The Larondina Dance Company
...and some of its history
Blog Layout
Some Highlights
Elisabeth Blackwell • 8 February 2020
List of events:
- The dancers at the Shepperton Studios in London and coming second at Sky TV’s ‘Got to Dance’ competition in 2013.
- Going by boat to Cauldey Island (Wales) and its monastery to visit the monks, Larondina’s early and longstanding supporters.
- Dancing in Strasbourg at the time of the Christmas market, supporting the charity l’Arche and meeting its members.
- Performing at the Mediateque in Toulouse at an event hosted by an association of physicians. Dancing with residents at centres and being taken to visit Andorra.
- Visiting Lourdes at a cares’ conference and performing in its underground chapel on the recommendation of Dr Michael Strode, founder of the HCPT Trust . Then going up to the Pyrenees mountains on a rack and pinion train.
- Dancing at theatres in Macedonia having been welcomed and supported by the British Ambassador and his wife. Visiting schools, communicating with parents and charities such as Save the Children.
- Visiting Down’s Syndrome branches and activity centres in Kosovo and performing in three theatres.
- Performing at The Painted Hall in Greenwich at the inauguration of its new mayor.
- Dancing in Hyde Park to an audience of 85000 people at the visit of Pope Benedict in 2010.
- Dancing and conducting a workshop at the newly opened Guernsey Arts Centre. Then enjoying the sea.
- Performing at the old Battersea Power Station in London to boost funds for a children’s charity.
- Taking part at several national dance events organized by MOVE IT at Olympia and the Excel Centre in London.
- In the early years performing alongside West End stars at two charity concerts held at Her Majesty’s and The Prince of Wales Theatre.
- Participating in the World Dance and Cheerleading Championship in Florida in 2009. It was the first time that a group with disabilities was asked to take part.
- Bolivar Hall, to comemorate the inauguration of the Paralympic Games, organised by the embassies of Ecuador, Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia.
- Bolivar Hall, fund raising event for FRASO - A special needs organisation in Ecuador
In 2019 the dance company were invited by the Kosovo Down Syndrome Association ( http://www.downsyndromekosova.org ) to visit Down Syndrome branches and activity centres in Kosovo and performing in three theatres. The Association were excellent hosts and it was inspirational to witness how their organisation has prospered since it's foundation in 2007.
The dancers enjoy wearing costumes, looking good on stage and displaying a touch of glamour. The deliberately simple, classic lines and clear colours of the costumes should ensure that it is so .
The dancers’ first visit to Moscow in 2002 led to new awareness and an extension of its purpose. No longer were its aims limited to entertaining an audience and enhancing the lifestyle of Down’s Syndrome people, but to make an impact where there is injuring public opinion, neglect and the absence of statutory support. The company had followed the invitation of a new, inspired Moscowite charity called Downside Up . By performing in public, the dancers were to arouse the people’s interest in Down’s Syndrome. They were to assist the charity in making known the positive changes they had in mind for Down’s Syndrome children and their parents all over their country. The performance took place in the well filled hall of a university teaching social science and the atmosphere was electric. As hoped the press appeared and conducted interviews, and national TV filmed the performance which was seen all over Russia. This helped pave the way for the charity’s recognition by professionals and facilitated the access to parents. Mothers giving birth to a Down’s child in hospital were now issued with a DVD of the dancers (to show what can be), an invitation to use the expanding charity’s services and an information pack. Due to Downside up and the dancers’ artistic ‘nudge’ more Down’s babies began to be received with love and hope and were no longer abandoned by their parents. Some of the dancers returned to Moscow to assist with dance workshops and finally to participate in a Moscow arts festival. Since then they have unknowingly and in various ways continued in their role as ambassadors for Down’s Syndrome.