Victor Fung and PlatformDtv

June 5th, 2012

27th May 2012

I met Victor Fung at the Greenwich Dance Family Cabaret, Victor and Ragnhild Olsen danced in the hour preceding the cabaret for Drawing Dance the activity I facilitated so the children could draw some dance before the ‘acts’ began. Victor invited me to draw him dancing the following weekend during the filming of his dance by PlatformDtv, at Chisenhale Dance Space in East London.

Victor rehearsing

Graphite and watercolour 

Victor rehearsing

Graphite 

Victor rehearsing

Brush and ink   

Victor, Anwoba and Remi Remi and Anwobo of PlatformDTV with Victor discussing his life in dance

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Rambert Dance Company

May 30th, 2012

15 May 2012. Sadler’s Wells

It’s 2 weeks since I watched Rambert perform at Sadler’s Wells. Here are some small speedy sketches I made during the performance.

The first dance, SUB, choreographed by Itzik Galili, was in my opinion the most moving and powerful dance of the evening. Seven bare chested men wearing weird kilt-like baggy shorts danced with such strength, speed and dynamism it took my breath away. I live with teenagers and SUB seems to embrace the whole sense of being a teenager. I loved this dance.

Rambert,Sub

Rambert 3

Rambert 3 Sub, choreographer Itzik Galili

The Art of Touch, followed, choreographed by Siobhan Davies. Inspired by observing the touch of the musician’s hand on the keyboard of the harpsichord and the creation of the sound as the plectrum makes contact with the strings. The Art of Touch is a great contrast to Sub, in this work the dancers feet hardly touched the ground. Rambert danced to a work for harpsichord by Matteo Fargion.

The Art of Touch. Rambert

The Art of Touch. Choreographer Siobhan Davies

L’Apres midi d’un faune

L’Apres midi d’un faune choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky in 1912 and recreated for Rambert by Ann Whitley

No sheets left in my sketch book by time the last dance of the evening, What Wild Ecstasy, was performed so sadly no drawings of this dance, choreographed by Ramberts’ Artistic Director Mark Baldwin to music by Gavin Higgins.

My next exhibition is a solo show at No Format Gallery, Mellish Industrial Estate, Warspite Road, London SE18 5N

13th September – 23rd September 2012

Part of ‘On Sublimity and Synaesthesia‘ I shall be exhibiting in conjunction with freelance writer Dr Stephen Baycroft.

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Greenwich Dance Family Cabaret

May 25th, 2012

19 May 2012

Saturday 19th May was the first day of Big Dance 2012, the UK’s biggest celebration of dance. Greenwich Dance is the Big Dance Hub for South East London, Greenwich Dance is working with local dancers, arts organisations, schools and councils to bring together 8 weeks of dance across south east London. Greenwich Dance kicked off the festivities with the Greenwich Dance Big Family Cabaret.

In my new role of Resident Artist of Greenwich Dance, I facilitated Drawing Dance. As the audience arrived I invited the children to join me and dancers: Victor Fung and Ragnhild Olsen on the dance floor which was covered in a huge carpet of white paper. Fabulous rhythmic drawings were made by the children and many adults too, inspired by the music DJ Festus Williams was playing and the dancing of Victor and Ranghild.

Award winning comedian Tom Roden from New Art Club was the compere.

My drawings of the performance

Family Cabaret 2012

Maxwell Dance Project  Magpie Dance Youth Group

Family Cabaret 2012

Matthias Sperling and Antonia Grove

Family Cabaret 2012

Hoop La La

Family Cabaret 2012

Dickson Mbi, Adrian Naidas and Jonathon Reid

A great start to the next 8 weeks of Big Dance.

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Resident Artist at Greenwich Dance

May 25th, 2012

May 22nd, 2012

I am very excited and pleased to have been asked to work as Resident Artist at Greenwich Dance.

The first event I was asked to facilitate for was at the The Big Family Cabaret which worryingly coincided with the Open Studios weekend at our studios at Second Floor Studios Woolwich. My 15 year old son came to my rescue and sat in my studio so it could remain open for the afternoon and my 12 year old daughter accompanied me to Greenwich Dance to help me encourage the youngsters to join us on the floor to draw. In fact there was a huge amount of enthusiasm for the activity and no encouragement needed to participate, so happily she was able to sit and draw too.

