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Deaf Men Dancing

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Category: Firefly
b_500_450_16777215_00_images_stories_firefly_dmd_DSC_5569.jpg Mark Smith is a deaf choreographer (Sadler’s Wells’ ‘Shoes’ and Wilton Music Hall’s ‘Iolanthe’). Mark is a founder and artistic director of a new all-male deaf dance company called Deaf Men Dancing, who was formed in August 2010. Mark Smith uses a fusion of different styles of dance incorporated with sign-language to create an expressionist work for his company Deaf Men Dancing. The dancers and collaborators are Anthony Snowden, Joseph Fletcher, Kevin Jewell and Mark Smith.

DMD was invited to perform at DanceEast’s 1st Anniversary Gala, E4’s ‘Battlefront’, London 2012's Deaf Day, DaDa Disability & Deaf Arts' 'Hands-On' and Candoco's 20th Anniversary Cabaret. Mark Smith received commission from WithoutWalls to create outdoor performance of Alive! with DMD and Rachel Gadsden, visual artist. Recently DMD performed Alive! at the Brighton Festival and will soon perform Alive! at Stockton International Riverside Festival, Greenwich + Docklands Festival's Dancing City, Liberty Festival, Minifest Festival, Lakes Alive, Bristol’s Habour Festival and Manchester’s Xtrax Festival.

Performing: Sunday 24 July

Sense of Freedom

Ghost Music:- ‘You take me to another level with a sense of freedom,rhythm of the night I take my ride with you.’

A deep understanding of the way music seeps through your veins and into your soul it becomes all that you are, you are lost in it. We express this sensation through dance, this is a step by step account of the music taking over in the form of dance that gives you a sense of freedom and allows your body to move without any reason for doing so, it shows the true connection with the two and how your body is the centre of that connection. It forms a gift of the freedom to just be.

Choreographer: Mark Smith
Dancers: Anthony Snowden, Kevin Jewell, Joesph Fletcher and Mark Smith
Photo copyright Mikah Smillie