Yesterday we spent the day creating and filming dance devised by Stella Eldon in the Harwich Redoubt. Built to protect the port against invasion by Napoleon, it has a curious charm despite its background being rooted in fear and conflict. Its circular structure wraps around concentric circles of paving, grass and a central water pump, creating a sense of calm and an amazing acoustic. We chatted about how the space felt safe, and about how feeling safe made taking risks more possible.

The dance we made in a day reflected the place we were in. It was inherently risky, being a series of structured improvisations. We used the doorways, played games with the central water pump and crossed the space in a calm and orderly manner. We also disrupted the space. Visually, we splashed red dresses and lengths of chiffon across the grey of walls and costumes. Acoustically, Sue Sinclair and Ju Williamson improvised singing and speaking respectively. I wondered whether we were the first people ever to dance in this place since it was built in 1808. It was a rich, inspirational, glorious day.

Thanks to Covid restrictions, dance has been forced outdoors. Over the last year I have danced in parks, fields, woods, a beach, a heath and, occasionally, in a studio or village hall. I have seen more of East Anglia and engaged more deeply with different places than I could ever have imagined. I have become acutely and brilliantly alive to the way dance connects with the space it inhabits and the way place informs dance making.

By Jeanette Siddall