Choreographer Patsy Browne-Hope shares her inspiration for Birmingham Weekender performance

News & Stories 21 Aug 2024

News Story

Patsy's story below references domestic violence and addiction. If you have had personal experience of the situations highlighted, we've listed some organisations below which you may wish to ask for support.


It’s a grey Monday morning in early July, but BRB’s Studio 3 is abuzz with students from Performers College newly arrived for their first day working on an inspiring new project. Choreographer Patsy Browne-Hope is preparing the students for their premiere performance at the Birmingham Weekender, Fortis, a follow-up project to the stunning project Seraphina, which Patsy created with an earlier cohort of Performers College students in 2022.

You might say that choreography was always the path for Patsy. 'At my local dance school I had a brilliant teacher who let me hang out in the studio until 12, 1 o’clock in the morning. She would just let me choreograph.'

Patsy’s passion for movement (she would even ‘dream’ dancing) led her to train at Northern School of Contemporary Dance. In 2020, Patsy took a shift from performer to choreographer. 'It took time to develop my confidence and not care what people think. And thankfully I’ve not stopped working as a choreographer since!'

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Patsy Browne-Hope is talking in an animated way to two female students who have their backs to the camera. They are wearing purple t shirts with the words Birmingham Royal Ballet Birmingham Weekender Project in white font on the back. They have black/red trousers. Patsy is wearing a long white jacket over a dark t shirt and dark trousers.

Credit : Imogen Harvey
Students kneel down and are looking at pieces of paper on the floor with stories of those who have used the services of the charity We Are referenced in this news story.

Credit : Imogen Harvey
Two students are in the foreground demonstrating a jujitsu move holding hands with one trying to disentangle herself. In the background are other students trying the same move and Patsy with BRB dancer Sofia Linares talking with each other.

Credit : Natalie Lee
Patsy is in the foreground demonstrating movement with her left leg bent and her left foot resting against her right knee. Her right arm is outstretched at 90 degrees with her left arm bent and in the air behind her head that is leant back. Two students are to the left of her copying.

Credit : Imogen Harvey
A group image with fourteen students kneeling on the floor and their arms wrapped around each other. Some are facing each others with others back to back.

Credit : Natalie Lee
A close up of a student looking at the camera with another leaning her head on her shoulder with an arm around her.

Credit : Natalie Lee
Seven students are standing in a diagonal line and have their right fists held up in the air in unity and are leaning to the left.

Credit : Natalie Lee
A close up of a dancer in a classical ballet pose with her left arm oustretched at ninety degrees in front of her and the other arm raised in the air with her wrist slightly bent. In the background are other students in the same pose.

Credit : Natalie Lee

The Performers College collaboration is designed to explore similar inspiration to the Company’s latest commissioned work, Luna, created by five female choreographers, working collaboratively, which will be premiered at Birmingham Hippodrome on 3 October.

Luna took as its starting-point the book, Women Who Dare to Dream by Louise Palfreyman, which tells the stories of some of Birmingham’s pioneering women from history. As a 'Birmingham girl' who grew up in Chelmsley Wood, Patsy was deeply moved by this book but has also drawn from some compelling personal stories. She came from a volatile home, losing her Mum to addiction in 2020, and she saw her best friend face domestic violence before turning her life around.

As soon as she started to work on the project, Patsy’s thoughts were drawn to her friend and her experience with the incredible charity We Are. We Are support women who have faced domestic violence and this story draws on both the darker and life affirming work of this remarkable organisation.

'Seeing the dreams that they had but they couldn’t accomplish… I wanted to celebrate those women that climb mountains every single day but won’t necessarily make it into a book.'


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A close up of two students writing on large pieces of paper their responses to hearing about the charity We Are.

Credit : Imogen Harvey
Our BRB dancer Sofia Linares is in the background doing the splits on the floor. She is observing the students in front of her kneeling on one knee or in pairs with one trying to free herself from a choke hold..

Credit : Imogen Harvey
A group of students spread out in a submissive pose with both their fists in front of their faces and their legs slightly bent. Patsy and Sofia are on the right-hand side in the background observing.

Credit : Natalie Lee
A group of students in a classical ballet pose.

Credit : Natalie Lee
A black and white image of a group of students huddled together holding onto each other. They are looking at the camera.

Credit : Natalie Lee
Two students practise pair work with one leaning forward holding another student who is behind her leaning back and her right leg bent straight out in front of her. To the left of them is a student is practising another jujitsu move with her right leg bent and her left leg straight behind it. She is leaning forward and has her right hand over her chest.

Credit : Natalie Lee
Two students are on one knee with the other leg bent leaning against each other with one arm round each other's waist and the other arm straight out in front of them. In the background are the other students.

Credit : Natalie Lee

Back in the studio, the students are being taught the basics of the martial art jujitsu for the first time. Cries of amazement are heard as it’s demonstrated how you can kick yourself free from a choke-hold position by using your opponent’s weight against them. After some practice the students confidently perform the manoeuvres safely, learning the valuable skill of self-defence.

Students will blend this with neoclassical dance for their performance. Patsy discovered that some suffragette women used jujitsu to protect themselves, and their peers, from police brutality and sexual harassment during protests.

She saw a synergy between the suffragettes using jujitsu and the work of Birmingham charity We Are as women coming together to rebuild their lives. The charity support victims of domestic violence after crisis point. Their tagline is ‘Rise Reclaim Recover’. Their range of programmes are done in community so women can identify toxic behaviour traits and understand that they are not to blame. To find out more head to their website: https://www.weareuk.org/

'That feeling of togetherness. I realise that that’s something my own mother was lacking.' Patsy is excited about using her ideas to work with the students and hopes audiences will be 'moved, empowered and uplifted' by the performances.

We can’t wait to see the students in action! Join us on Saturday 24 August, 1pm and 3.20pm at Birmingham Bullring (Marks and Spencer end) as part of Birmingham Weekender.

ORGANISATIONS OFFERING RELATED SUPPORT

WE: ARE: Donna 07497105712 / Jacky 07868163103
Childline 0800 1111
Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 2000 247
Family Lives Helpline 0800 800 2222
LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline 0800 999 5428
Samaritans 116 123
STOP IT NOW! Helpline 0808 1000 900

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