Where did the name Third Bite Dance come from?

Lucy:

Third Bite Dance came from the idea of the third age and third wave of life. After discussing different options for including three and third, Clare brought Third Bite Dance to the table and immediately it was the one for me.

50+ Contemporary Dance Sheffield is our organisation but we wanted a name specifically for our performance company. (50+ Contemporary Dance Sheffield Performance Company is abit too long and not very magical!…)

We wanted something short, sharp and punchy.

Bite is an action word. An active word. A doing word. It’s not passive. A word that says we’re here and we’re taking up space. That’s how I want the company members to feel. To have a name that empowers them.

Clare:

Naming a company or project normally follows a similar path; word association, mind mapping, Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, until the right name pops out at you. None of this worked for our new performance company. I kept thinking back to Second Bite, a project in older people’s care homes I’d run in Rotherham in the 90s, but didn’t want to reuse an old name. Then I thought about the use in gerontology of the terms 3rd and 4th age to distinguish between active independent ageing and being dependent and frail, and voila, Third Bite.

Alison:

When Claire's wonderful idea was put forward, I loved the vitality of it. It brought to mind TS Eliot's question in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”:  “Do I dare to eat a peach?” And in that same poem there is the fundamental question which I love, “Do I dare disturb the universe?” Let's disturb the universe! 

Liz:

(I like the idea of a bit of universe bothering)

I really love this name - it was Clare's suggestion and the one everyone went for. Even the initials TBD - which we always end up using in emails and notes - are short and sharp.

Third Bite is resolute - it sounds like we're hungry for more, like whatever we embark on we'll sink our teeth into.

Alison:

 (Yes - we're hungry for more!)

Sam:

The thought that really resonates with me is "a word that says we’re here and we’re taking up space", that's what Third Bite means to me. "We're here, we're fierce and we proudly take our place in the arts industry!"

Liz:

Also just realised TBD stands for to be decided ! - this could mean keeping meaning open ended and fluid - yes that’s it!

Clare:

And Third Bite isn’t cosy or over emphasising the age of the performers but it is a warning: Patronise us and we’ll bite!

Alison:

Oh yes, love that it's a warning! 

Liz:

Yes - Patronise at your peril!

"We're here, we're fierce and we proudly take our place in the arts industry!"

Photo Credit : David Wilson Clarke