Inside
Winter 2013
Photo: Benedict Johnson
Welcome to the Winter 2013 issue of Inside The Place As we near the end of another very busy year for The Place, the last few weeks, like the preceding 11 months, have been packed with activity. The last Saturday in November saw Fresh, our annual platform of work for under-18’s fill our theatre. True to form, Fresh presented to our young audience, a vibrant and eclectic bill of short works from both youth and professional artists. The night included our own youth dance company Shift, a host of guests including ZooNation Youth Dance Company, Shoreditch Youth Dance Company, Protein, our own Richard Alston Dance Company and an extraordinarily inventive and idiosyncratic solo, choreographed and performed by hip-hop trained Dan Hammond, aka Supa Noodle, from the SIN Cru in Cambridge, entitled How to build a shelf. It was terrific to see a young audience so engaged, and I cannot remember any occasion in our theatre when I have heard an audience of any age gasp with amazement so many times within a few minutes, as we watched a male duet by two circus trained performers, Louis Gift and Beren D’Amico under the name Barely Methodical. Their daredevil act left the audience open-jawed at the confidence with which they performed the most unexpected feats.
December has also seen Richard Alston Dance Company follow up their hugely successful Barbican Britten season in November, with two packed shows in Moscow’s Gogol Theatre, before returning to the UK to lead a week-long residency in our School. Meanwhile back at home our third-year LCDS students have also been presenting the fruits of their collaborations with design, composition, and for the first time, film students. The results have been as impressive as they have been unpredictable, and I’m thrilled at the opportunity this gives our final year undergraduates. The beginning of December also marked the transition between our outgoing Chair Sir Tim Lankester and our incoming Chair Thomas Lynch. The handover took place at our AGM but was also marked somewhat ceremoniously with a visit to Buckingham Palace, on the previous day, to have tea with our Royal Patron The Duke of York. It was a moment to reflect on the success and growth of our work over the last six years, that has seen many positive changes to The Place under the chairmanship of Tim Lankester, but it was also a moment to look ahead and think both about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. It has been an enormous pleasure and privilege to work alongside Sir Tim for the last six years, and on behalf of everyone at The Place, our staff and Governors, I want to thank him for the enormous support he has given to The Place
Sir Tim Lankester
Thomas Lynch
during his tenure. I’m very pleased to say that Tim intends to stay closely connected to The Place. Our new Chair Thomas Lynch is no stranger to The Place; he first fell in love with dance in the early 1980s, watching the work of Royston Maldoom in our theatre. Having served together with Tom on the Board of the Royal Opera House, I know what a passionate advocate and supporter of dance he is, and I’m very much looking forward to working closely with Tom in the months and years ahead.
choreographers, with over 70 works presented in nightly changing triple bills, over nearly six weeks), we will have new seating, more comfortable and with better sight-lines, and that can be much more easily transformed into different settings. This is timely, as Protein’s new show Border Tales (pictured on the cover), which commences a three-week run in our theatre on 25 February, will be presented in the round. There is much to look forward to in the coming year. In the meantime may I wish all our friends and supporters, a very happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.
As I write, another very important transition is underway - our theatre is currently undergoing a major refurbishment, thanks to an Arts Council capital grant and financial support from The Wolfson Foundation and the Garfield Weston Foundation. By the time we commence our landmark 25th Resolution! season on 14 January (showcasing new dance by new
Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp OBE Chief Executive
During the summer, Choreodrome gave over 40 artists and their collaborators, the time and studio space to research and develop new performance ideas. The Touch Wood evenings, forming part of Choreodrome, gave an audience the opportunity to see these works in their earliest development stages and offer feedback to the artists. Following the programme we spoke to some of the participants about their experience of Touch Wood.
