography accordingly. Using Carmichael’s music, he urges each person to create movements based on their memories of that period in their lives. Facial expressions and gestures are the key, the ability to convey emotion simply and openly.
All They Want Is A Bit Of Respect
It’s clear that the company is very close, and members relish the opportunity to come together and achieve something meaningful, to share their experience with younger generations. They are also refreshingly open about their limitations, from physical constraints to memory loss, something which does hamper the ability of some to learn the steps. But rather than sit around and moan about how terrible it is to grow old, they simply keep practicing until they get it right.
What could have been an eye-opening programme about a group fighting against society’s obsession with youth is nearly ruined by the presenter, Alan Yentob. Veering between being patronising and downright rude, it’s obvious Yentob has low expectations of the group’s ability to compete with younger dancers. On a visit to the rehearsal hall he says “I’m not expecting to see arabesques and jetes here, but it’s hard to believe that people who took up dance after they retired will even be able to touch their toes.”
And what was the point of the discussion with choreographer Richard Alston about professional dancers such as Nureyev or Fonteyn who carried on when perhaps they should have rretired? Surely the programme is meant to demonstrate how much life people have in them AFTER they collect their bus passes? And why only eight weeks to put together the show – this isn’t some reality TV talent competition.
If director Fran Landsman had simply let the members of the Company of Elders tell their own story, Save the Last Dance For Me could have been a celebration of a part of society that has become nearly invisible in the media. Unfortunately the Imagine … series is Yentob’s brainchild, so it seems he controls the programme content. Hopefully he will approach the subject of the next show with a more open mind.