A summer of exciting projects with Greenwich Dance lies ahead. Why not join us at Greenwich World Cultural Festival in the grounds of Eltham Palace 1st July 12.30-4.30; see Protein Dance perform The Picnic choreographed by Luca Silvestrini and create in clay with me, inspired by the dancers.

Or maybe you could arrive by water to The Big Dance Big Top Tent in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, 5th July – 9th July, workshops for professional dancers, children and adults and on the last day a Family Cabaret at 4.00pm followed by Cabaret 2 (14+) at 7.30pm.

I will try to capture the spirit of each event and post images here.

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Open Studios

May 23rd, 2012

17 May – 20 May

This weekend at Second Floor Studios, we opened our doors to a steady stream of visitors, to chat, buy our work or just take a look around. I sold etchings and was commissioned to make a painting containing dynamic movement for a communal office space. Several visitors left with measurements and titles of paintings to mull over before possibly purchasing, as well as a commission for a life size sculpture of a dancer created in wire for a local garden.

Here are some shots of my work in my studio

Jenny, The Rodin Project

Jenny. (The Rodin Project). 2012. Oil and ink on fabriano paper

The Rodin Project, rehearsal

Hip Hop diptych. (The Rodin Project). 2012. Oil on canvas

Come, been and gone Come, been & gone. 2011. Oil on Canvas

Autumn

Autumn. 2012. Oil on canvas

 Morgan Morgan Szymanski. 2012. Oil on canvas

etchings

Sugar lift etchings. 2012

If you missed the Open Studio but would like to visit my studio to see the work please contact me.

My next exhibition is a solo show at No Format Gallery, Mellish Industrial Estate, Warspite Road, London SE18 5N

13th September – 23rd September 2012

Part of ‘On Sublimity and Synaesthesia‘ I shall be exhibiting in conjunction with freelance writer Dr Stephen Baycroft.

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Collective Movement at The Southbank Centre

May 7th, 2012

Friday May 4th

Four emerging dance artists and a video artist, took part in a sharing of their work in progress at the Southbank Centre last Friday evening to an invited audience. Together they form The Collective Movement, the Southbank Centre’s resident emerging dance artists in their Spring Residency. Following the performance there was a discussion and reflection concerning the work, all comments were wholly positive.

Southbank, Collective Movement Else Tunemyr and Hrafnildur Benedikstdottir danced, turned, rolled, spun, naked in water which they had spat, dribbled and poured over the studio floor. Reminiscent of french artist Yves Klein’s Anthropometry performance art paintings in 1960, when Klein dragged naked women covered in blue paint across canvas using the female models as human brushes. Friday’s performance was directed and performed by women so had none of the uncomfortable undertones of dominant male directing the woman as “living brushes”. Nathalia Mello joined the action via skype.

Southbank, Collective Movement

Irene Cena held still positions juxtaposed with flowing transitions as she propelled herself along a wall

Southbank, Collective Movement

Dancer Irina Baldini interacted with the image of her walking projected on the wall, filmed by video artist Giorgia Sciannameo 

Irina modeled for me last year when I was commissioned to make figurative wire sculpture for an office waiting area.

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Sunset

May 1st, 2012

May 1st

We’ve just had the wettest April in the UK for 100 years, but today at last a whole day when no rain fell on my studio at Second Floor Studios. The sun although feeble, shone and lifted my spirits which have been struggling to stay buoyant.

sunset over the studio

Of course it’s not been the rain that’s got me down, there have been far bigger more dramatic happenings to do that, but a day without rain, warm sun and a beautiful sunset has felt like such a treat.

I shot this at 8.30pm this evening as I was leaving the studios. For those of you reading this who are not South Londoners: on the left, behind the mast of the boat, you can see Canary Wharf; next to that is the O2 where the gymnastics will take place during the Olympic Games and crossing the river, the Thames Barrier.

See this view along with some great art at our Open Studios (see below).