Evangelia Kolyra was one of the choreographers creating, sharing and receiving audience feedback on new work. ‘For me, the initial inspiration and main idea for a new work is usually derived from the body; a movement generates an idea. In this case, the idea (which Choreodrome gave me the opportunity to materialise), had come up long before and kept returning over the year until it was ready for development. This year’s work was inspired by the behaviour of breath. My research process was further enriched through the opportunity to participate in workshops and mentoring sessions with invited artists and participants as part of Choreodrome.
After spending the first eight days with initial experiments, we had our first sharing in the studio. Even though everything was still very vague and we were still in the process of testing out ideas, to have feedback at that point helped us to see how those ideas are perceived from a spectator’s point of view. Two days later we had our Touch
Wood sharing, for which we decided it would be most useful to get feedback on just one of the ideas we had approached in our research. During the second half of the research period, we processed the audience’s feedback, continuing to work on the idea we had presented, as well as further exploration of some other ideas we had been experimenting with. The feedback sessions during Choreodrome took place early on in the process which, although initially a little frustrating, gave us the chance to work on the feedback we received and further develop the ideas during the remainder of our time. Being called upon to present ideas which do not form a finished work is challenging firstly because it places me in a position of exposure, and secondly because it is tricky to decide on which ideas to share and in what configuration. It is however a privilege to be able to share ideas, concerns and issues in a very early stage of the process, and get an understanding of how spectators perceive what they are given to experience. For me the audience feedback was helpful as I am
Evangelia Kolyra’s Laugh & Cry (2012) Photo: Francis Western-Smith
Touch Wood in Action
interested in making work that in one way or another is considered meaningful from the audience perspective and the feedback clarified a number of concerns. For me, the viewer’s opinion works as a guide; it suggests a number of directions and creates a clearer view of the possibilities and options for further development, enabling me to take a conscious decision whether to follow the audience’s suggestions or choose to follow another route.’ We also had a chance to speak to two of our audience members who participated in the feedback sessions with the artists. ‘This was the first time I had attended a feedback session in this format, other similar events were more like a post-show discussion with the entire audience. I thought this was much more beneficial for the choreographer and also a more intimate space of encounter for the audience, with the format protecting the choreographer’s artistic process but also prompting engaged and enjoyable
conversation. It made me really interested in her work and it is also something I will encourage my students to do. It also demonstrated that The Place engages in supporting artists, research and debate in a very interesting and engaging way.’ – Sabine Sorgel ‘I went primarily for entertainment and to get a feel for the breadth of dance work at the moment and really enjoyed the insight into the creative process and the opportunity to see it up close and participate in a very minor way. I’m a visual artist and became more interested in how cross-disciplinary collaborations might work because of Touch Wood, and am now working on a collaborative piece with a choreographer. Touch Wood is a rare window into dance practice for outsiders like myself.’ – Steve Carey
Photo: Gabriela Tropia
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Neil Webster Chief Accompanist, London Contemporary Dance School Having been in the role for 13 years, Neil Webster talks to Christine Taylor, Development Officer, about his role and the challenges he faces.
What is your background? I was at Trinity College of Music from 1980 – 1983 and studied piano, flute, electronic music and composition. Contemporary music and improvisation were, and still are, passions and although I left with no particular career direction I knew I wanted to be part of something creative. What first attracted you to working with dance and how did you get into the role? I initially played as a student for terrible (unknown), ungrateful teachers on sub-standard pianos in awful schools for bad money and absolutely hated it. This all changed when I went to Central School of Ballet in 1985 and met Christopher Gable. He realised that, with encouragement and constructive criticism, I could become a useful accompanist. A whole new world was opened up as I realised that here was a creative outlet where I could develop my playing for a purpose with huge challenges and fulfilment along the way. It became an amazing learningcurve and my playing, confidence and enjoyment grew. My whole career
has been spent exploring the relationship between dance/music and it’s constantly fascinating. I can honestly say that even after 28 years I feel challenged on a daily basis. The post of Chief Accompanist became vacant in 2000. I had been playing an incredibly heavy class schedule with occasional performances/tours for 15 years. A new challenge was needed and this seemed an ideal opportunity to use my experience and knowledge and to put down some roots. LCDS was always my favourite place to play and it’s still a great joy to work in such a stimulating, creative workplace even after 13 years. What does your role typically involve? It’s in many parts. The first, most obvious, part is my own playing. The second is leading and coordinating such an amazing team of accompanists. It’s a genuine privilege to work alongside so many creative, committed, talented people from such a wide range of musical backgrounds. I also enjoy working with and mentoring new musicians who really want to work with dance. It’s a long, hard demanding apprenticeship with few teachers really understanding how long it takes, but,
those musicians that persevere with it find huge rewards and work opportunities. I’m always saying that class-playing should complement any other musical activity if used in the right way so all round musicianship should develop alongside the class-playing skills.
