Thingamajigs was created with an audience of young children (aged 3+) and their families in mind. The dance performance sees two performers explore how a variety of everyday, very familiar objects can be used in weird and wonderful ways. Think paper telescopes, foil moustaches, human hoopla and much much more!

The performance experience starts as soon as the audience enters, with a game of I Spy, led by the performers. On a particularly tricky round of the game, the dance begins as one performer notices a terrifying monster behind them. The pair try every which way to hide from the beast until suddenly they realise there is nothing at all to be scared of; his gruesome spots are just scrunched up pieces of paper, his scaly skin is just kitchen foil (with incidentally is great for making interesting sounds and slippery snakes), and his legs are made of something that nobody would have guessed!

The piece takes the form of lots of short dances, each one discovering another everyday object until, finally, all that is left is a big pile of Thingamajigs!

Previous young audience members said:

‘I think you should do it again!‘          ‘It made me feel happy‘          

‘My favourite bit was when they played with the foil‘             ‘Thank you, I liked it.‘

And grown ups said:

‘We didn’t know what to expect at all so it was really refreshing to see something completely different. Yeah, good fun.‘

‘Absolutely fantastic!‘

The performance involves some audience interaction and is 30 minutes in length. It can either be offered alongside  workshops for the children watching to take part in (giving them the chance to try out movement ideas from the show as well as encouraging their own explorations with the objects that are used), or as a stand alone event.

Thingamajigs is supported by Creative Leap, a new professional development scheme which aims to give emerging artists the chance to kick start their careers and turn their creative ideas into reality.

Spiltmilk say Dance takes a tongue-in-cheek look at popular social dance crazes, particularly those that were at the centre of popular culture at their time of prevalence. These dances brought trends in music and fashion, and led new generations of young people to the dance floor. The work takes a look back at these dances but de-constructs and re-imagines them for today’s audience.

Three performers present extremely intricate choreography which looks at the many ways people interact through social dance; from passing on skills and joining together to explore the latest trend, to intense competition.

Spiltmilk say Dance has been delighting audiences in a range of settings since 2009, from shopping centres, car parks and park benches to the Royal Opera House as part of ROH2′s Firsts 2010.

Performances have been met with great acclaim:

‘Hilarious gestural deconstruction ….performed with verve and panache’ (londondance.com)

‘There is considerable wit in Spiltmilk’s performance, from their incongruous musical choices to their sharply satirical choreography’ (ayoungertheatre.com)

‘Their moves are timed to perfection and it’s fun’ (The Stage)

‘Awesome, dance but not dance, sort of like hiding vegetables in kids food’ (Audience member, Buxton Fringe)

The piece takes the form of 9 of short dances, each focussing on a different dance craze. Each dance is given a short but informative spoken introduction by the dancers.

Images of Spiltmilk say Dance can be found here.

The main concepts 5 Dances takes from Warhol’s work are;
• Simple images being portrayed in a way which makes them visually striking
• The use of repetition on an absurd scale
• Ordinary tasks becoming extraordinarily engaging to watch.

5 Dances literally takes the form of 5 short dances, each one drawing on one or more of the above concepts, and developed through its own intricate process.

5 Dances was originally created in 2007 and was later revised in 2008 with support from the National Lottery through Arts Council England. In 2008 the piece was performed at choreographic platforms throughout the country, and at Buxton Festival Fringe, where the company received the festival’s award for dance.

Audience reaction to 5 Dances:

‘This is the first time that I have seen modern dance, and I did not think that it would interest me. Quite the opposite impression has been created, I found this display fascinating’

‘I didn’t expect to understand or appreciate it, and yet I did. Very impressed’

‘I didn’t feel I had to be ‘in the know’ to appreciate the dances – they were original, delightfully performed and great to watch!’

‘This was intelligent and beautiful. I now have more understanding of Warhol + dance’
‘The precision of the dancers, along with the dynamism of the choreography ensured that audience attention was held. In addition, a marked lack of dramatisation ruled, which felt very much in keeping with the nonchalance of Warhol.’ (Cloud Dance Festival Review: Mary Kate Connolly)
‘The company performed a prelude dance followed by four other dances. Each of the dances has been intricately and beautifully choreographed to create a stunning performance. Although the use of repetition was apparent the dances sustained interest throughout by slowly changing the movements from one fluid image to another. Before the performance started each person was given a programme; which included a short introduction to each dance, with an explanation on how they have been created and what has inspired them. This added a nice touch to the performance making the contemporary dances accessible to all people. This production is for anyone who would like to watch something original and fun, I believe that it is a Fringe must-see for 2008!’ (Buxton Fringe Review: Toni Saxton).
To see video clips and photographs of the 5 Dances project, go to our Gallery page.