We first featured ‘5 Soldiers’ from Rosie Kay Dance Company almost five years ago during its inaugural tour in 2010. Unusually for a contemporary dance work it’s still touring, with an all new cast, and making people think about all the wars we keep fighting.
The piece itself tells the story of a group of soldiers as they make their way through tour of duty and battle the boredom, fear and uncertainty before ultimately going into battle and the inevitable consequences that come with that.
The company tell us this much about the work;
A visceral ‘tour de force’ of the senses, 5 SOLDIERS provides an intimate view of the training that prepares our soldiers for the sheer physicality of combat, for the possibility of injury, and the impact conflict has on the bodies and minds of everyone it reaches.
The piece has a powerful physicality, moments of humour and is full of honesty, all inspired by input from serving and former soldiers, and has been endorsed as ‘getting it’ by its military audiences. In movement, the performance weaves a story of physical transformation, helping us to understand what makes a soldier and how the experience of warfare affects those that choose to put their life on the line.
We feature some of the work and an interview with company director and the creator of ‘5 Soldiers’ Rosie Kay. The piece continues to tour for the next few months so check the company website for those details.
‘5 Soldiers’ is performed by Duncan Anderson, Shelley Eva Haden, Chester Hayes, Sean Marcs and Oliver Russell with choreography by Rosie Kay.
Filmed at Dance City in Newcastle upon Tyne on May 14th 2015.