WATCH: Dancing with the Stars

22 Jun 2016

Blending science and the arts for Manchester Day 2016

Astrophysicists from The University of Manchester and The University of Cambridge have teamed up with secondary school students and Dance Manchester to create a performance to tell the story of the formation of stars in our solar system.

The dance, Stellarium, gave its debut performance in the Great Northern Square on Manchester Day this Sunday:

The performers – students from The Derby High School, Falinge Park High School and Wright Robinson College – staged a dance created by Manchester-based choreographer, Bridget Fiske. She has created movement based on the cutting edge research of leading female Manchester astrophysicist Dr Rowan Smith supported by Dr Helen Mason. The dance motifs have been created using their recent findings to make the choreography as scientifically accurate as possible.

Stellarium, created in response to Manchester being the European City of Science 2016, will next be performed at the Great Science Share – on Wednesday, 6 July at Manchester Town Hall at 12.45pm and the Museum of Science and Industry at 6.10pm and on Sunday, 10 July at UDance 2016, The Lowry, at 1.30pm & 3.30pm.

A partnership project between Dance Manchester and The University of Manchester Science and Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub (SEERIH), and supported by the Lowry and Walk the Plank, it focusses on communicating science through dance in a fascinating way to spark interest in science, technology, engineering and maths in school children – and particularly in girls, who are less likely than their male counterparts to aspire to have careers in those fields.

Dr Lynne Bianchi, Head of SEERIH, said: “This project is really fascinating in itself. It’s bringing together a leading scientist with a dance choreographer and a brilliant group of schools to take an aspect of contemporary science and make it more understandable to lots of different people.”