A Summer Like No Other

Posted on July 25, 2012

As part of her day-by-day countdown to Big Dance Week 2012, July 7–15, Dance Today photographer Carole Edrich posted a different dance-related photo a day on her blog. Now, the other side of Big Dance Week, Carole has decided to continue blogging and sharing her photographs with Dance Today. Here, she talks about what she has posted and why…

In retrospect it was naive to think that there would somehow be less dance after Big Dance had finished. The Cultural Olympiad continues, the Mayor of London’s “Summer Like No Other” will go on to September and many countries’ PRs are bringing their own national dancers over to perform in the pavilions that are popping up all over London as part of the celebrations for the Games.

In fact, I’ve been posting less frequently because I’m even busier – something I didn’t imagine would be possible. As usual, the most exciting projects are those that are least likely to bring in money, but a little hardship is well worthwhile when it means I’m working with such creative, enthusiastic talents.

It’s difficult to pick one or two of the fantastic dance experiences I’ve covered since my last Dance Today blog post because each one has left me feeling privileged to be doing the job that I do. I can’t even single out a favourite image, so instead of providing one image I’m going to give two.

Gregory Maqomo’s production of Exit/Exist (top) reached gently into my heart and twisted out a sad longing for things I’ve never seen, while Escuela de Baile’s school Spectacular (with professional soloist Melissa Calero pictured here) was a great show, a wonderful demonstration of the cohesiveness of London’s flamenco community that made me want to go back and learn more flamenco with them.

Nicola Rayner

Nicola Rayner was editor of Dance Today from 2010 to 2015. She has written for a number of publications including The Guardian, The Independent and Time Out Buenos Aires, where she cut her teeth as a dance journalist working on the tango section. Today she continues to dance everything from ballroom to breakdance, with varying degrees of success. Her debut novel, The Girl Before You, was published last year in paperback, ebook and audiobook.