An amazing relationship can develop where the music is tailored to the movement which ultimately moves and responds to the music so each influences the other. The very notion of subservient “accompaniment” disappears and the two work together as a whole.
I suppose the most challenging part of my role is matching the right musicians to the right teachers. It’s a never ending weekly jigsaw puzzle and I constantly have a list of teacher-musician permutations scrambling around in my head. Basically the whole thing’s mission impossible so the best compromise has to be found to keep both sides happy. I have to say that the standard of the present team of musicians is higher, and certainly more varied, than it’s ever been so compromises are of a minor nature.
I think a musician has to be open, ready to challenge him/herself and be willing to play/ perform and energise. It’s incredibly physical with constant demands on stamina and creativity. For a committed dance-musician this isn’t a problem because we just love to play!
What are the specialised skills a pianist needs to work as a class accompanist? Well the cynical side of me is tempted to say a dance-musician needs the patience of a saint and the hide of a rhino! Essentially, it’s the ability to relate to movement and find a way to reflect this that is comfortable with the musical background. A good accompanist should be able to reflect accents, movement qualities, moods etc but it goes deeper than that. It’s also about knowing the level of the students and when they need extra support or energy. A good accompanist will understand what the teacher is trying to achieve and will happily work alongside. This is what makes working in a school like this generally more rewarding than playing warm up class for companies. I’ve forged several really close working relationships with teachers and it becomes a team effort with teacher and musician developing a genuine trust and respect with obvious rewards.
Almost all classes at The Place are accompanied by a live pianist – how much difference does having live music make to a class? Ask any teacher. Although the technology does exist to be able to slow down or speed up a CD, it can be fiddly, and you can’t suddenly add phrases or change the time signature. Live music is far more versatile. But it’s also organic and “in the moment”. The whole sound is different and more intimately connected with the dance as the music is specifically tailored to match the movement qualities. There’s an unmistakable thrill when a musician and the class are in full-flight. You just won’t get that energy any other way and the surprise element is there: both for the dancers and the musicians, something subconscious takes over as it should: it’s pure instinct. How much specific dance knowledge do you need to play for a dance class and how does playing for class and playing for rehearsals differ? It’s pretty one-sided: a musician is expected to very quickly understand movement qualities and the overall structure of many different class styles whereas teachers often have no or very limited musical knowledge/
In my experience the same things happen in rehearsals where musical cues are taken from movements/lighting and specific tempi are expected to be retained. The only difference is that the music is set or composed already. The most frustrating thing about the rehearsal or performance is coming late to the process and having to copy a CD. It can inhibit you but there are ways through. Experience in class playing will help as we know how dancers function and will not be put off by movement. You just make the music yours and an integral part of the dance piece. When everything works as it should a performance/collaboration takes place and everyone is very happy!
In July 2013, London Contemporary Dance School said goodbye to two much loved members of staff, who had between them given over 40 years of service. One was Karen Greenhough, Head of Undergraduate Choreography. The other was Patricia Rianne, Lecturer in Ballet and for the past seven years, Director of the third year performance company LC3.
