On Saturday, we were very kindly invited by Adesola Akinleye and Helen Kindred to attend the Narrating the Somatic: Gathering Voices, sharing dance practices symposium at Middlesex University.

The symposium brought together different practitioners from different fields to discuss and explore their work, with a particular reflection and focus on somatic practices, through discussion and movement.

The day began with two keynote talks from Richard Walsh, who discussed the narrative features of dance, with Rosemary Lee reflecting that “what connects us is that we are all alive at this moment… we’re sharing the space, we’re sharing the time… that’s kind of what connects us” providing a valuable context for the day’s proceedings.

A highlight of the day was the book launch of Narratives in Black British Dance, a publication that contributes to the dialogue around Black British Dance, with Jackie Guy and Ola Johanson providing a context to the publication.

It was also great to catch up with Sandie Bourne, Sandra Golding, Louise Katerega, Namron, Freddie Opoku-Addaie and Chris Stenton. A chance to look forward to forthcoming opportunities for the national dance community, and recognise the need to capture and document the legacy of practitioners who have paved the way.