Great expectations

May 8 2008 by Barbara Hodgson, The Journal

Barbara Hodgson hears how a dance starring pregnant women has proved a learning curve for all.

WOMEN are said to glow while pregnant; not many of them get a chance to show what else they can do. But next week a new dance piece, called MaEternal, is to feature 11 mothers-to-be in all their rounded glory.

It’s devised by Liv Lorent, of Newcastle-based balletLORENT, as a way of expressing the beauty of pregnancy, which first struck her when one of her dancers, Kelly Wilson, became pregnant last year.

“I was amazed at how beautiful it was: there was an aura – or something!”

Eager to show off a side normally “hidden”, the choreographer made an appeal for pregnant women to join eight professional dancers, including two men, on stage. Then she became pregnant herself.

Her baby is due next month and it’s certainly added a new dimension to her work.

“It’s completely different to what I thought!” she confesses.

MaEternal, which expresses the physical, emotional and mental changes women experience during pregnancy, has been given a surreal, dream-like edge. The men in the piece represent the sandman mythology of dreams which often become heightened while pregnant. “That’s something I never knew either,” says Liv.

Her 11 mothers-to-be are all in various stages of pregnancy – the most advanced will be 38 weeks when the dance makes its debut at Northern Stage in Newcastle next week.

Among them will be Elena Miller, who is 22 weeks pregnant, and the youngest member, 20-year-old Stefanie Pope, at 28 weeks pregnant.

They’ve been rehearsing for several weeks with Liv and Lynn Campbell – recruited to the project as she runs yoga classes for pregnant women – and they’ve loved every minute of it.

And they say their babies enjoy it too.

“I just thought it was something special to do for both myself and the baby,” says Elena of Seaton Burn, who is also fulfilling a childhood ambition by performing on stage.

“And I’ve been feeling the baby moving too.”

“You feel more connected with your baby,” agrees Stefanie, who works for a market research company in Newcastle and has no previous dancing experience.

Self-employed Elena, who currently works in a community drama project in Ashington, adds: “There are some days when you think ‘I don’t know if I can do this today’ but once we’ve done a warm-up with Lynn it makes you feel amazing.”

Seen during rehearsal, the movements to music are rather beautiful and mesmerising. They’re – obviously – slow, gentle and controlled and have been continually adapted to the growing women’s changing abilities. Some of them are first-time mothers, one is having her fourth, and they’ve all needed frequent rehearsal breaks, for food – and the loo. In fact a toilet will feature in a humorous reference on stage.

Liv, who won the artist of the year in The Journal Culture Awards, is not a dancer but has taken part in the warm-ups to ensure what she asks of the dancers is possible.

“Everyone’s been changing so we were always thinking about their well-being,” adds Lynn who is an active birth teacher at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Some of the now-bonded group intend to continue classes with her.

MaEternal will be over for them next week and they’ll just have their DVD of the performance to reflect upon during the nappy-changing state.

Liv says: “I’ve never done anything like this. Most of our work tours but this is just as long as it lasts.”

But she thinks it would be nice to have a get-together in the future with the mothers, and children, for perhaps a new dance project.

MaEternal – one of five new works commissioned by the current Dancing the World festival – is at Northern Stage, Newcastle, at 7.30pm next Wednesday. Call the box office on (0191) 230-5151.