Karen Greenhough initially trained in drama, but went on to dance and choreograph extensively in Canada and the UK, before joining LCDS in September 1992. At this point the teaching of choreography was very much a poor relation to the teaching of dance technique, but this has all changed thanks to Karen’s passionate belief in the importance of nurturing the independent creative and choreographic voice of each of our students. It is no wonder that under Karen’s leadership LCDS has produced many leading choreographers working throughout the world.
Patricia Rianne arrived at the Royal Ballet School in London from New Zealand in 1961. She went on to have a distinguished career, performing throughout the world, including an international tour as Nureyev’s partner. Patricia joined the staff of LCDS in January 1995. Throughout her time at the school, she nurtured hundreds of students, enabling them to embody the principles of ballet to the benefit of their contemporary dance practice, keeping in touch with them and continuing her support of them long after they had graduated.
We owe both Karen and Patricia a great deal for everything that they have done for the School, the wider Place and the international dance community. They are missed greatly, but their legacy continues.
Photos: Richard Parr
Photo: Gabriela Tropia
understanding and hence a real problem communicating. A musician has to very quickly gain an understanding of what is required dance-wise and then translate that into music with minimal preparation time and that is the difficult part. He/she has to then follow the teacher and speed-up/slow down, often with a nanosecond’s notice, whilst improvising and somehow produce inspirational music. It’s not easy! Eventually it becomes instinct but only after hundreds of classes on a regular basis. I always say it takes two years minimum of regular classes irrespective of a person’s musical background or ability. An absolute necessity is the ability to improvise freely, within a specific musical structure, whilst watching the class, and to be able to adapt accordingly.
Goodbye to Karen and Patricia
Photo: Benedict Johnson
London Contemporary Dance School LIVE ‘Have a lovely virtual open day’ says Veronica Lewis, Principal of London Contemporary Dance School, as she welcomes us into an online tour of the School and studios. For the past couple of years, rehearsals of our postgraduate company EDge have been broadcast live on Youtube and our website. This year we have decided to build from that and include a school taster day. The project invites prospective students to experience everyday life here even if they are unable to visit.
At the heart of this virtual experience was the chance for those watching to pose questions in a live Q&A session with current students via our Facebook and Twitter accounts. Two sessions allowed viewers to ask any queries
they had in real-time. We started with first year students, Ricky Huxstep and Zinah Mangera-Lakew. Ricky and Zinah gave answers about their experiences so far and offered aspiring students some excellent and well-received advice about auditioning for the School. A second session with postgraduate students and Yael Flexer offered the chance to engage in a creative process with a professional artist working with dancers who are well advanced in their professional training. This project will move forward to inform The Place Live which is planned to take place March 2014. The Place Live builds upon the success of live-streaming events over the past two years, with a continuous 13-hour-long broadcast of live events from The Place, exploring the whole building and representing ‘a day in the life’. LCDS Live has had over 2,000 views online so far which is equivalent to about a week’s sold-out run in our theatre. If you would like to view it, it is available on our website www.lcds.ac.uk/live
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Photo: Martin Franklin
Broadcast on the 7th November, the live stream took us from first year undergraduate students taking a contemporary technique class through to EDge rehearsing the work Living Room by choreographer Yael Flexer. Facilitated by our Communications Manager Katie Paling and Digital co-ordinator Martin Franklin this project is, according to Katie, ‘designed to be an open day for all. We offer a fee waiver application for those who experience financial hardship; a virtual open day makes this experience available to those who find visiting the school a barrier, which can include international applicants’. Martin also explains how this project, ‘opens a window into processes here at LCDS and gives an insight into what goes on in the studios with real opportunities to interact live’.
