Want to make Dance Theatre?

Rod Dixon, 25 January 2015

The following people came to talk and possibly collaborate:
Jordan Lennie,Liberty Bliss, Fiona Whitelaw, Dom Czapski, Giselle Ty, Ragnhild Freng Dale, Mariana Bennett, Michela Sisti

This session began by a long and interesting discussion about work we love - Jo Stromgren, Gecko, Raymund Hoghe, Pina Bausch, Iona Kewney, Dada von Bzdulow and many others. Having found common ground and common enthusiams we shared experiences as theatre makers, as dancers, as artists. The discussion led on to the problem of those two words DANCE and THEATRE. The connotations are loaded and bring fear about what audiences expect by these unhelpful labels.
My own desire is to work more and more with dancers because of very positive creations at Northern School but my fear is triggered that audiences who see my work normally will be confused by a sudden move towards Dance-Theatre. This fear is just that - a paralysis and we discussed how being afraid of what others think or how our work is categorised is unfounded often. It was agreed that we just make a piece of work which has a title but doesn't mention those dreaded words dance or theatre.
Live Art - another loaded category - is an area where we can experiment more with form and possibly to an audience who have expectations allowing for the unpredictable. My preference is to make something which just happens to be ‘a good night out’ in the John McGrath mould - and this was what we discussed next.

This was unashamedly a networking session as much as a meeting of passions and

interests - thank you all who shared and I hope we can come together in a studio in 2015 and begin to play and move together.

Tags:

Dance, dance