Over and Over (and over again)

Taking inspiration from rave culture and the lived experience of disabled dancers, Over and Over (and over again) is a search for utopia scored by a DJ set-like soundtrack of acid, house, techno, grime and everything in between. The show explores dance as a freedom practice and the innate need to move. It questions what dances the body remembers, and what brings people to the dance floor. By asking for what they need, dancing their histories and telling their stories, five dancers release their burdens and reach for something better - however fleeting. Over and Over (and over again) combines Dan Daw’s blend of dance, narrative and iconography with Stef O’Driscoll’s storytelling and deep ties to rave culture to create a joyous, unapologetic act of resistance and liberation.

The hour-long soundtrack by Guy Connelly weaves through the performance, sometimes driving it, sometimes underscoring it, with lyrics that have come out of conversations and stories of the dancers. A journey from a place of hardness to a feeling of freedom where all armour drops away, Over and Over (and over again) explores what happens when a beat takes hold, and we dare to colour outside the lines. All performances are captioned and relaxed, with pre-show access available at all venues as well as selected BSL interpreted and audio described performances.

Over and Over (and over again) will be Dominic Mitchell and Raquel Meseguer Zafe’s first commission as co-artistic directors of Candoco Dance Company since beginning their leadership in January 2024. Dominic and Raquel are both disabled artists, and their lived experience guides the company’s mission: creating liberatory spaces on and off stage, prioritising the lived experience of disabled artists in the creation of new works, and acknowledging and exploring intersectionality as a practice. In collaboration with Dan Daw and Stef O'Driscoll, they are pushing boundaries, redefining traditional approaches to making and touring work. Committed to further dismantling barriers to accessible work creation and touring, they prioritise rest, consent, and investigate the integration of accessible practices at every stage of the creative process - from the outset.

Candoco Co-Artistic Director Raquel Meseguer Zafe said, “I think it’s interesting that Dan and I met on a dancefloor in December 2023. We performed our first ‘head nods’ towards one another as the dancefloor slowly filled, we mirrored vibes, we encouraged one another to go bigger, get messier, take up space, and we exploded into full on pogo jumping Crip joy together. We fast forwarded through trust and friendship on the dance floor, so when I called in early 2024 to ask if he’d be interested in this commission, I felt like I was calling someone I knew.”

Dan Daw Creative Projects (DDCP) is a disabled-led company, who are leading the way in creating accessible international touring work that blurs the lines between theatre, dance and activism, alongside creating systemic change in institutions and the sector for d/Deaf and disabled artists and audiences through long-term partnerships and residencies. DDCP’s work explores what it means for disabled bodies to occupy, and be unapologetic in non-disabled spaces. Their mission is to use the arts to provoke change and reclaim space. They use dance, theatre and activism to educate, inspire and advocate for those most in need, whose lived experiences are similar to our own.

Dan Daw said, “There’s no getting away from the fact that dance is political, particularly where Crip bodies are concerned. With this bold and fiery work, it felt important to talk about this, but in the frame of joy as an act of resistance and the power and softness that comes from having finally found your people."

Stef O’Driscoll added, "Raving, dancing, and moving our bodies en masse has always been a powerful antidote to oppression. When the alchemy is right, it becomes a moment of release and connection—a chance to momentarily shed our armor and face the world anew. Dancing is as old as humanity itself, and everyone should have access to the joy and unity raving brings’’

Candoco Dance Company celebrates different ways of being and making art, putting them at the forefront of conversations around dance and disability. Bridging the mainstream and the experimental, their bold approach and powerful collaborations create distinctive performances and far-reaching learning experiences. The company, founded in 1991 by Celeste Dandeker-Arnold OBE and Adam Benjamin, collaborates with some of the industry’s most renowned choreographers and artists. They create performance work that is presented at prestigious venues and festivals in the UK and internationally. Dan Daw is a former Candoco performer, and this new collaboration honours the company’s legacy while embodying Candoco’s new vision through a partnership that holds shared values and principles.

Running Time: 1hr (no interval) | Suitable for ages 14+
All shows captioned and relaxed