14 Nov No Assumptions, Please!

Being part of a mixed-ability dance performance for the ŻiguŻajg Festival

Hello everyone and welcome to No Assumptions Please! I would like to share with you some great news. This year Opening Doors is taking part in the ŻiguŻajg Arts Festival for Children & Young People for the second year round, with almost the same cast as for Automaniacs. This year’s performance is called H20 Water Magnifico and is again directed by Douglas Comley and produced by Sandra Mifsud.

As part of my second year degree in Creative Arts at MCAST, I need to do a work placement each semester. I got the opportunity to do my work placement in observing how Doug works during rehearsals for this show, as well as during the Teatru Manoel Youth Dance (TMYD) training sessions that I am part of this year. I’m really happy about these opportunities to grow and develop as a dancer.

It is a fun way of learning because my friends (the other cast members) are also helping me to overcome my weaknesses and to turn them into strengths. It’s a beautiful process because not only am I learning from Doug to become a better dancer but everyone in the cast is also involved in my journey of learning both as a dancer and as an individual.

Photography: Ilona Baldacchino

The process of creating our show (some examples)

• Our first meeting was a workshop where the cast of H20 Water Magnicifico got together to talk about the ZiguZajg performance this year, what we will be doing, and getting started to work creatively together in a few exercises.
• At one of the first rehearsals we created an underwater world with floaties while exploring its properties and what it was able to make us do with it. We experimented with the floaties by turning them into seaweed, a boat, a shark, a jellyfish, a starfish and a fish.
• We experimented with torches behind the floaties while holding them up. It was very tough for me to hold my floatie up with one hand as it was too much strain on my arm. We later experimented with different things which we could do with the floaties which also included some partner work which I liked because it meant that someone was helping me in keeping my floatie stable and holding it properly.
• I was given the part of a surfer. Doug brought in his own surfboard and gave me lessons on how to surf properly, like how to go into a wider stance with my legs on the board and how to crouch and get up on it with a huge white sheet held by two of my other castmates which was used as the waves I was riding on.

If you want to see us in action then grab your tickets now and join us on this watery journey on Friday 18th, Saturday 19th or Sunday 20th, at Aula Prima (https://www.ziguzajg.org/h2o-water-magnifico/).

I want to say a huge thank you to the ŻiguŻajg Festival for believing in inclusion and diversity.

Photography: Elisa von Brockdorff