30 October 2014
Edward Scissorhands Rehearsal
Yesterday I spent a wonderful day drawing the cast of New Adventures, rehearsing Edward Scissorhands at Three Mills Studios. The day began with the company class, I was delighted to see my friend and talented musician Ronan Kozokaro was the accompanist for the class, we have collaborated on several projects in the past.
On Monday I will start working on new zinc etching plates in response to the drawings I have done of the day.
27 October 2014
Etching. One Fine Day
A new plate using chine colle, edition of 50
This will be in the Greenwich Printmakers next exhibition, opening 11th November – Sunday 4th January.
As well as in my Open Studio 15 – 16th November
Studio 17, Unit 0, Second Floor Studios & Arts, Harrington Way, London SE18 5NR
10 March 2014
Read a great review given by Luke Jennings in The Observer plus 5 stars given to Yorke Dance Project’s triple bill, I designed and painted the backdrops for Charlotte Edmonds No Strings Attached, the first dance of the evening. I worked from drawings I had made during the rehearsals last summer.
5 March 2014
Yorke Dance Project perform Figure Ground at the Lilian Baylis, Sadler’s Wells
A week ago at the Lilian Baylis, Yorke Dance Project performed a wonderful preview performance of their touring programme: Figure Ground, an evening of 3 dances from the company. I was commissioned to create the set for the first work of the evening: No Strings Attached, choreographed by Charlotte Edmonds. I spent 3 weeks drawing during the rehearsals in the summer of 2013. Working from the drawings I painted 3 backdrop panels using acrylics each measuring 4m x 2m. I negotiated 6 days in the high ceilinged No Format Gallery near my studio, to paint the canvas so had to have them complete in this time-frame.
It was great to paint on such a large scale – a first for me! In 2012 I created figurative wire sculpture to be on stage with Yolande Yorke-Edgell in Noted.
On Tuesday evening fellow Greenwich Dance Resident Artist, Theo Clinkard, will perform with his company of 6 his life affirming and heart wrenching dance Ordinary Courage, at Laban S. London. I drew this work in 2013 when it was performed at Greenwich Dance in February with Amstatten choreographed by another Greenwich Resident Artist, Robert Clark. I displayed the drawings of Amstatten during the evening and entered the sketchbook into the selected exhibition Sketch 2013 at Rabley Drawing Center. The exhibition has now moved to Black Swan Arts in Frome, Somerset until 8 February.
So see Ordinary Courage, the dance, in London and the sketches of the dance in Frome.
13 December 2013
During the Autumn Term I worked 1 morning a week with the BTEC Dance students at Lewisham College, South London. They were devising short works for the Choreographic Platform examination and performance, I drew them as they progressed through the task.
In my studio, using my drawings of the students as reference I painted a back-drop for their performance of 3 banners, painting directly onto canvas with acrylic.
I asked the students to draw each other to encourage them to observe movement through a different means and look closer at their peers while they worked.
Student’s drawings of each other dancing
In September 2012 I invited Lewisham College BTEC dance students to dance in no format gallery where I had a solo exhibition, they created dances inspired by my work which were performed in the gallery at the end of the week. A video was made of their performance.
10th November
A Sharing at a Sadler’s Wells studio to an invited audience to see sections of three of the dances Yorke Dance Project are developing for their 2014 Tour. Last year I created a life size wire sculpture to be on stage with Yolande Yorke-Edgell while she danced in Noted.
For the 2014 tour I am working on a backcloth for a dance choreographed by young choreographer Charlotte Edmonds.
No Strings Attached, choreographed by Charlotte Edmonds
Yolande Yorke-Edgell dancing Canciones Del Alma choreographed by Robert Cohan in 1978 and being reconstructed for her for the 2014 tour
Robert Cohan in the rehearsal
27th September 2013
I was invited to Covent Garden to watch The Royal Ballet rehearsing Don Quixote. Carlos Acosta Directs as well as performing the lead role, Basilio, with Marianela Nunez dancing Kitri. As I watched I drew some of the rehearsal.
Beyond Front@: Bridging New Territories
As Resident Artist at Greenwich Dance (GDA) I drew the dancers of Beyond Front@ from Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Hungary and the UK during a four day Dance Communication Lab at Greenwich Dance in 2012. Over the last year they have continued to meet in the host countries and created a dance, In Reference To The Robbers Cave, with choreographer Rob Clarke.
Performance: In Reference To The Robbers Cave. 27th September 2013
My drawings of the process and an oil painting are on display at Greenwich Dance for the next few weeks. All work is for sale.
For sales contact sallymckay@btinternet.com
Greenwich Dance, The Borough Halls, Royal Hill, London SE10 9HB
15th August 2013
I am very pleased to have been asked by Yolande Yorke-Edgell to work with Yorke Dance Project, for the second year running. I will create work to be on stage with the dance choreographed by Yorke Dance Project’s “Young Dancer In Residence” Charlotte Edmonds. Thursday afternoon was my first opportunity to get to their rehearsal to draw the Yorke Dance Project rehearsal.
Three images of drawings that I made at the rehearsal of Yorke Dance Project.