What were some highlights of your time at LCDS? I had an incredible three years at The Place, being immersed in dancing every day, doing classes, making dances or peeping through windows to see others dancing. Highlights include the end of year performances of the one-year certificate course, dancing with Toby Gunn with Karni Postel playing cello. Then, the honour and excitement of teaching this piece, Tango to London Contemporary Dance Theatre dancers (Peter, Tracy, David and Isabel) and touring with them. I especially remember my first English snow in Hexham and the ‘disco’ we went to after the show which had definitely seen better days. Other highlights include being a ‘washing machine’ in Jane Dudley’s ‘Movement’ class, as well as being sent to Prague to perform and be a demonstrator for Juliet Fisher’s class, only to discover I couldn’t actually remember any of the exercises very well. I remember having a shaved head, and lipstick being a feature, plus excitement in the belly every time I did Mary Evelyn’s class and the most inspiring guest workshop with Nigel Charnock and Lloyd Newson.
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Alumni Network www.theplace.org.uk/alumni
Photo: Chris Nash
Yael Flexer Co–Director Flexer & Sandiland BA (hons) Contemporary Dance 1991-94 MA 1994-95
Photo: Chris Nash
Alumni Profile
What advice would you share with young dancers looking to start their own company? Ok, with the risk of sounding like Baz Luhrmann’s sunscreen advice song, my advice would be: trust your voice and follow your passion, keep going and eventually things will come your way. Don’t wait till tomorrow, take risks, take care, travel the world, you never know what you’ll find and what finds you, you’ll be irrevocably changed by the journey. The other boring bit of advice is to network – your peers and your teachers are the best resource.
How has your time at LCDS influenced and helped to shape your career? I met my first collaborators at The Place all whom have gone on to have rich dance careers (Rachel Krische, Jonzi D, Misha Downey, Hanna Gilgren, Maria Ryan and Fiona Millward among others). Victoria Marks as my BA and MA choreography teacher profoundly shaped my choreographic voice and is still a good friend and occasional mentor. Working in The Place Theatre bar every night gave me the opportunity to see some of the most exciting British and European
choreographers/companies of the time (Rosas, Wim Vandekeybus, Yolande Snaith, Mark Murphy) and this filtered into my consciousness and gave me a springboard for making work. As an MA student I was incredibly lucky to be invited by John Ashford to be ‘choreographer in residence’ at The Place. I don’t think I would be making work today without that leg-up!
How do you feel coming back to the place where you trained to celebrate your company’s 20th anniversary? Fantastic! I feel humbled that The Place has chosen to truly embrace this event. It also feels great to celebrate not only our ‘professional’ live and digital work but the work with CAT students, Cando 2 and EDge as this is so much a part of who we are and what our ethos has always been, sharing our dance with others. It’s also a little strange, as so much of Weightless, the new show, asks questions and pokes holes at the idea of a personal and aesthetic history. Does having a history give you any ‘weight’ or stability? Are you any ‘better’ or ‘wiser’ with age? So performing it at The Place adds a further emotive dimension to the work.
“I can feel something new is now ‘itching’ to get out” Following your company’s 20th anniversary, what can we look forward to seeing from you in the future? Ah, the future…. Nic (Sandiland) and I are so busy with this 20th anniversary, touring, ‘re-constructing’ pieces, presenting Trip Hazard on indoor and outdoor screens in both the UK and abroad, it’s hard to think ahead. But I think we want to do more work that embraces ‘digital’, whether that’s for stage or outdoors. I’m also really keen to continue collaborations with Karni and Wendy Houstoun, perhaps creating a ‘cabaret’ like show that combines Karni’s songs with Wendy’s texts. It certainly feels like a new chapter of dance making and I’m very excited by that. Something about this 20th anniversary really allows for choreographic ‘closure’ and I can feel something new is now ‘itching’ to get out.
What’s On... Highlights from our forthcoming performance programme. Unless otherwise indicated, all performances start at 8pm in The Place’s Robin Howard Dance Theatre
Resolution! 2014 Tue 14 Jan – Sat 15 Feb Resolution! is The Place’s annual platform for new contemporary dance. Featuring 73 companies over 6 weeks in nightly triple bills, Resolution! has made a name in the industry for facilitating the often difficult transition from vocational dance training to professional performance. Behind the scenes, choreographers are supported by a series of workshops to assist them along the way to producing a professional performance. Resolution! has often marked the starting point of the Theatre’s long standing relationship with artists and, as such, is a vital part of the Theatre programme. Resolution! 2014 will mark the 25th edition of the festival. £14 (conc £11) Multi-buy - save up to 40%
London Contemporary Dance School present BA3 Projects and workshops
£3
Work Place artist and renowned choreographer Luca Silvestrini will be presenting Protein’s latest piece Border Tales at The Place over 16 public performances and a preview. The Theatre and Artist Development programme is delighted to be able to support Luca’s work through a long run this spring.
