Archive for the ‘Dance’ Category

Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut

Sunday, July 24th, 2011

I’m at Sadler’s Wells for Hofesh Shechter’s Political Mother: The Choreographers Cut. There’s a party atmosphere, half the stalls seats have been removed and the standing area is filling up, the noise is rising, laughter, chat, hugs. I’m in the dress circle looking down, I recognize some dancers who I worked with recently in the audience: “Hey it’s Sally!” I’m reminded of the Hofesh Shechter Company performance at The Roundhouse of In Your Rooms. I was one of the standers, as anyone who knows me will atest to I am pretty damn short. I stood on tip toe, I shuffled around but could only see the raised up musicians. It was Hofesh who said to me “Go upstairs find a seat you, must see to draw”. I did as I was told and from those drawings created a painting. Here is a small selection of the drawings I made during the performance of Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut.

Political Mother choreographer’s cut

Political Mother choreographer’s cut Political Mother choreographer’s cut

 Political Mother choreographer’s cut

Political Mother: The Choreographers Cut 

I love this dance. I drew during early rehearsals in Brighton, I watched a performance in Brighton then at Sadler’s Wells a year ago. Each time I’ve been bowled over by the movement, the powerful music and my emotions which rose up within me and clasped me by the throat. The cast of dancers has grown from to 12 to 16, the incredible band of snare drums, electric guitars and percussion has expanded to include a string section, now numbers 24.

These small drawings will be used along with the others I’ve made as research for a large oil painting, maybe some etchings too.

Fusional Fragments at the Clore Studio

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

Last week I was invited by choreographer Marc Brew to draw at rehearsals for Fusional Fragments at Greenwich Dance.

Fusional Fragments is a new work by Marc Brew in partnership with Dance East, a collaboration with percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, composer Philip Sheppard and five extraordinary dancers.

ballet class

 ballet class. 2

ballet class.3

Morning ballet class

The day begins with a Ballet class. Sometimes choreographers ask me to take part in the early morning class so that I become a part of the company and am not seen by the dancers as an observer, as Luca Silvestrini did during the rehearsals of Crossroads. I like this not only do I enjoy the  class but it effects the drawings that follow. I was glad Marc didn’t suggest I join this class, it was way beyond my capabilities! The drawings are in charcoal and conte on long sheets of brown packaging paper. 

rehearsal 1. Fusional Fragments  Fusional Fragments 2Fusional Fragments.3  Fusional Fragments.4Rehearsal, Fusional Fragments.

Drawn in charcoal on large sheets of fabriano.

The performance of Fusional Fragments was at the Clore Studio at The Royal Opera House on 14th and 15th July as part of Exposure: Dance Snapshots of New Work. If you saw the performance weren’t you knocked out by it? The dance vocabulary beautifully combines Marc’s background as a classical ballet dancer with his more recent work in contemporary dance, investigating the links and differences in the two styles.

Greenwich & Docklands International Festival

Monday, July 11th, 2011

I was so fortunate that I was given the opportunity to draw during rehearsals for Marc Brew Company‘s Nocturne and Luca Silvestrini‘s Crossroads. I missed the performances along with other Greenwich and Docklands International Festival performances of the first weekend of the festival, having been partying in Suffolk.

However the following weekend there were some real gems performed across the river at Canary Wharf.

Underneath a transparent stage, I sat on a reclining seat and watched Spanish company Producciones Imperdibles perform La Mirada Transparente above me. Interesting drawing at that angle, I focussed on feet, the man opposite focussed on knickers. (True).

La Mirada Transparente

La Mirada Transparente

Deaf Men Dancing in a collaboration with my friend, visual artist Rachel Gadsden together created a spectacular performance and celebration of being alive. The show incorporates sign language, sound and live painting. Also see my drawings of Deaf Men Dancing performing Elvis at Candoco’s Birthday Party.

Deaf Men Dancing. Alive

Deaf Men Dancing with Rachel Gadsden. Alive 

The biggest crowd puller was Waiting Game, presented by Motionhouse Dance Theatre: a couple out for a romantic dinner in Canary Wharf only to be repeatedly scooped up by a JCB digger. A very large man and his very large friend were blocking my view, by the time they’d done as I suggested and sat on the ground (to a cheer from the audience members behind them) I’d lost the desire to draw.

