From February 2007 till July 2008 Martial Dance was established as company in residence at Macrobert. Supported by the Scottish Arts Council, this creative partnership enabled Martial Dance to function as a middle scale dance company and facilitated the creative development of Martial Dance at the same time as benefiting local and surrounding communities through education and outreach work. Further support from Falkirk and Stirling Councils enabled Martial Dance to carry out an extensive educational project s with local schools that lead up to a final performance by the students on the Macrobert main stage. Martin delivered a diverse range of workshops for both pupils and teachers inspiring young people to participate and have an interest in dance and giving teachers the confidence to explore this art form with a new and fresh approach.
As a result of this residency Martial Dance successfully toured ActionReaction in 2007 with its exciting and talented company of five. Independently Martial Dance has just completed the 2008 tour of The Other, an emotional graham based contemporary duet performed by the company’s core members.
Now back in London Martial Dance intends to continue its mission to create cutting edge choreography, incorporating new and exciting movement ideas, whilst championing the techniques that made contemporary dance great. Our commitment to education will continue and expand aiming to inspire a greater awareness and deeper understanding of the diversity in the worlds of dance and martial arts.
A word from Martin Robinson: Artist Director.
“My career as a choreographer and as Artistic Director of Martial Dance involves creating sporadic ripples of positive action towards change, ripples that may dissolve without the necessary follow-up. With support from Partners and Macrobert and through my consequent educational endeavors and work in local communities, I am no longer a drop in the ocean but a driving force. I aim to continue to provide accessible and socially aware choreography and outreach work in areas and communities that need it the most. For me, Martial Dance is all about building bridges with artists from other creative and educational contexts and people form the communities we work in. This helps me to realize my ambition to make cutting-edge and socially relevant choreography that allows people to leave the theatre or workshop with the feeling that they have seen something genuinely new and original but that at the same time it comes from a place that is very real!”
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