Ana Dance

Author Archive

Tuesday was the first of this Autumn’s choreocollective sessions. We found ourselves discussing the perception and experience of time. From the perspective of an older person with time on their hands to enjoy not rushing (and not being bothered) by the surrounding rush (and irritation or pity) of fellow shoppers/customers. To the fact apparently that the reason we can’t swat flies easily is that our hand approaching is as though moving in slow motion as they experience time differently from humans -so they have plenty of time to buzz away. (and laugh at us) I don’t know where that came from but it led to some interesting movement experiments! We also found that the act of observing and being still affected the way the space was animated and experienced. Looking forward to October session.

On Saturday (after rushing from The Old Firestation in Oxford) Flavia, Peter and I made our way to Didcot to meet up with Leslie and Effie at Didcot’s Cornerstone Arts Centre. Miranda Laurence, who had dreamed up the idea to animate the window boxes was there to greet us and show us the corridor and windows which would be our space for the next 2 hours. Armed with boxes, tissue paper and an assortment of other props -Leslie brought plastic frogs and a fishing stick (among other things) and Effie, glitter shoes and gift bags, we took on the party flavour to celebrate Cornerstone’s 5th birthday.
In turns we inhabited the different window boxes occupying them at times alone and at others joined by a mischevious Flavia or all grouped together in the biggest. It was fun catching the attention of passers by and also great to see some of the other acts taking part in the celebrations who came parading our way on the other side of the glass.
I’m looking forward to seeing some of the images captured by Peter and I would love at some point to devise a proper choreography for this inspiring window wall.

On Saturday four members of Cafe Reason including myself, improvised through the Old Firestation building as part of Playground‘s contribution to Oxford’s Open Doors. Linked by red and black costumes and the theme ‘Playground on Fire’ we moved, prowled, howled and giggled our way through half an hour from 10.30 am. We were surprised to see a few more bodies around than we expected at that early time in the day and enjoyed the escapade. There were lots more art works and creative events happening throughout the day but I only got back in time to catch the closing fanfare from Oxford Improvisers which really livened up the expanse of Gloucester Green. Great musicians.

Another practice yesterday in preparation for the Go live performance on the 22nd September. Joined in the studio this time by Lizie who was really helpful and shared my fascination and delight in this big green object. We decided on one or two key images. However, it is proving difficult to link the ‘moments of magic’ without decidedly cluncky prosaic shifts and hints of sesame street with my rug monster. Running out of time and I still don’t have my soundtrack…Pressure is the mother of invention?
I’ve also just learned I’ll be showing the work in the 8pm show as well as the 6pm slot that evening. Two chances for it to work or not work…

August Bank holiday Monday at The Ashmolean, Cafe Reason in collaboration with Moving Tone performed a work in progress in The Randolph Gallery. Visitors saw and heard our white clad figures amoung the statues and formal architecture of the gallery and also seated, standing and passing in close close proximity. We went armed with a plan -knowing the audience would be the most unpredictable aspect. However, we were not prepared for the number there greeting us nor for the public to have already taken up occupancy of all the central benches which we’d optimistically earmarked for certain sections of the piece. This led to some nice slow motion jostling for space and as with all improvisations, instant decisions and adaptations of plans. It was also really interesting noticing just how the audience chose to respond – many content to accommodate a dancer in their midst , others resolutely unyielding like passengers on an overcrowded train unwilling to give up their seat and yet others respectfully or apologetically hastily making room.
We enjoyed our outing in the Ashmolean. The great acoustics of the space helped enormously in this one of our first more full attempts to incorporate sound and voice together with movement of the dancers and the feedback on this aspect of the performance in particular is very encouraging.

Photo: Peter Green

On Friday I finally visited Cornerstone in Didcot to check out the site for the 14th September when the Centre will be celebrating its 5th birthday. The building with its different shaped windows provide a great location for a site specific response. I love frames, doorways, windows -the punctuations in architecture which cry out for bodies- so I was excited to hear Miranda Laurence’s proposal call. The whole building is going to be animated with activities and surprises with the windows just part of the whole celebration of Didcot Art Centre’s first 5 years of existence. We are looking forward to inhabiting these window boxes usually reserved for static works of art and surprising the passers by. Should be fun!

Cafe Reason are preparing for a work in progress showing at The Randolph Gallery at The Ashmolean 26th August. Exploring the senses and the use of freewill as we negotiate the contradictions and opposite pulls of life -the dominant themes in our latest project ‘The Heart’s Desire’ -a collaboration with voice artist Anne L Ryan, we are in this version also influenced by the particular architecture and character of the Randolph Gallery itself: formal and rectalinear lined by alcoves inhabited by statues missing body parts, busts and heads on plinths. I have taken to drawing a series of patterned rectangles decorated with squiggles, lines and dots. These are of course the dancers and their movements in the space…I am curious to see how much our plan can lift itself neatly off the page in to 3d movement and sound!

The schedule is out for the GO live festival at The Lion and Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. I will be performing there on the 22nd September. Good to see other Oxford dancers in the programme for the festival: Paulette Mae, Susie Crow and Marina Collard. Now to get to work with my rug!

This weekend Cafe Reason worked on voice  and movement as part of our development towards ‘The Heart’s Desire’ – a collaboration with Moving Tone.  The workshop was led by myself and Anne L Ryan of Moving Tone at the beautiful straw bale studio in Hertfordshire of Fabrizia Verrechia.  We focussed on both unpitched and pitched sound and the use of the breath and of rhythm to connect voice with movement. We are hoping the explorations and techniques explored will bear fruit in the work in progress performance at The Ashmolean on 26th August and eventually in ‘The Heart’s Desire’ in June.
We also enjoyed a lovely outdoor lunch in the sun!

Thanks to Chris Atkins, The DEC group now has a short video giving a taste of the work presented in ‘Luminous Shadows’ at The Old Firestation.  Click here to watch on vimeo.