Drawing « Sally McKay

Archive for the ‘Drawing’ Category

Arthur Pita at The Linbury. The Metamorphosis

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

I am drawing during the rehearsals of Arthur Pita‘s exquisite new dance work commissioned by ROH2. The dance is based on Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis. Travelling salesman, Gregor Samsa, wakes one morning in his parents’ house to discover he has been transformed into a giant insect.

A few early drawings…

Metamorphosis 14

Metamorphosis, Edward Watson Metamorphosis 15 Royal Ballet Principal Dancer, Edward Watson as Gregor

Metamorphosis, Anton Skrzypicie Gregor’s Father, Anton Skrzypiciel

Metamorphosis, Laura Day

his sister Grete, Laura Day and Mother, Nina Goldman

Metamorphosis 16

Joe Walkling, Bettina Carpi and Greig Cooke complete the strong cast of dancers. Innovative music by Frank Moon.

I have previously drawn Bettina Carpi, when she danced with Candoco (see the life size wire sculpture of Bettina: Amazing You) and Greig Cooke in The Featherstonehaughs, Charles Linehan Company and Yorke Dance Project, wonderful to work with them again.

Performances 19 Sept – 24 Sept, at Linbury Theatre in the Royal Opera House.

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Liberty Festival

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

This Saturday, September 3rd on The Southbank 1.00 – 5.00 see Liberty Festival, London’s annual disability art’s festival. See Deaf Men Dancing with my friend, artist Rachel Gadsden perform ‘Alive’, StopGAP dance company present new work and power wheel chair dance troupe Graeae’s Rhinestone Rollers reinterpret classical dance.

See drawings of StopGAP I made last year at rehearsals, also Deaf Men Dancing perform in Canary Wharf at Greenwich and Docklands Festival and at Greenwich Dance Cabaret at Candoco’s Birthday Party.

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Ah, holidays…

Monday, August 29th, 2011

Eighteen years ago my sister took a holiday in Cyprus, on her return to London she told me she was sick of her long commute to work, the unpredictable weather, had been enchanted by this beautiful island and wanted to leave UK. Within days she had secured a job and accomodation and relocated to Cyprus. Eight years on she married a Greek Cypriot with 2 (adult) children who also live in Cyprus and so – our wonderful Cypriot family who we recently spent our holiday with.

The first night we stayed at their home in Nicosia. As well as cats and dogs they own a bad tempered parrot called Parrot who squawks grumpily at everyone but if you sing to Parrot she is happy, she dances by ferociously nodding her head and swaying.

Parrot melon

Grumpy Parrot

Sirina Bay

Sirina Bay

We left Nicosia to stay at the coast and the relief of a slight breeze. Days spent snorkeling, diving off rocks, reading, drawing. Evenings, barbecues of fresh fish, sheftalia and souvlaki, followed by midnight swims with an underwater torch.

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Carmen. Coliseum, London

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

The following drawings are of the English National Ballet rehearsing and performing Roland Petit’s Carmen at The Coliseum, London. Carmen. London 1

Morning class

Carmen performance. Coliseum, London

Rehearsal Performance

Carmen. Coliseum, London

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Latitude Festival 2011

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Latitude Festival 2011 The National

The National

Some of my favourite’s at Latitude recorded through my sketch book or camera.

Ed Sheeran Dionne Bromfield

Ed Sheeran

Fella Fela

Tommi Kitti. A Trip Andrew Smith. Moon Dust

Space race letterbox Space-Race Letterbox

Anna Calvi Electric Hotel

Anna Calvi Electric Hotel

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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 choreographers 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.

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

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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