Close

January 1, 2014

2013 – The year in review

It’s a great encouragement to be able to look back at the past year with you and share how far we’ve moved towards our goals, to enjoy past successes and to see some of the growth that was hoped for a year ago. Of course, when you’re in the thick of it, it doesn’t quite look or feel the same!  All the difficulties loom large, the problems can stand in the way like brick walls and to be quite honest for me at times it really didn’t feel like anything else but failure!

BUT… looking back now over the past year really helps me to put things in perspective, so I’ve listed below all the events and successes of the year that I’m really pleased to have achieved.  Enjoy reading or re-visiting these items and I’d love to know what successes you’ve had yourself this year.  Please tell me by  adding your comments in the comment box provided below.

And in no particular order…

Counterpoint Dance Company perform at the indigO2 arena.
It’s our largest venue to date and you can see a video short of the day’s events here.

Cubitt Artists commission me to create a short dance work.
In collaboration with their visual and sound artists I create a 15 minute piece performed by Counterpoint Dance Company inspired by the works of William Blake.  You can see some of the results here.

I teach a masterclass for 3rd year dancers at London Contemporary Dance School.
See the blog post here.

Counterpoint Dance Company make our debut trip to Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
A huge success.  It won’t be our last!  Pics and videos to follow.

Arts Council England fund me for my Migrations London Tour.
This is the biggest project I’ve under taken to-date, collaborating with another choreographer (Jane Judd) and creating a 50 minute piece for three dance companies including Counterpoint Dance with performances at three venues in London.  Here’s everyone in action.

I’m commissioned by A Million Minutes.
This was a very pleasing project hosted by the Alsen Day Centre for the Elderly where I worked with members to develop a public performance in response to their life stories.  You can see some of the results here and my A Million Minutes webpage is here.

Dance UK award me a place on their dance teacher mentorship program.
Very excitingly just before Christmas, Dance UK awarded me a place on their mentorship scheme that develops potential future leaders in the arts.  They’ll be providing me with funding, training and mentorship!  This all begins later in January so watch this space…

I’d love to hear from you and what your successes have been in 2013.  What’s one thing you are pleased to have achieved last year?  Tell me in the comments section below.

10 Comments on “2013 – The year in review

chris
January 1, 2014 at 14:28

hi Simona
firstly let me wish you and Liam all the best for 2014
congratulations on all you have achieved in the past year
keep me posted on your coming projects; we are both
working to the same end. I have joined the music hall
group at Mary Ward who put on a show at the end of
each term; another opportunity to show what old codgers
can do!
chrisxx

Simona
January 4, 2014 at 12:35

That’s great to hear Chris.

David Peacock
January 1, 2014 at 18:32

Many congratulations , Simona, on the range and variety of your many successful ventures thiis year and on securing the Dance UK award. I hope 2014 will be even better.
David

Simona
January 4, 2014 at 12:35

Thank you David, me too!

Diana
January 2, 2014 at 21:04

My undoubted highlight was dancing in The Rite of Spring with 40 other dancers at the New Theatre Royal Portsmouth and The Anvil in Basingstoke. It was very hard work, with lots of commuting as well. But I knew the music from having fallen in love with it at a friend’s end of year concert at The Guildhall of Music back in the Sixties. We had the added pleasure of being accompanied by 115 musicians from the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra! I’ve taken some of the moves into dance classes at the Chichester Festival Theatre, where I’m studying Fred & Ginger and Contemporary Dance. I love the pressure of performing so got a real kick from sharing what we’d created in July in a week long intensive Contemporary dance workshop , based on Circus ( Barnum was showing at CFT)
My ambition is to share our dance creativity with Simona and her crew and to take exams in Ballroom & Latin as well as participate in Big Dance as I did in 2010. Any suggestions?!

Simona
January 4, 2014 at 12:34

Wonderful Diana!

Simona
January 4, 2014 at 12:37

Suggestions to follow…

Teresa Matus
January 4, 2014 at 14:01

Big congratulations Simona on a fantastic year of diverse achievements, & lots more successes to come in 2014.
A personal thank you for your kind caring support & your wonderful classes that gave me the confidence to try the Rambert clases as well. I’ve just registered to do some science courses in 2014 so watch out for some very strange choreographic ideas Simona.

Robin
April 5, 2014 at 13:30

Great idea! Let’s use dance to promote public understanding of science and science concepts. Niki Clayton, bird behaviour scientist, collaborates with Rambert. Let’s adopt a scientist who can inspire us! Entropy, quantum, stem cells, crystallography, evolution, swarming insects, bubbles — the possibilities are endless. We’d learn as we create and the public would learn from our performances — and dance would be the innovative medium of it all.

emmajarrett
January 4, 2014 at 17:55

So wonderful to see you publicly celebrating, in spite of how the year might have felt at time 😉 and thank you for the opportunity to share in the celebrations. It is nice to see how others have shared too. What an active ‘tribe’ you bring together.

One of my biggest celebrations in 2013 was choosing to dance with my children before school in the mornings! We had such a laugh cranking the music up high and often continuing in the car as we raced to beat the bell 🙂 Then professionally I brought the ITM Alexander Technique to musicians and actors here in Western Canada and also in London. Being in the wings as Performance Coach at the end of an intensive summer opera programme was a big moment in my career, plus hearing a shout out for me at The Jazz Cafe in Camden from Beatboxing World Champion, Bellatrix and her Boxettes. An eclectic mix of a year it has been 😉

It is so great to stay in touch via your e-mails. See you in London this year, Simona.

Leave a Reply to Teresa Matus Cancel reply