ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

Rhiannon Faith, who is the Artistic Direct of ‘’, is bringing her show, The Date, to the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s Bedford campus on Wednesday 18^th February as part of a tour backed by the Arts Council England.

A former Bedford-based Dance Performance student herself, Rhiannon graduated from the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ in 2005.

As well as now running her own company, she is passing on the wealth of her knowledge to current Bedfordshire students in her role as a Visiting Lecturer.

“The ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ is a very special place to me. Coming back to lecture is a unique experience because I teach students in the rooms I used to learn in myself,” said Rhiannon who spoke of her fond memories of the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½.

“When I come back now it has changed so much. There has been a great deal of venue development here which is fantastic and it really feels a firmly established university.

“One thing which is consistent however is the high standard of teaching.

“Without Bedfordshire and the lecturers I would not be where I am today. At Bedford we got a very different perspective of dance to elsewhere. The classes were unique, and visionary, well ahead of their time in terms of what we learnt.

“Being a Visiting Lecturer myself now is something I’m really proud of. It’s a privilege to come back, and I love it. I am able to use my experience from my learning both at the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ and within the dance sector to support the students’ ambitions.”

The Date is a show about sex in the 21st Century, loneliness and friendship. It focusses on two dancers who hook up whenever they perform together and is based on a true life story.

The production, on at 7.30pm at the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, is in-keeping with the company’s ambitions to create autobiographical shows exposing the sweet, fragile and devastating aspects of human relationships.

In addition to being at the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, it will also have a London premiere at Battersea Arts Centre in March. 

Rhiannon added: “This will be the first time I’ve performed back at the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. And it’ll probably be the most nerve-wracking performance I’ve done for a long time really, taking me back to being 18-years-old!

“I’m really looking forward to it.”