recent blogs
7 November. Gave first of series of 5 classes introducing Butoh techniques to contemporary dancers in Oxford. Space for Oxford dancers CPD Mondays 12-2pm organised by Susie Crow of Ballet in small spaces at URC Summertown.
4-5 November. The opening of The Old Firestation in Oxford. Performances on friday morning for the invited bigwigs and on the Saturday all day for the public. Dance contribution by a good handful of Oxford’s dancers coordinated by Sarah Whatley and joined by musicians Bruno Guastalla, Malcolm Atkins and Pete McPhail.
Great range of improvisations from the group and use of spaces in the building. I enjoyed tearing out red paper hearts from my tissue paper flower to hand out and float down in the foyer and dangling said flower from a length of thick red wool out of the loft window in to George Street. Not enough people look up when they walk down a street.
29 October. Gig at The Rotunda with The Tim Perkins Ensemble. My appearances ranged from being a fat tea lady character to something of a bog/swamp monster becomes Kali via a youth with a magic horn and a pumped up vicar. The music was good though. How does a dancer accompany a band? a challenge.
21 October. Cafe Reason Diamond nights. The first outing with my new rug in a piece called ‘dreaming a life’ featuring as ever a helium balloon -this time a red one festooned with pinks reds and oranges to contrast the greens of the rug and my neutral costume. Minimal soundtrack thanks to Paul’s recording of a Norwegian wood complete with birds, flies, wind, clicks and the long drone of an aircraft. I also danced in a short piece with my son and in the group Café Reason presentation choreographed by Jeannie. Good to see the work that night too of Bruno and Macarena, Dariusz and first time in Oxford Daniel Somerville.