Border Tales is an engaging blend of dance, dialogue and live music offering a sharp and honest social commentary on preconceptions and prejudices. Based on personal accounts and collected stories, treated with Protein’s trademark physical and verbal wit, Border Tales considers the national, religious and ethnic mix of multicultural living. £15 (conc £12)
refresh Sat 29 Mar, time tbc
Richard Alston Dance Company Performance Dates & Repertoires for Spring 2014 tour:
refresh is a night of youth dance premieres. Some of the best youth dance companies in the UK will be challenged to create brand new work on a piece of music chosen by renowned choreographers. Their creations show how the talented young performers respond to serendipity, chance and inspiration.
Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury – Wed 12 & Thurs 13 Feb A Ceremony of Carols, Rejoice in the Lamb*, Illuminations
Under 18s £9 (£12 adult)
Hall for Cornwall, Truro - Wed 26 & Thurs 27 Feb Rejoice in the Lamb, Unfinished Business (duet only), Lachrymae, Madcap
At the time we publish this brochure, the Theatre programme is still being confirmed. Please check www.theplace.org.uk for the full listing of performances, further information and to book.
Teatro Petruzzelli, Italy – Sun 16 February A Ceremony of Carols, Unfinished Business (duet only), Brink, Devil in the Detail Norwich Theatre Royal, Norwich – Fri 21 & Sat 22 Feb Rejoice in the Lamb, Unfinished Business (duet only), Lachrymae, Madcap
Northcott Theatre, Exeter – Tues 4 & Wed 5 March Shimmer, Brink, Illuminations Malvern Theatres, Malvern – Tues 11 & Wed 12 March Lachrymae, Holderlin Fragments, Brink, Illuminations Fabrik Stahlbau Strang, Aachen, Germany – Fri 28, Sat 29 & Sun 30 March Brink, Unfinished Business (duet only), Holderlin Fragments, Madcap Heerlen Theater, Heerlen, Holland – Tues 1 April Devil in the Detail, Shimmer, Illuminations Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent – Tues 8 April Devil in the Detail , Rejoice in the Lamb, Illuminations Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham – Tues 29 April Shimmer, Illuminations, Madcap Churchill Theatre, Bromley – Wed 7 May Shimmer, Devil in the Detail, Madcap Virginia Arts Festival, US – Wed 21 & Fri 23 May Shimmer, Illuminations, Devil in the Detail Roper Performing Arts Center, Norfolk, Virginia – Wed 21 May Shimmer, Illuminations, Devil in the Detail Phi Beta Kappa Hall (PBK), Williamsburg, Virginia – Fri 23 May Shimmer, Illuminations, Devil in the Detail Live music played by: Jason Ridgway Ridgway/Martin Gwilym-Jones Ian Watson Canterbury Cathedral Choir/Camilla Pay *World Premiere
Masie Whitehead Strung Out , Resolution! 2014 Photo: Rachel Ferriman
These evenings showcase students’ creativity in both improvised pieces and work choreographed by Sasha Roubicek and Jeremy Nelson alongside new student work.
Luca Silvestrini’s Protein Border Tales Tue 25 Feb – Sat 15 Mar
Cover image: Luca Silvestrini’s Protein Photo: Chris Nash
Compiled and edited by the Development Department at The Place. Registered charity number 250216
The Place 17 Duke’s Road London WC1H 9PY Development: 020 7121 1050 www.theplace.org.uk/development