Company Chordelia was formed in April 2002 by choreographer and Artistic Director, Kally Lloyd-Jones. Since then, they have toured work extensively across Scotland and collaborated with a wide variety of art-forms, with the key aim of bringing dance to a wider audience. With over 10 productions under their belt and having secured investment from Creative Scotland as a Flexibly Funded Organisation, Company Chordelia are fast establishing themselves as one of the leading lights in the Scottish dance scene. They have a number of productions touring in the next 12 months so there is no better time to see them on stage.

The Seven Deadly Sins

Premiering this year, The Seven Deadly Sins is a brand new production in collaboration with Scottish Opera and their full orchestra conducted by Jessica Cottis. Originally written in the 1930s by German playwright Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill it’s described as a “Sung Ballet” and contains elements of dance, theatre and opera.

Set in Depression era America it tells the story of Anna as she sets out to start a new life for her and her impoverished family. As she travels from town to town she is forced to battle with temptation as she encounters each of the seven deadly sins.

Five performances of The Seven Deadly Sins can be seen later this year over four dates:

29 Aug & 3 Sept – HMV Picture House, Edinburgh

31 Aug & 1 Sept – O2 ABC, Glasgow

In order to echo the gritty period style of the piece, every effort has been made to make the experience as authentic as possible for the audience. Both venues were chosen to stage the production due to the fact they used to be Art Deco cinemas and have cabaret style seating. Also, in the hour before each performance, special archive film footage from the American depression will be screened

Cabaret Chordelia

One of a number of collaborations between Chordelia director Kally Lloyd-Jones and English baritone Damian Thantrey, Cabaret Chordelia is a 21^st Century take on traditional cabaret forms. Three dancers, along with Thantrey and a piano accompaniment take the audience through a varied songlist – including works by Kirsty MacColl, Tom Waits, Burt Bacharach and Noel Coward.

"tasteful and polished, but not glamorous, and as gritty as an opera. It is a study on how popular forms are integrated into supposedly higher art forms. Certainly cool, undoubtedly intelligent!" - Gareth K. Vile, The Shimmy Skinny

After completing a successful run at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Cabaret Chordelia will be part of this year’s Glasgay! events in late October/early November and will then be touring selected venues next spring.  

Miranda

A psychological thriller that follows the eponymous lead character on a voyage of self discovery, Miranda has attracted great audience feedback from its first run in March this year. It combines dance, music and theatre to encourage the audience to immerse themselves in Miranda’s world.

“Absolutely fabulous!! My first experience of dance – enthralling, loved it.”

“Wow! Fantastic show, mesmerising performance” – Feedback from audience members in March

Miranda is on tour in Scotland in October and November:

23 October - Cottiers Theatre, Glasgow.
27 October - Woodend Barn, Banchory.
29 October - The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen.
3 November - Byre Theatre, St Andrews.
4 November - Eastgate Theatre, Peebles.
11 November - Perth Theatre, Perth.
20 November - Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.

Workshops

In addition to touring their own productions, Company Chordelia also run programmes of workshops and pre/post performance activities.

The latest strand of the company’s performance and education programme is Creativity and Wellbeing workshops which aim to help participants to find new ways to access their imaginations, bodies and feelings. This is achieved through a programme of movement, dance, drawing, creative writing and spoken word.

The Creativity and Wellbeing workshops are offered for different ages, abilities, needs and priorities and are individually developed with specific themes to meet the group’s requirements. They are also offered in a range of formats from a one-off two-hour workshop to a series of weekly workshops or an intensive day / weekend format. 

For more details on the workshops and where you can see Company Chordelia performing in 2011/12 visit their website

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