Yesterday, Thurrock-based arts organisation Kinetika and UK-based Jeanefer Jean-Charles Associates took to The Mall in London to present The Thank You Dance in the Pageant to honour Her Majesty The Queen as the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee with 70 years of service.
The Thank You Dance is a visually arresting spectacle made up of over 200 performers drawn from across generations from Thurrock, London and Milton Keynes, covered in hand-painted silks, and holding vibrant flags designed and made by community groups from Tilbury, Grays, Purfleet-on-Thames and Milton Keynes.
The Thank You Dance contained:
– 28 key workers from across Thurrock and Milton Keynes, 14 of which depicted on 6m tall key worker scrolls (flags), which they held within the procession. Each of the scrolls depicted a key worker but also represent the sector they work in, and say thank you in English across the top, and in other languages prevalent in a country in the Commonwealth across the bottom. Each keyworkers that appeared in the Pageant was nominated to be a part of the celebration by their local community. Discover the key worker stories on the Kinetika website: https://kinetika.co.uk/pjp-key-workers
– 14 professional dancers led by Jeanefer Jean-Charles Associates who interacted and celebrated the key workers at the front of the section.
– 60 young dancers (30 from Dimensions Dance Company at South Essex College in Thurrock and 30 from Arts 1 School of Performance at USP College in Milton Keynes) with 60 silk scarves depicting endangered species from across the world
– A 4.5m-tall Tower Queen – a queen of the people and planet – accompanied by two Heroines representing the four nations of the UK. Each woman is a volunteer or keyworker from Thurrock and Milton Keynes.
– 30 young dancers from Impact Dance, London with 10 silk scarves of endangered species, who joined other young people later in the dance to showcase a total of 70 endangered species.
• 100 volunteers (50 from Thurrock and 50 from Milton Keynes) each carrying a flag designed and made by community groups from their area, telling stories of their community.
The Thank You Dance is a Thank You to the Queen for 70 years of public service and a Thank You to all those who selflessly contribute to society, looking after our communities and laying the foundation for a better life for generations to come.
Kinetika and Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates take inspiration from Her Majesty to thank:
• Key workers and the essential role they have played throughout the pandemic
• Volunteers who have stepped up with kindness to look after their neighbours
• Young people who are actively taking responsibility for the future of our planet
The Thank You Dance joined The Pageant which wound through the streets of Westminster and along The Mall past Buckingham Palace telling the story of Her Majesty’s record reign and our transforming society over this period.
The Thank You Dance will return to Thurrock later this June, as part of the finale for the T100 Festival and will include all the Thurrock key workers that appeared on The Mall, as well as the Tower Queens, heroines, community flags and dancers. See it in Tilbury on the 25th June from 1pm.
Kinetika is an internationally renowned company, specialising in creating large-scale hand-painted silks. For over 20 years Kinetika has been combining world-class design with community projects to produce spectacular outdoor commissions that engage diverse audiences. The commercial arm of the business, Kinetika Design Studio has been commissioned to design and manufacture bespoke silks to commemorate special occasions and for ceremonies at high profile events such as the Royal Opera House Deloitte Ignite Festival, Atlanta Olympics, FIFA Club World Cup London 2012 Paralympic Closing Ceremony and Milan Expo
Jeanefer’s company Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates are industry leaders in developing, directing and delivering creative responses for large-scale events.
For over 20 years Jeanefer has designed and delivered artistic solutions for some of the world’s most iconic events including the Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace, all four of the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremonies, The F.A. Cup Final 2016 Opening Ceremony at Wembley and the first ever Big Dance – which broke a world record.
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant, as part of the extended Bank Holiday Weekend, took place on Sunday 5th June 2022, providing an opportunity for communities and people to celebrate the historic milestone of Her Majesty The Queen as the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee with 70 years of service.
