Parler Femme Performance At Elsecar
4th September 2023
On Thursday, 16 November parler femme, the latest dance production from Barnsley’s Tala Lee-Turton, will be performed in the stunning setting of the Ironworks at Elsecar Heritage Centre.
It’s the first time that a professional dance production is being staged at Elsecar Heritage Centre and the first time Tala will perform with her production company in her hometown of Barnsley. The performance at the Ironworks has been made possible through the support of the Cultural Development Fund, bringing new cultural experiences to the borough.
parler femme is a dance-based triple bill celebrating innovative and inspiring stories about women. Experienced through live performance, screen and immersive technologies, the work is the latest from Barnsley-born, Bolshoi Ballet Academy alumna, Tala Lee-Turton. Through three acts, audiences will experience a compilation of award-winning short dance films, a duet between a ballet dancer and musician, and a contemporary ballet.
Act 1 tells the stories of different lived experiences from female filmmakers, including Chinese Laundry, French Riviera Film Festival (FRFF) Activism category winner and Sheffield Adventure Film Festival (SHAFF) Gold medal winner.
Act II marks the premiere of the multi-layered dance and music duet Here Lies, a magic realist tale about two estranged sisters reconnecting after the death of their Grandmother. Act III is an audience favourite, No Time Like The Present, with a cast of five dancers performing to a synth-pop score, exploring power and femininity.
Tala Lee-Turton said: “I’m honoured to be performing parler femme at Elsecar Heritage Centre in my home town of Barnsley. This production is very personal to me so it’s very special to be performing it in Barnsley. It has taken three years to create, bringing together the magic of live dance, screen-based storytelling, and immersive technology that tell a rich and varied array of stories by women.’
Cllr Robert Frost, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: “It’s such a proud moment for us to have Tala perform in Barnsley. She is an inspiration, and it shows how far talent and dedication can take you. After performing around the globe, she is returning to her hometown with an incredible performance that we hope will encourage a new generation of dancers to aim for the stars. To have such an immersive experience take place in the historic setting of Elsecar will be a real treat.”
Tickets are £12 per person and are available to buy click here.
The full tour of parler femme is supported by Arts Council England. This is a second award of funding from ACE for Tala Lee-Turton Productions, marking their commitment to supporting bold and ambitious story telling through dance.
Full tour dates: 6th November, open dress rehearsal, Production Park, Wakefield, 9th November, premiere at Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds, 11th November, The Playhouse, Sheffield Theatres, 16th November, Elsecar Heritage Centre, Barnsley, 25th April 2024, The Civic, Barnsley.
For further information contact:
For further information about Elsecar contact:
deviniaskirrow@barnsley.gov.uk
Website: https://talaleeturton.com/
Instagram: @talaleeturton
Image credit: Xenia at Zavod Studio
