In May 2009 I had a 6 week solo show Chasing Shadows in the West End gallery, GV Art in Marylebone. Martin Smith and Alex May of Quadratura were commissioned to create an audio/visual composition of dancer, Alessandra Ruggeri, responding to my work.
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening Alessandra Ruggeri will be dancing at Dancing The Decade, the 10 year celebration of The Wapping Project, with Andrew Graham in the duet, In One Breath.
On Friday and Saturday choreographer Lea Anderson and two dancers from her all male company The Featherstonehaughs, were at The Wapping Poject as part of the celebration. Ryen Perkins-Gangnes and In Pang Oci performed a stunning fragment from the 2010 show Edits.
Ryen and In Pang perform a duet from Edits
I drew during some the rehearsals for this show last year, it takes as it’s starting point the rhythm and phrasing of film editing in feature films. (see August 21st and August 23rd). The costumes are by Sandy Powell, music by Steve Blake and Will Saunders and light and stage design by Simon Corder. Lea Anderson first came to The Wapping Project 17 years ago with a site specific performance performed by her all female dance company, The Cholmondelys, in the building before it’s refurbishment.
Before and after the duet a lively Rock n’ Roll class was in progress on the dance floor, the dance teacher even managed to persuade me to abandon drawing them and join in!
Rock ‘n Roll class in progress on the dance floor
Many of the same dancers who performed last Friday evening at the Wapping Project have been dancing at the exhibition Move: Choreographing You at the Hayward Gallery over the last 3 months, (see post November 3rd). I was asked by the facilitator, Susan Sentler and several dancers, to join them on Sunday and draw at the last day of the exhibition.
A new work was performed by students of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music, in The Clore Ballroom at The Festival Hall. Composer, Earle Brown, originally associated with John Cage and Merce Cunningham, wrote the score for December 1952 describing it as “a field of activity“. Seating was arranged to mimic the graphic score, the performers (including musicians) weaved and danced between chairs utilising all the space.
Simone Forti‘s Huddle, an impromptu ‘dance construction’, took place at different times and places within the gallery throughout the 3 months. On Sunday, the last day, all the dancers who’d worked at the exhibition over the last 3 months came in specially to join together and create a massive Huddle at the close of the exhibition.
Two dancers link their arms round each others waist curving their backs, heads down, more join appearing out of the crowd that’s gathering. As they come together there is an air of expectancy, a hush descends as onlookers gather around the group. As more of them join they became as if one being, one body, one breath. Slowly one dancer rises and climbs onto and across the others’ backs, another climbs up and across, then another. A silent sculptural gently moving form, totally mesmerising and engaging… suddenly they break free from each other laughing to spontaneous clapping and cheering.
Friday evening at Wapping Hydraulic Power Station; the first evening of a new season of dance, Frontiers and Fragments: Dancing the Decade to celebrate 10 years of The Wapping Project. The evening began downstairs in the Boiler House sitting on big cushions and deck chairs on two opposite sides of this fabulous atmospheric room. Trinity Laban alumni: Alice Tatge, Rosalie Wahlfrid and Irina Baldini performed their own strong dances and Andrew Graham and Alessandra Ruggeri performed a beautiful fast duet choreographed by Andrew.
Happened. Irina Baldini
In One Breath… Andrew Graham and Alessandra Ruggeri
Next, upstairs to the Engine House to watch and participate in Performing Book choreographed by Janine Harrington, danced by Laban alumni, a trans-active performance structure. The dancers interact with audience members who move near to them, the movement of the audience affected the dancers’ movement in a real time processing challenge.
Back to the Boiler House to watch the 15 Happenings in 3 parts, a reinvention of artist Allan Kaprow’s 18 Happenings in 6 parts first performed in New York in 1959. Kaprow is regarded as responsible for coining the much used term ‘happenings’ with this seminal work and was a key figure in instigating the visual arts’ movement towards performance and environmental events. Rosemary Butcher, Lauren Potter and Henrietta Hale re-invented the work performed by Laban’s BA3’s.
15 Happenings in 3 Parts
Susan Sentler curated the evening. Dr. Jules Wright is the creator and Director of The Wapping Project.
On Friday 7th January, Trinity Laban BA3 dance theatre students and allumni will be performing at The Wapping Hydraulic Power Station as part of Frontiers and Fragments: Dancing the Decade, a new season of dance celebrating 10 years of The Wapping Project.
Over the last 8 years I have had a very creative collaboration with Trinity Laban, drawing students in class, during rehearsals and exhibiting at Laban. Eight BA3 students joined me at two of my solo exhibitions, dancing in the exhibition space in response to my work. One of those dancers, Andrew Graham will be performing at Wapping on Friday. Scroll back to October 21st to see Andrew at The Secret Frieze After Party held in Cafe Luc, Marylebone.
