6/7/2000
Blazing Festival 2000
Blazing, London
Come and soak up the very best of summer on the South Bank! With its emphasis firmly on participation, Blazing continues the hugely popular tradition of the Blitz dance festival. This year, London's major summer festival of dance, music and visual arts takes to the floor, outdoors and water, teeming with performances and fun activities, for everyone from complete novices to committed fans of every age - and most events are free.
Come and soak up the very best of summer on the South Bank! With its emphasis firmly on participation, Blazing continues the hugely popular tradition of the Blitz dance festival. This year, London's major summer festival of dance, music and visual arts takes to the floor, outdoors and water, teeming with performances and fun activities, for everyone from complete novices to committed fans of every age - and most events are free. Professional and community organisations and artists bring the latest trends in dance as well as old favourites - for all ages, abilities and levels of experience, with performances, workshops, videos, talks and much more. As well as our hugely popular lunchtime music foyer performances, and Commuter Jazz, there is a range of big name outdoor music on Sunday lunchtimes. Don't forget to visit Artstation - vast paper sculptures taking over the foyer.
Here are some highlights:
Friday 7 July Riverside Terrace
Outdoor Summer Music
5.30 - 7.15pm Afro Blue
Sunday 9 July Riverside Terrace
Outdoor Summer Music
1 - 3pm Alex Wilson: Anglo Cubana
Click here for more details
Friday 14 July Riverside Terrace
Outdoor Summer Music
5.30 - 7.15pm Jim Mullen Quartet
Sunday 16 July Riverside Terrace
Outdoor Summer Music
1-3pm James Taylor Quartet
Acid jazz pioneers in hard-driving funky Hammond-led grooves with jagged guitars and blistering horns
Saturday 22 July Ballroom Floor
All Day - Javanese Gamelan and dance workshops & performances
4.15pm Javanese Wayang Kulit - Dewa Ruci
A performance in English by Puppeteer Ben Arps and the South Bank Gamelan Players. Wayang Kulit is the spectacular
shadow puppet play accompanied by the gamelan. 'Dewa Ruci' is among the most famous wayang plays derived from the
Indian epic, the Mahabharata.
Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 July
Badejo Arts present Emi Ijo - Heart of Dance
A dance and music event on three different sites, suitable for all the family. Performance starts at Greenwich and travels to the
Royal Festival Hall by boat for a performance on the Queen Elizabeth Hall roof. Tickets and information from the Box Office
on 020 7960 4242 or online booking
Sunday 23 July Ballroom Floor
Pagdiriwang: A Celebration
Join Lahing Kayumanngi Dance Company for a fiesta of dance, music, song and crafts celebrating the rich culture of The
Philippines
Thursday 27 July Ballroom Floor
site.body.specific
Dance and performance off-stage with contemporary dance company Sirens Crossing. Unscrambling the ins and outs of dance
made for non-theatre spaces and challenge your assumptions about where dance belongs.
Friday 28 July Ballroom Floor
Lincolnshire Dance bring the fens, wolds, sea and market towns of Lincolnshire to the Royal Festival Hall, through a snapshot
of the dance that happens there. Egyptian dance, street jazz dance and flamenco are among the styles of dancing featured on
this day
Saturday 29 July Ballroom Floor
Friends Dancing
Celebrate 20 years of Amici Dance Theatre - and explore dance and disability yesterday, today and tomorrow
Sunday 30 July Ballroom Floor
Stepback
English folk dance as you've never seen it before. Traditional doesn't necessarily mean old. Conventions can be broken! Jazz
Ceilidh for everyone to join in from 5.30pm on the Ballroom Floor
Monday 31 July Ballroom Floor
Leaps and Bounds
A day for pre-teens to get the school holidays off to a flying start! The Central Council of Physical Recreation presents
movement and dance opportunities galore for toddlers to 12 year olds to let off steam and enjoy a wide range of dance
experiences
Thursday 3 August Ballroom Floor
Union Dance
Hip-hop, capoeira, vogueing, B-bop - Union has it all! Come along and learn more about their exhilarating dance style
Friday 4 August Ballroom Floor
Dance Caribbean Dance!
Centred on the lovely Caribbean quadrille, this exciting and fun-filled day gives an insight into the rich folk culture of the
Caribbean
Friday 4 - Tuesday 29 August
Royal Festival Hall foyer
Immaterial - Big Paper, Small Robot, Sticky Tape
This summer an incredible gigantic installation made from over a kilometre of white paper and brown gumstrip transforms the
interior space of the RFH foyer. Artstation from Cardiff creates a unique site-specific sculptural environment. Look at listings
for chances to meet the artists and help create sculptures with Artstation
Saturday 5 August Ballroom Floor
Dance Cinema with V-TOL
If you are a would-be dancer, composer or screenwriter, this is your chance to encounter V-TOL, renowned for its ground
breaking integration of dance with music, text, visual design and film
Sunday 6th August Ballroom Floor
Fusion 4 All - Jazz-co-tech
Fusion 4 All is a day dedicated to enjoying jazz influenced dance. There will be free workshops for all abilities led by
internationally respected dancers who are keen to get you moving
Monday 7 - Wednesday 9 August
Ballroom Floor
Anjali - at the cutting edge of disability dance
This amazing and pioneering dance company of people with learning disabilities takes centre stage at Blazing for 3 glorious
days. The residency culminates with performances at 1.30pm and 6.30pm on 9 August
Thursday 10 August Ballroom Floor
Blazing with the Sun King
Music and dance from the court of Versailles. Discover the elements of Baroque dance with Michael Holmes, Nicola Gaines
and Christopher Tudor, with members of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Friday 11 August Ballroom Floor
Shiksha - Behind the Performance
Step into the exciting and colourful world South Asian Dance through Kathak and Barata Natyam with a range of workshops
and performances. Learn about Karnatic and Hindustani music, explore the techniques of Abhinaya and have a go at face
painting
Saturday 12 August Ballroom Floor
F.R.E.S.H! - Presented by Leadance
Take a new look at South Asian Dance - performances and workshops in yoga, music, martial arts, film, dance, bhangra,
storytelling and contemporary South Asian Dance
Friday 11 and Saturday 12th August
RFH Outside Terrace at 9pm
AKADEMI: South Asian Dance in the UK
Directed and designed by artist Keith Khan, with dancer/choreographer Pushkala Gopal, this spectacular site-specific
performance will blast out of the South Bank architecture in a thought-provoking journey of the senses.
Sunday 13 August
The Ballroom Blitz with Peggy Spencer
Stars of Ballroom Dancing join with all you dance lovers for the most popular day in the dance world's social calendar. Join
Peggy Spencer as she returns to host this wonderful day of non-stop hoofing as Blazing Dance draws to its glittering and
glamorous conclusion.
Sunday 13 August RFH Terrace
Outdoor Summer Music
1.30 - 3pm Echoes of Ellington Jazz Orchestra
Friday 18 August RFH Terrace
Outdoor Summer Music
5.30 - 7.15pm Wade Austin Band
Sunday 20 August RFH Terrace
Outdoor Summer Music
1-3pm Phase II Pan Groove
Friday 25 August RFH Terrace
Outdoor Summer Music
5.30 - 7.15pm Ed Jones Quintet
Full details of the Blazing festival are on the Blazing website
Admission Free
*SBC(charity)
Sponsored by BP