Dr Susan Jones will discuss the impact of early twentieth-century European dance on Eliot’s poetics and subsequently that of Eliot’s poetry on modern dance forms in the United States. Dr Jones is an ex-soloist with The Scottish Ballet and now Lecturer in English at St. Hilda’s College Oxford.
Anna Davies will speak on the literary representations of social dance in the novels of Balzac (1799-1850), Flaubert (1821-80) and Maupassant (1850-93). Setting these readings in the context of the historical court records pertaining to ‘illicit’ dancing in the Paris dance-halls and guinguettes, she will explore how far these literary portrayals add to our understanding of the social and political significance of popular dance in Paris as the 19th century unfolded.
Frank Sinatra’s post-war star image represents an exemplary case of intertextuality, crossing the multiple boundaries of film, television and nightclub performances, musical recordings, and an extensive variety of media commentary. The image of masculinity articulated via this intertextuality both illuminates post-war debates around masculinity and challenges further ideas of gender, sexual and American identity. This paper considers some of this imagery, exploring in particular the 1954 Warner Bros. film Young at Heart and its explicit referencing of Sinatra’s persona as a singer in both musical and visual terms.
…”It’s as if we’ve been transported to some nocturnal ritual in ancient Sparta… curiously alluring, intriguing and weirdly enjoyable…” Luke Jennings, The Times.
DisGo’s territory is minds, organs, nervous systems. Join the international company of incredible dancers on an intimate journey into the night…
Touring now for its fourth season, the show is back due to audience demand. Fleur Darkin Company invite you to come and play. Surrender to the sound and dance sensation of DISGO.
DISGO is intimate, not intimidating. DISGO creates new and closer proximities between performer and audience. DISGO is a different experience for everyone. The centre of DISGO is within the individual experiencing it “One of the more overtly theatrical of the new wave British choreographers” (The Times), Fleur Darkin merges her company of powerful dancers with the audience to create a riot of choreography. Experience a unique intimacy with the performers as they dance this raw and powerful new work.
Set in a stunning immersive light design by Sam Collins and with a soundscore including Plastikman, Fourtet and Mortitz Von Oswald… why don’t you put your hands up for Berlin… Detroit… Chichester?
Edge: The postgraduate performance company of London Contemporary Dance School
EDge features a new generation of the most promising contemporary dancers performing commissions by exciting young choreographers. Led by Artistic Director Jeanne Yasko, EDge’s 2012 tour showcases performances by a strong and diverse ensemble of 12 dancers.
The programme features new full length works by internationally acclaimed artists Matthias Sperling (Canada/UK) and James Wilton (UK) alongside other works including Alston Takes Cover, a joint commission by The Place and Dance Umbrella. Alston Takes Cover includes three choreographers’ personal takes on Richard Alston’s iconic Wildlife, created by Tony Adigun (Avant Garde Dance), Rachel Lopez de la Nieta (Dog Kennel Hill Project) and Moreno Solinas/Igor Urzelai (BLOOM!). This unique programme is filled with high-level energy and technical excellence that pushes the performers to their limits and leaves you on the edge of your seat.
Dance Expression
In this psychedelic fusion of live art, Hand drawn animation and stand-up comedy. Sarah Ruff poses the question to the Audience: What is a Human? This strange conference is an attempt to explicitly deconstruct, Explore and celebrate the weirdness of human behaviour, reproduction and existence within the technologically driven modern world.
The aesthetic of the work is integral to the performance with powerful visual imagery and complex interaction between body and projected animation. There is a consistent interplay between real body and the technological presence, to the point that the female body almost becomes or fails to become a robot. The piece embodies the aesthetic of somewhere between a conference and a dream.
Poised on the edge of catastrophe, Frontman is a furiously loud, raucous reproduction of the all the best gigs you never saw. With borrowed ramblings from iconic frontmen, the ghost of Elvis/Dolly/Kurt/Iggy is channeled by a girl in sequins, whilst a techie in rabbit ears refuses to watch the show. She turns up the volume and humps the speakers, and tells the crowd she loves them.
Backed by an analogue synth and a tambourine, the performance is a defiant, brazen, half-cut version of a faded comeback gig, complete with dry-ice, lip syncs and extreme noise (earplugs provided…)
Balancing between euphoria and a car crash, Frontman uses DIY analogue sound and is part-gig, part-perfomance for a standing
audience who like it loud.
Frontman is the third piece in an unintentional trilogy of work, following A Western and Watch Me Fall, about icons and the iconography of masculinity.
Frontman was co-commissioned by Fierce festival 2011 and Inbetween Time Productions. It’s development was supported by Forest Fringe and Residence. It’s national tour was supported by Arts Council England. Sound support by Alex Bradley.
Don’t Panic magazine