New Year- New Skills

Lion dance performance

This week it was Chinese New Year and to celebrate All The Skills can bring you not one but TWO new skill

As some of you know it is now the year of the Tiger and there is someone we would love you all to meet- TERRANCE!

No Terrance is NOT a tiger but he is Chinese and recently he has been very busy in schools and doing performances showing the people of Manchester what Chinese Lion dancing is all about. All The Skills are able to bring Terrance and his friends plus handler Michael to your school, community group or business for an energetic and colourful session.

For schools we offer workshops where pupils can learn about the history and context of Lion dancing before having a go themselves and playing some traditional Chinese instruments. We have different sized Lions, our small lions are suitable for reception pupils to use while older students may be able to use the more fuller figured Terrance!

Community groups can have a similar workshop session or have Terrance make a personal performance at their event.

Businesses can also hire Terrance to appear at parties, PR events and open days.

Lion dances are often performed by competing Kung Fu schools and Terrance’s handler Michael can also provide Kung Fu workshops suitable for all ages. The sessions could be part of your schools PE curriculum, part of a self defence class for your group or form part of a demonstration at your event.

If you are interested in booking Terrance to come to your school, group or business please email naomi@alltheskills.co.uk

Lion dance workshop in a school

Book Terrance to appear at your public event

Tonge’s Got Talent

On Saturday Naomi and Sean provided various circus based entertainment at Tonge’s Got Talent 2009. It was the giant pink fluffy leg warmers first official outing and overall they were well received.

The day was about celebrating local talent and we were treated to singing and dancing from the Melody Pop school, football matches and a line dancing demonstration. Several special guests were invited to watch the performances including the Mayor and Lofty the Bolton Wanderer’s Lion.

After doing some walkabout, Naomi and Sean did a drop in circus skills session teaching children and their parents how to spin plates, juggle, spin diabolos and more. Sean made one senior citizen’s day by presenting her with a balloon model cat in memory of her Bertie who had recently passed on.

Naomi and Lofty the Lion

Naomi and Sean were both interviewed for Bolton FM, which gave Sean the opportunity to put to use his media training. The conversation went something like this… “So what do you think about events like this?” – ‘They’re great, it brings the comunity together and everyone has fun!’ -”What was your favourite thing today?” – ‘The circus skills!’

Sean later was interviewed about his contact juggling, probably the first time something so reliant on visuals has been portrayed on this medium.

Our first gig.

15th August 2008

Streetdance and Circus skills workshops for Artsworks in Teesdale.

The day began early at Middleton in Teesdale Village Hall where we were soon joined by the quietest group of girls we’d ever worked with. I think Sean and I have become used to boisterous inner city groups.

We started with circus skills in the morning, a break for lunch then a time of free play on the circus props. The day ended with a small showing for parents. Acts included a flower stick passing routine, juggling, some diabolo tricks and the dance routine to Flo Rida’s “Low.” Not bad for a day’s work.

Returning to work in Teesdale made me think about arts provision in rural areas and opportunities for young people to learn from arts professionals. There seems to be a lot of activity aimed at involving youth in urban areas in the arts under the assumption that somehow they are culturally disadvantaged. However, I think that those living in rural areas are at a disadvantage too, often living a long way from arts venues and cultural hubs and there seems to be a lot less effort at cultural engagement with these groups.

what can we do?