Phil Sanger’s, ‘WIG’ (working title) was selected as a Dance Partner Project in 2024-25. The project began as a multi-media cabaret-esque platform, on which artists could explore the aesthetics of care & tell stories about radical acts of self-care. The title, from the acronym for ‘Wear It Green’, is an initiative to raise awareness for mental health.

Phil reflects on his time as a dance partner, the project’s development and the support he received from Yorkshire Dance:

“The process of this project turned out to be one of consolidation. Themes and ideas which I had explored across a decade were filtered through a life coaching lens. Dance Partner Projects helped me to collect and merge ideas by identifying their essence and stripping them back to simple ideas about performance and queer practice.

One of the most important things was the trust of Yorkshire Dance. They supported the project without demanding any output. This is something I have rarely experienced when receiving support, especially financial support. Whilst we talked about what happened in the studio and discussed how I might share the research with people, at no time did I feel obligated to produce. This was refreshing, freeing and liberating.

It’s hard to say which aspect was most useful since it was the package as whole which made the experience so fulfilling. Without the finances I couldn’t have brought in collaborators, and would have worked on my own. Without space the finances would have been drained by space hire. Without people from Yorkshire Dance checking in and asking questions there would have been no sense of community, no way to gauge the interest in the work, and also no sense of accountability”

When asked what he would say to anyone thinking about applying Phil said:

“It was huge a privilege to be a Dance Partner. There are so few opportunities out there where support is given unconditionally. I was reminded what it means to be an artist, where thinking and processing time is not only respected but encouraged.”

Image: Dancer Michael Marquez © Boneshaker Photography