May 2016 | Anthony & Kevin Go Full Circle
This Saturday, 23 years after first meeting at Trafford Youth Dance Theatre as teenagers, Company Chameleon’s co-founders, Anthony Missen and Kevin Edward Turner, launch their own youth dance company at the iconic Manchester Central Library.
The event will see the personal dance stories of our co-founders go full circle, as they look to share and pass on, all the knowledge and experience they’ve gained from touring the world performing as Company Chameleon.
Ahead of the launch, Kevin and Anthony look back and look forward, sharing two perspectives on dance as a teenager.
Looking back…
Anthony: “For me in my teenage years, dance was an escape. It was the first thing that I experienced where I felt a huge sense of freedom. Up until then, other things that I’d done and been involved in, had a clear structure with definite start and end points. This was different, there was no right or wrong, no expectations or negativity: dance could be anything and this opened up all sorts of possibilities. One of the first productions I worked on with Kevin was inspired by an art house film called Wings of Desire. A group of us watched it together and then translated the characters and themes into text and movement. I remember really enjoying and getting a buzz from learning the piece and I felt proud to have been given the responsibility to deliver and perform it.”
Kevin: “Looking back, the first thing that pops out is the sense of community and belonging; feeling part of something and been surrounded by like-minded people, which included Anthony. One of the first dance pieces we made together was based on the idea of David and Goliath, but set in an urban contemporary setting. Linda Coles, the Director, brought in some kick boxers so we could learn about the language of martial arts. I remember it felt exciting to make something new. We played with the notions of these two tribes and there was a Romeo and Juliet type dynamic too. Even in those early days, there was a healthy discourse between Anthony and I, we inspired each other, shared ideas and put our own spin and take on things.”
Looking forward…
Anthony: “I didn’t know I was interested in dance until it was there in front of me. I hope Chameleon Youth provokes interest in the same way. Dance gives you a different way of being and seeing. It gives you a chance to learn about yourself and other people in a different way and access what’s underneath the surface. It will be exciting to see the young people in Chameleon Youth go through the creative process, and discover new things about themselves and others that they have never thought about before. Kids need role models and I really hope we can be that too.”
Kevin: “I’m looking forward to giving the young people a departure point and then letting them grow, explore, investigate, propose, challenge and question. Directors create frame and structure, but it will be the young people who drive forward and make and develop the work. We want to create an environment of trust, where the young people can explore internal thoughts and each other’s ideas in relation to the world. This way we can get really deep into the work and, as a result, create some really fantastic dance theatre. We’re not trying to create Anthony and Kevin clones: that would be failure. We’re looking to develop creative and confident young dance artists, who are passionate about expanding their creativity, and in doing so grow and develop a whole host of life skills.”
Age 11 to 18? Join us for Chameleon Youth FREE Taster Sessions at Manchester Central Library on Sat 7 and Sat 14 May. No experience necessary, just bags of enthusiasm and a big desire to dance and be creative. Book a place.