Dancing to Romanian brass band music and the backdrop of our River Thames, Compagnie Pied en Sol performed Pied Filigrane Fanfare in the Canary Wharf uniform of grey buttoned up suits but with the striking addition of red shoes.

Pied en Sol. Filigrane Fanfare

Pied en Sol. Filigrane Fanfare

Compagnie Pied en Sol. Pied Filigrane Fanfare

Still time to catch Deaf Men Dancing and Rachel Gadsden if you live near BristolStockton or in the Lake District.

Square Dances. Rosemary Lee

Monday, July 11th, 2011

Spent an afternoon in an early rehearsal for Rosemary Lee‘s Square Dances. Fascinating, mesmerizing and beautiful.

Rosemary Lee. rehearsal

To be performed in October in central London squares as part of Dance Umbrella 2011.

In Good Company

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

A powerful evening of five dance works created by the highly skilled and talented dancers from Hofesh Shechter Company on 18th June at The Place. Following drawings during rehearsals for Political Mother and paintings inspired by his choreography, Hofesh Shechter said of me “I am impressed with how Sally is able to capture not only the movements but also the atmosphere of my work”.

I hope the company dancers feel the same way. Below are a selection of my drawings of their dances.

15 Minutes of Infinity. 1       15 Minutes of Infinity 2.

15 Minutes of InfinityChoreographer, Maeva Berthelot.    Performers, Maeva Berthelot, Fred Cave, Thomas Hauser 

Yesterday’s Bird

Yesterday’s Bird. Choreographer, Jason Jacobs.  Performers, Jason Jacobs and Andrew Maddick

 Noble Thinking

Noble Thinking. Choreographer, Sita Ostheimer. Performers, Hannah Shepherd, Vit Bartak 

No Face. 1

No FaceChoreographer and Performer, Chien-Ming Chang

Holding Dead. 6

Holding Dead. Choreographer Philip Hulford. Performers, Philip Hulford, James Finnemore

I’m looking forward to seeing Political Mother The Choreographer’s Cut at Sadler’s Wells (12 – 16 July), performed by Hofesh Shechter Company. New sketches coming soon, meanwhile see drawings of Political Mother created during rehearsals in Brighton last year.

Rehearsing Crossroads

Friday, June 24th, 2011

Listening to Luca Silvestrini  Listening to Luca Silvestrini

crossroads 12 Crossroads 14c

Waves were created by passing cases and dancers overhead

crossroads 16

Children and adults practicing together  

Crossroads 2

Rehearsing on site at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

Crossroads 3 Crossroads 20

The musicians, led by Andy Pink created evocative music

Crossroads final  The end  

Marc Brew Company. Nocturne

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Choreographer Marc Brew invited me to draw the rehearsals forNocturne, a poetic and emotionally charged quartet staged around two mobile beds. Below are some of the many sketches I made, I am looking forward to using them as inspiration for etchings.

 Nocturne 2 Nocturne 3Nocturne 6

Nocturne 7 Nocturne rehearsal

Nocturne will be performed outdoors at The Greenwich and Docklands International Festival on Saturday 25th June at 2.45pm & 7.55pm and on Sunday 26th June 2.40pm (BSL) & 6.10pm in Monument Gardens, Old Royal Naval College.

Crossroads

Saturday, June 18th, 2011

Crossroads features a cast of 70 local people of all ages to be performed in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, during the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th June.

The performance is inspired by experiences of travelling, migration and cultural identity. Protein choreographer Luca Silvestrini is the creative mastermind behind this moving and powerful dance. I have been drawing during some of the rehearsals.

Crossroads 2  Crossroads 4

Crossroads 6  Crossroads 8

Crossroads 9  Saturday 11 June 

More drawings of Crossroads rehearsals to follow.

Crossroads will be performed at Greenwich and Docklands International Festival in King Charles Courtyard, Old Royal Navel College Greenwich SE10, on Saturday 25th at 6.45pm and Sunday 26th June at 1.50pm and 3.35 pm.

To see more drawings of Luca Silvestrini’s choreography and his dance company Protein, see January 31st and March 20th.

