Fallen Angels Dance Theatre

I first heard of Fallen Angels Dance Theatre (FADT) when I was invited by a friend to attend a sharing event at the Lowry. That evening consisted of a talk on what Fallen Angels Dance Theatre was all about, a performance and an informal discussion in the bar afterwards.

I had seen Paul Bayes-Kitcher, the AD of FADT, dance many times when he was with Birmingham Royal Ballet and it was nice to meet him and apologise for nearly running him over some years earlier as I was shooting out of a car park just as he stepped off the pavement. Paul, needless to say, hadn’t noticed the incident and thought it highly amusing!

What we had seen that evening was a performance of a work created by Paul based on his experiences of working with addicts in recovery. Paul was very open about his own experiences of addiction and how he wanted to help others in a practical way through the power of dance. He has a way of creating movement that grabs me by the throat. I have found his pieces to be profoundly moving and uplifting.

FADT is a professional group but one of the main aims of the company is to hold workshops with recovering addicts. There are now several groups established in Liverpool and Cheshire. These groups create performance pieces. These pieces are very much collaborations between Paul and the participants.

Since my first encounter with FADT I have seen a number of sharing performances where the recovery groups have demonstrated their creativity. These are usually accompanied by or have intrinsically included one or more people speaking about their experiences. Talking with group members afterwards what comes across most strongly is how all the participants feel that they have been helped by being able to express themselves through dance. Dance is a way of expressing feelings that are perhaps too difficult to talk about. In a number of the pieces I have noticed that bird-like movements have appeared as though to portray breaking away from dark places and flying to freedom or rising from the ashes of addiction like a phoenix renewing its life.

I was talking to one lady at an event in Birkenhead. She told me the background to her alcoholism and how being part of the group was helping her. Because of a disability she is not very mobile but can still participate and be a very active part of the group. The groups support each other and are very inclusive. It seems to me that having a creative outlet helps individuals on their path to recovery. It is a humbling and rewarding experience for me to be involved in however small a way with FADT (I produce the newsletter) and to be able to watch people putting their hearts and souls into expression through dance.

As the years have passed and some people with the recovery groups have been performing for some time, they have become a part of the professional performance group too. The lines are blurring between the professional dancers and the group members. The emotional intensity of these performances can be quite overwhelming. I will admit here and now that I have never watched one of these performances without being moved to tears.

Members have written poetry and drawn what they have seen too. Again this shows the power of the arts in helping people face their demons.

The success of Paul Bayes-Kitcher and Fallen Angels Dance Theatre shows just how relevant and, yes, necessary dance is today. It is important not only for the participants but also for the watchers who can take away so much from these thought-provoking performances.