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Dance Republic 2’s festival of landscape and dance returns to Cornwall this summer.

SALT celebrates great dance made for the outdoors, using Cornwall’s extraordinary natural landscape to showcase site-based work by professional dance companies.

Launched in 2013, the 2016 festival has been supported with an award of £55,000 through our Grants for the arts scheme, whilst Simon Birch Dance also received £29,328 to developShoreline.

It’s an ambitious festival with some real treats in store for audiences of all ages Antony Waller, Dance Republic 2

SALT 2016 opened with a new commission Generate, devised and choreographed by Luca Silvestrini in collaboration with dancer Kip Johnson and inspired by Wadebridge’s history as a railway town. The audience were led on a guided walk around Wadebridge encountering performances from a cast of inter-generational performers.

This weekend, Simon Birch Dance premiere their new work Shoreline, exploring our connection with the sea.  Powerfully danced by six professional performers right on the edge of the sea, audiences will be completely immersed in the event and may even get wet feet.  The choreography takes the dancers into the water, onto the sand and rocks along shorelines, supported by a choir made up of local choral groups and individuals.

Cscape Dance Company also present a new work in the site-specific Neptunalia at Trebah Garden, near Falmouth.  Described as a feast for the heart, soul and belly, the piece explores the emotions of leaving home, of prodigal sons and daughters and culminates in food and drinks, dancing and celebrations on the beach.

Internationally recognized dance comedy theatre company, New Art Club return to Cornwall with a brand new, touring performance piece called Campervan of Love in which Cupid, known for helping the world to fall in love, has now fallen in love himself, only to discover his powers have deserted him.  New Art Club will tour campsites, beaches and gardens with the help of their hot pink, magical Campervan in search of a solution to his problem.

The festival will culminate in The Salt Summer Ball, an opportunity to dress ultra-glamorously and enjoy an evening of dance and dancing overlooking the ocean.

The SALT Festival is not just about presenting work for audiences, but supporting and nurturing dance artists to explore and develop their own practice. Antony Waller, Dance Republic 2

Alongside the professional performances the Cornwall Dance Partnership is working with schools on selected elements of the programme, with five different performances in July.

SALT 2016 also includes an opportunity for dance artists and choreographers interested in making dance and performance work in outdoor and landscape settings to spend time with internationally renowned choreographer Rosemary Lee.  The residency is set in Cornwall’s stunning Hay Studio, overlooking the Camel Valley, North Cornwall at the end of the month.

Dance Republic 2 is a creative venture for people who love dance.  As well as producing and presenting work, the organisation leads the collaborative dance consortium’s Cornwall Dance Partnership and Propeller Dance.  Since 2012, Dance Republic 2 has been involved in a process of debate and consultation around dance for children and young people with Falmouth University, Cornwall Sports Partnership, KEAP, Hall for Cornwall, independent dance artists and teachers, and Head teachers and teachers from Cornwall schools.

Find out more

You can find out more about SALT 2016 here and more about our Grants for the arts programmehere.

You can also sign up for our e-newsletter to find out about funding, what we’re up to and how you can get involved in making the case for art and culture.