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Open Studio. May 2012

April 21st, 2012

Open Studio. May 2012

Studio 17, Unit 0, Second Floor Studios

Thursday 17th May 5.00 – 9.00pm

Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th May 11.00 – 6.00pm

Painting, Drawing, Etching, Sculpture 

All work for sale, new commissions taken 

 Solitary Women

Oil on canvas. 2012. 96 x 76cm. Cath James of Yorke Dance Project rehearsing City Limitless 

My studio: number 17,  Unit 0. The building next to the river. New terrace cafe will be open for tea and coffee, homemade food and a BBQ

Location: Second Floor Studios & Arts, Mellish Industrial Estate, Harrington Way (off Warspite Road), Woolwich, London SE18 5NR

Transport. Train: Charlton and Woolwich Dockyard Stations. DLR Woolwich Arsenal. Bus: 180, 177, 161, and 472

Contact: sallymckay@btinternet.com http://www.sallymckay.co.uk   07803609977

 Furthermore a date for your diary, Solo Exhibition 

13th September – 23rd September 2012

Part of ‘On Sublimity and Synaesthesia‘ I shall be exhibiting in conjunction with freelance writer Dr Stephen Baycroft.

At: No Format Gallery, Second Floor Studios, Mellish Industrial Estate, Warspite Road, London SE18 5NR

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2012 Olivier Awards

April 20th, 2012

17th April 2012. News

Desh by Akram Khan won Best New Dance Production. I would love the opportunity to draw Akram Khan Company while they are rehearsing. In 2010 I watched Confluence, a collaboration between Akram Khan and musician Nitin Sawhney and also Gnosis, both were fabulous.

Metamorphosis, Arthur Pita’s wonderful interpretation of Franz Kafkas’s dark novella of a traveling salesman who wakes one morning to find himself transformed into a giant insect, was nominated but didn’t win. I drew this dance during the rehearsals, truly it is tragic and beautiful.

Outstanding Achievement in Dance was won by Edward Watson, for his performance in The Metamorphosis. (see above).

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Polyphonia, Sweet Violets, Carbon Life

April 14th, 2012

Tuesday 10th April 2012

The Royal Ballet are performing a triple bill at The Royal Opera House until April 23rd. Polyphonia choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, Liam Scarlett’s Sweet Violets and Carbon Life choreographed by Wayne McGregor.

Polyphonia (2001) to music by Gyorgy Ligetti opens the evening. I loved the clean abstract lines created in the dance. I drew in pencil in small sketch books, in the dark.

Polyphonia. copyright Sally McKay PolyphoniaPolyphonia Polyphonia, choreographer Christopher Wheeldon

In a total contrast the ballet that follows, Sweet Violets, is a narrative ballet exploring the British Impressionist painter Walter Sickert’s macarbe fascination with and possible link to Jack the Ripper, set to Rachmaninoff’s music of piano, violin and cello, played live and beautiful. Sweet Violets is confusing to say the least but interesting to draw.

Sweet Violets Sweet Violets

Sweet Violets 

Sickert founded the Camden Town Group of artists, his paintings were painted in a dark palette, sometimes quite seedy and often haunting. He used prostitutes as models which upset the public, apparently he wanted the nudes he painted to look ‘ordinary’ not in idealised poses. Some beautiful drawings by the Camden Town Group are on show at Tate Britain until May 7th.

Finally, Carbon Life by Wayne McGregor is a huge treat. Wonderful lighting by Lucy Carter, a band playing live at the back of the stage are joined by singers, Boy George, Alison Mosshart, Hero Fisher, Jonathon Pierce and rapper Black Cobain. Fashion designer Gareth Pugh has designed mad and gorgeous monochrome costumes, some of which restrict the dancing, as in Bauhaus. The dancing is fabulous, everything feels extreme, hyperextended arched backs, very high legs, almost impossible twists and turns, I smile from start to finish and love drawing this ballet – it’s so dark I can’t see the paper, I have no idea what I’ve drawn until I’m in the train home and take a look in my sketch book.

Carbon Life Carbon Life

above left: Rapper, Black Cobain joins the dancers

Carbon Life below: fabulous costumes by Gareth Pugh

Carbon Life Carbon Life

I’d like to take some of these drawings further, though I’m not sure which direction, certainly to sugar lift or soft-ground etchings, possibly a painting in oil on canvas. My ideal would be to make a full size wire sculpture showing the extraordinary moves and crazy gorgeous costumes in Carbon Life, unlikely as for the sculpture I only work to commission.

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