Darcy, one of two dancers in FIVE, tells us a little bit more about herself and her favourite part of the show...
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I’m Darcy, I was born in Sydney, Australia, and I grew up dancing. My Mum was a dancer and she owned a dance studio, so instead of watching the class I would join in! I then moved to London to study at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance which is where I found the wonderful world of contemporary dance. I realised there that there’s not just serious dance… it can be a lot of fun with more interesting, abstract work. I’m recently graduated and currently experiencing what life brings me!
Why are dance and movement important to you?
During school I was always interested in the sciences, but dance was the one thing I consistently wanted to work hard at! For me, I find it easier to express myself through dance than through my words. And obviously that’s important because everyone wants to communicate! I think [dance] is natural – everyone has a sense of rhythm. If someone hears music they will tap along, or at least acknowledge the beat. I don’t believe that anybody can’t dance – everyone can move!
What is your favourite part of FIVE and being in FIVE?
My favourite part would have to be the ‘hearing’ part because there’s a couple of moments where we play around with the music and it’s quite funny! I find myself still finding it funny even though we’ve been doing it for a long time! Being part of FIVE has been a great experience because of the creative process. We got to make up a lot of the material, in terms of how much dance is in it compared to what’s been done before.
Also, working with children is way more fun – it’s a completely different outlook on your audience. If they don’t like the show you’ll know, if they love it you’ll know! It’s instant, unfiltered feedback from the audience!
What can children and their grown-ups expect to experience with FIVE and what message will they take away from it?
They can expect being introduced into a completely different world which is completely relatable to the world that they’re in. What we’ve created feels otherworldly – we don’t talk, it’s non-verbal, but in every other way it’s so communicative. They will feel a sense of curiosity, comedy, excitement and interest.
We don’t pretend that they’re children, we treat them as equals. They’re part of us; they’re part of the show.
The message they’ll take away from FIVE is that everything you experience is through something – your ears, your eyes, through a sense. I hope that they take away an interest in movement and the theatre. It’s important for kids to find an outlet, whether it’s through theatre, dance, or singing.
What was your first theatre experience as a child?
My first theatre experience as a child was being backstage and seeing my Mum run a two-hour show! I remember all the people changing the lights, the rigging, and me thinking ‘This is great! I want to be a part of this.’ My first experience being in the audience as a child was seeing The Wiggles. It blew my mind that they were real people who could sing and dance, and I could dance with them! They weren’t just on the TV, in a 2D box… I loved it.