PORTRAITS
Led by Wendy Houstoun
Friday 27 November – Friday 11 December 2020
This digital Choreography Project was led by The Guardian’s “maverick of modern dance”, UK-based artist Wendy Houstoun:
“This is going to be something of an experiment for me as well as the participants. The screen can be a brutal thing to a sense of self and I certainly find it distracting to see so much of myself in the act of communicating. I found this great picture by Michael Lipsey who was happy for me to use for this project. It said a lot about what I am interested in. The gap between how we feel and what we look like in photos or moving on screen. It is also something that has occurred a lot during dance training. How a movement looks versus how it feels. So yes. I want to discuss this as an idea and also find a way to mix the formats to build portraits not necessarily of ourselves. I know a lot of us have spent a fair bit of time in isolation with only ourselves for company so I am keen to make this as social an experience as it is possible to be.
It will be a mix of guided work ( movement and textual ) plus improvised and more playful work alone and together.
Hopefully the technology won’t dominate as, for me, the most important thing is meeting , sharing and articulating ideas that mean something to all of us.”
– Wendy Houstoun
The project culminated in a live improvisation as part of the final session on Friday 11 December
ABOUT WENDY HOUSTOUN
Wendy Houstoun is a movement/theatre artist who remains committed to finding new forms to address her themes. Over the years, her work has developed a uniquely distinctive style that combines movement with text, and meaning with humour. Since 1980, Wendy has worked extensively as a solo performer, and in collaboration with companies and artists whose work challenges, enriches and extends the boundaries of dance and theatre. Her work with DV8 Physical Theatre, Tim Etchells and Forced Entertainment, film maker David Hinton, Jonathan Burrows and Matteo Fargion, Nigel Charnock, performance artist Rose English, Lumiere and Son Theatre and Ludus Dance Company has explored large and small stages, specific sites, film and installation. www.wendyhoustoun.com
ABOUT THE CHOREOGRAPHY PROJECT
A regular feature of our BROADREACH programme, THE CHOREOGRAPHY PROJECT is a creative and performance opportunity for adults to work with professional choreographers in the exploration of contemporary dance theatre.
CREATIVE SESSIONS TOOK PLACE
EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY from Friday 27 November – Friday 11 December 2020
TIME | 5:00-6:00pm.
PLATFORM | Zoom
OPEN TO ANYONE AGED 18+ with at least 1-2 years dance experience.
Feature image courtesy of aphorist and artist Michael Lipsey stoicmike.tumblr.com
