A community collaboration in Hawkwood's woodland during the lockdown
Dancing in nature has been a tradition across many cultures, from ancestral tribes to national folk dances, serving purposes such as rituals, ceremonies, and storytelling. These reasons resonate with me when I dance around Hawkwood. I am deeply aware of the woodland's history, the stories the trees must carry, and the events they've witnessed.
One experience stood out to me as I moved around an 80 to 100-year-old Beech tree, drawn by the configuration of its roots, resembling human feet. Planting my feet between its roots, I felt a pull towards the trunk and embraced its strength. To my surprise, I began to shed tears, sensing the history it had seen and the possible traumas it had experienced, both personally and in the community. Despite this, the message I received was "all will be well," which brought comfort amidst the pandemic.
Over the past six months, I have worked with several companions, some of whom shared their reflections:
"I moved for 10 minutes, responding to a tiny pool of rainwater in a leaf curve. I moved with cupped palms carrying this sacred resource, and my movement changed as I noticed a flash of green."
"I created a ritual. I just can't help myself! Stories just want to be told!"
"I found the portal – two slim, ivy-covered young beech trees. I asked for permission to enter and made my way slowly to a low laurel branch shelter, needing to crawl around the space to mark it."
"Being in the middle of everything, letting things unfold, not leading with my sharp eyes and my mind. Making rituals. Enjoying the visual sense, as well as smell, touch, and hearing." – Katie Lloyd-Nunn, Hawkwood Ad-hoc Programme Curator.
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Jemima Bennett
Jemima Bennett trained as an actress and dancer at the London Studio Centre of Dance and Drama. She worked for 10 years, touring schools in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. She has taught dance to special needs children and started running an improvisation dance group in Stroud ten years ago. With this group, she has made four films and created a piece called Life Force in remembrance of her parents, with Nicola Clark and Bartholomew Mason.
© Main image and videographer Harvey Bennett