Candoco’s 20th Birthday Party

Monday, May 30th, 2011

Candoco Dance Company celebrated 20 creative and inspiring years at Greenwich Dance Cabaret on 20th May.

Candoco threw away the rule book and made audiences radically rethink who could and could not be a dancer, they have changed dance for ever” Brendan Keaney, Director of Greenwich Dance.

With Candoco’s inclusive ethos, artistic success and international acclaim, it has revolutionised the dance world and inspired participants and audiences alike.”  Celeste Dandeker, Founder & Patron of Candoco.

Nigel Charnock compared the evening, (Choreographer of Cold Tongue – City To City Cabaret, Still – Candoco and founder member of DV8). The evening began with a film directed by Margaret Williams shot in 1994 of Candoco and was followed by Deaf Men Dancing performing Elvis! and Boys.

Deaf Men Dancing. Elvis!

Deaf Men Dancing. Elvis!

Catherine Long danced Right Arm Solo followed by Vicky Malin and Dan Daw of Candoco dancing Imperfect Storm choreographed by Wendy Houston.

Imperfect Storm. Wendy Houston

Candoco. Imperfect Storm 

The raffle followed. I had donated a drawing of Vicky and Darren rehearsing the Hofesh Shechter work The Perfect Human in 2008, one of a series of studies for painting Don’t Look Back.

Marc Brew won the drawing and was the next to perform

Marc Brew. Remember When Nigel Charnock.

Marc Brew. Remember When.       Nigel Charnock singing to us 

You can see Marc Brew’s Nocturne at The Greenwich and Docklands Festival on 25th and 26th June.

Cando2 performed Lay Down Your Weary Tune. A finale on stage completed the evening with many who have danced with Candoco over the 20 years.

Candoco

Happy Birthday Candoco!

 

Laurie Anderson, Trisha Brown & Gordon Matta-Clark at Barbican artgallery

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

This exhibition, Laurie AndersonTrisha BrownGordon Matta- Clark at the Barbican Art Gallery opened in March and I am ashamed to say I got to see it just a few days before it closed on 22nd May, that’s pathetic isn’t it? Particularly as it was so brilliant, I should have gone at least more than once.

Exploring the work of three New York artists in the 1970’s: Performance artist and musician Laurie Anderson, choreographer Trisha Brown and artist Gordon Matta-Clark. The exhibition is divided spatially by placing the working drawings, films, sculptures and documentation on the upper level. On the lower level dancers perform.

Fioor of The Forest. Barbican

Henry Montes in Floor of the Forest 

In October 2010 I drew Floor of the Forest when it was performed by Candoco and Laban dancers in The Queen Elizabeth Hall in London’s Southbank Centre. Floor of the Forest, choreographed by Trisha Brown, is performed on a frame on which a lattice of ropes are tied and threaded with clothes. The two dancers move slowly to ambient sound, along the structure by dressing and undressing through the draped garments. The long pauses when they hang upside down, supported only by the clothes creates a powerful sense of weight and gravity which pervades the performance.

Open House

Open House 

Gorden Matta-Clark’s Open House explores the relationship between performance and structure. Seen from above, the performers move in, out, around and over a metal container/skip. It has maze-like corridors and doors that they move through. As they walk, climb, sit and roll they call each other and chat. It feels very inviting I want to join them, I can’t be the only one to feel this compulsion. Sure enough as the dancers walk away the audience move towards and enter the structure, opening and closing the doors, exploring how it feels to be inside.

Planes

Planes 

I missed the first part of Trisha Brown’s Planes. I was sitting with my elbows on a table, my eyes closed and my hands over my ears. I was activating The Headphone Table. Laurie Anderson’s investigation into sound traveling through the body through vibrationsFragments of recorded poetry were reaching my ears through the pressure of my elbows on the table, my hands working as headphones. It was totally mesmerising. Also a pillow, lay your head down and the pillow softly speaks, activated by the weight, how deliciously soothing… I crouch over with my eyes closed wondering if this could be the answer to my intermittent insomnia.

Planes: a wall with holes cut into it, the dancers slowly climb across, stopping when they reach a new position, balancing, again the sense of gravity and strength is powerful. This felt very familiar as I drew, reminding me of the feeling of the pull, stretch, balance and tremor of fear when on the climbing walls with my two sons.