The Featherstonhaughs are the all male dance dance company directed and founded by choreographer Lea Anderson, we have known each other since the early 80’s when we were students at Laban and Goldsmiths. Before her dance degree Lea studied Fine Art at St Martins which comes across in her productions, but even more so in the rehearsal studio. I first drew the company in 2001 during rehearsals of 3 with their all women sister company the Cholmondeleys. Lea invited me to draw the rehearsals through a chance meeting while I was doing my MA, since then I’ve returned to draw rehearsals of Double Take, Yippee!!! and Dancing on Your Grave. It was through this first opportunity to draw during rehearsals that I came to be involved in many other dance companies.
Edits is a new work with reference to filmic time and images, and film editing, this is a first sketch.
There will be (fabulous) live music by Steve Blake and Will Saunders but at this early stage the dancers move to silence apart from the counts. One of the dancers bares an uncanny resemblance to the lawyer who saw me through a very sad and painful time in my life, I find my concentration is waning, as in my head I hurtle back to the past. But hey this man is not a lawyer he’s a dancer in a vivid green dress and heels, in the lunch break I seem to walk miles to attempt to shake off unwanted memories and the ghosts in my head.
In the afternoon they rehearsed The Featherstonehaughs draw on the Sketchbooks of Egon Schiele, creating beautiful clusters of movement. There are many things I like about the dances that Lea creates but one striking aspect, particularly when you are up as close as I am, is the focus and facial expressions of the dancers, you feel yourself drawn in as if you too are part of the activity and energy.