I have just completed a life size wire sculpture based on Irina Baldini, Laban Trinity alumni, who will also perform at Wapping on Friday.
The performance begins at 7.30, tickets are £6.00, see The Wapping Project to book tickets.
I have spent the last four days on a Yoga Retreat, at Yeotown in rural North Devon. The founders Simon Sieff and Mercedes Ngoh opened the retreat in Spring last year in a beautiful farm house renovated with exquisite taste. The house and converted out-houses are furnished with elegant antiques, sculpture and paintings, the spacious bathrooms have underfloor heating and Yeotown’s own brand of toiletries.
Over the four days of the retreat Mercedes led us on a enlightening and exhilarating journey through 10 hours of Vinyasa Flow Yoga.
Kath Qualtrough
Mercedes Ngoh
The yoga studio
Delicious vegetarian meals, prepared by the chef, Loz, were eaten communally at a long table in the kitchen. In the afternoon we were free to walk in the 50 acres surrounding the property, drive to the beach and watch the surfers, take a sauna, have a massage or just curl up on one of the big comfy sofas by the fire and read in the beautiful drawing room.
Yeotown is set in 50 acres of farmland
Yeotown is a very special place to be with excellent yoga tuition. Thank you Simon and Mercedes.
Prokofiev wrote the score to Cinderella during the Second World War, premiered by the Bolshoi in 1946. Matthew Bourne was intrigued and inspired by this discovery, he explored the possibility of setting Cinderella during this period, saying “…it seemed to work so well in the wartime setting. Darkly romantic in tone, it speaks of a period of time when time was everything, love was found and lost suddenly and the world danced as if there was no tomorrow.”
Cinderella in this setting made sense to me. I grew up with stories of London in the Blitz. My mother was a physiotherapist at The London Hospital in Whitechapel (now The Royal London Hospital) during the Second World War. Stories of leaving the hospital on nights off to dance and returning to find the walk ways to the hospital bombed and impassable; treating survivors after many were horrifically crushed to death attempting to enter Bethnal Green Tube Station during an air raid; her friend, never to love another, after her boyfriend was killed soon after signing up.
New Adventures‘ production of Cinderella is performed at Sadler’s Wells until 23rd January and then goes on tour.
Heather Mills has followed a vegan diet for 17 years to promote healing, following a serious road accident. Her cookery book, Love Bites features traditional meals from around the world, cooked to Heather’s vegan recipes.
Love Bites is available to buy from redwoodfoods.co.uk
Quartet
Four years ago Heather bought a drawing of mine after noticing it in an exhibition in Soho, since then she has continued to buy, commission and live with my work.
The work of dancer and choreographer Russell Maliphant was showcased at Laban Theatre on 24th and 25th November. The programme contained three works, opening with a film-screening of an early duet, Critical Mass; Maliphant himself dancing the solo, Shift; followed by the most recent AfterLight (Part 1) performed by award winning dancer Daniel Proietto.
A collaboration between Russell Maliphant and lighting designer, Michael Hulls, with haunting cello music by Shirley Thompson. Shift is in essence a solo, but shadows appear, vanish and reappear on the back screen multiplying the dancer, so he is never alone until the last phrase of movement when each column of light fades, leaving Maliphant a silhouette, seeming to dissolve with the light as it slowly fades away.
Shift
AfterLight (Part One) is inspired by the photographs and geometric circular drawings of Vaslav Nijinsky which he drew to describe his descent into psychosis. The solo is performed to piano music of Erik Satie. Michael Hulls has designed exquisite lighting, the audience are in complete darkness, (my pencil couldn’t locate my sketch book, no drawings). The dappled light falls on the dancer seeming to trap him in the shadows, as he moves he starts to spin as if casting off the darkness that enveloped him, the movement flows in spirals and circles, pools of light partially illuminating him as he moves. The climax is the dancer spinning so fast in an arc of dappled light, it is impossible to tell where his limbs end and the shadows take over. A collective sigh rose from the audience as the dancer slowed, the light faded and shadows enveloped the audience once more.
Six of my framed charcoal drawings are on show at the West End boutique hairdressing salon, Billi Currie, at 47 Chiltern Street, London W1U 6LX. Billi is happy for you to visit the salon to view the work. Billi is an excellent, experienced stylist not only owning a very popular salon but also managing a busy schedule in the international Magazine and Fashion world.
Four of the six drawings
Diversion of Angels Nacht
Heart Political Mother
Etching: Bird Girl
All the drawings and etching are for sale can be gift wrapped and delivered free of charge in the London area before Christmas. See my website to view more drawings, etchings, paintings and sculpture as present ideas.