We sat down with Ross Freddie Ray and Henry Dowden who with the support of many people and organisations are pulling together an extraordinary event to celebrate the power of inclusivity and raise funds for ChildrenToday.
What motivated you to produce Empower in Motion with charity Children Today, and when did that arise?
Ross: I suppose there were a few different areas of inspiration, the first being a video that appeared on social media of Joseph Powell-Main.
Joe was a few years below Henry and I at The Royal Ballet School, and I suppose like most people at high school you tend not to integrate with the lower year students. So, after we graduated, I suppose we never really kept track of Joe and what was going on in his life. 10 years had passed when I saw the video of ‘Sleepwalker’ that Joe was performing in alongside The Royal Ballet and there was the 11-year-old Whitelodge student, now a man, dancing in a wheelchair.
I began digging into his story, trying to learn about his journey and was left utterly inspired by his rebellious approach to never giving up. That story stayed with me for some time. It must have been a few weeks later when I was at a family dinner and my father mentioned that the Charity, he had founded was celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Those who know me and know my family understand how much I adore my father and the work he’s committed the majority of his life to, and so I wondered what I could do to honour his legacy and celebrate the amazing work Children Today has been doing.It didn’t take long for me to call Joe and discuss the ideas with him, which soon led to the concept of this inclusive evening of dance. I wanted to show that the care and equipment that Children Today provide can allow people with disabilities to achieve things they may not have thought possible. Dance has always been my biggest source of inspiration and so through dance we want to show the boundless spirit of inclusivity.
What inspired the diverse and inclusive line-up curated for the gala?
When looking at work for the evening it was only once, we started speaking with our now ambassador of the event Joe Powell-Main, who introduced us to so many wonderful organisations and companies that are supporting and working with people with disabilities. It was an opportunity to combine the world of dance even closer to help promote and expose just a few of the many organisations that have professional disabled dancers. Which aligned to the charities work as they provide vital, specialised equipment to support families across the UK. We also wanted to give space to freelancers, other charitable organisations and highlight the Royal Ballet School as it’s where Ross and I started our training. Along with two world premieres, one of which is being performed by Maria Kochetkova and Daniil Simkin and created by internationally renowned choreographer Sebatian Kloborg. We wanted to cater for as much of a wide audience as possible to show what is achievable and hopefully inspire young generations with or without disabilities to show what dance can do.
Could you offer a sneak peek into one of the most anticipated performances of the evening?
Artist with English National Ballet, and Denecia Allen who is a dancer with icandance. They made ‘Reunion’ a few summers ago after the pandemic and it has been performed before at Alexandra Palace.One of works which is so special to us is a Pas de deux by Alice Bellini who is a First It is such a beautiful work and the relationship with the girls is so moving to see, with Denecia having the opportunity to dance and have the spotlight and seeing Alice learn to move and help Dencia with her wheelchair, really is a new experience for both artists and is what this is all about. It’s a stunning work and truly shows the joy for the art and why we love allowing this space for this work to breathe.
How do you envision the audience feeling after experiencing the gala’s performances?
Like any performance we want them to leave feeling fulfilled, we want them to leave feeling like it was an evening worthier their time and that they would return to a future ballet show.
With such a range of talent, what sets Empower in Motion apart from other ballet events?
It showcases a pioneering approach to movement and storytelling which captures the audience’s attention in new forms and allows growth for other artists, choreographers, designers, and audiences to see. Whilst also embracing the classics of ballet from some of the most well-known classical dancers in the world. Being able to respect the history of ballet while allowing space for a forward-thinking approach for inclusivity within the arts. Inviting established dance companies, inclusive award-winning dancers, artists from the top UK companies and international stars with world premieres and new collaborations is what sets this event apart.
Can you provide insight into any behind-the-scenes magic that went into organising this extraordinary event?
The magic has been the willingness to help from so many people and organisations. Creating a space for people to work together and create new opportunities. We are so privileged to have one costume being made by Victoria Jenkins who was listed on the ‘The Vogue 25’. After working in the fashion industry for 14 years and now with her own company creating work for the chronically ill and disabled for adaptive fashion. The people, the organisations, the creative aspect all for Children Today and to bring this event to the public has been a blessing.
The support we’ve received has made the process worth it, Henry had 45 performances with his company English National Ballet, whilst Ross has been organising three international tours and 9 productions all whilst trying to bring Empower In Motion to life. It’s been intense but the generosity of all involved has carried it through.
EmpowerInMotion
Join us and celebrate the power of inclusivity this February 7th at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. A breath-taking evening of ballet that marries the grace of classical ballet with the boundless spirit of inclusivity.
Tickets and information available on the Sadlers Wells website.
In support of @Childrentodaycharity