Tuesday 16th & Wednesday 17th March 2010, 8pm (with a post show discussion on both evenings).
Weston Studio, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Tickets £8 - £12
Ticket office 029 2030 4400 or www.wmc.org.uk
New Work is the third and final stage of the 09/10 Dance Bytes programme. Jessie Brett and Jo Shapland will premiere their new work in a stimulating and engaging dance double bill on 16th & 17th March 2010.
Background:
Welsh Independent Dance launched its annual choreographic development programme in April 1998 to support and facilitate the creation of new choreographic work. It provides successful applicants with three stages of development; Presentations, Work in Progress and New Work. The successful programme has grown over the years and has helped to build a number of careers including Tanja Råman, Mr & Mrs Clark, Sandra Harnisch-Lacey and Eddie Ladd.
Jessie Brett – Fire Shadow Silence
‘Fire Shadow Silence’ is inspired by the revolutionary photographer Tina Modotti who lived, loved and worked in Mexico in the 1920’s. Collaborating with a composer and writer, Jessie is exploring how one person’s extraordinary life can connect and resonate with our own lives more than 80 years on.
Jessie Brett trained at London Contemporary Dance School and California Institute of the Arts. Since 2005 she has danced and choreographed at The Place Theatre, London and venues across Wales as well as site-specific work including the V&A Museum.
Theatrical with an emphasis on unique and intricate ways of moving, her work concentrates on rhythm and musicality finding ways to extract emotions that give her choreography humanity. She often collaborates with a composer and designer and considers this an important aspect of her work.
Jo Shapland – Dance for Neanderthal
‘Dance for Neanderthal’ was born of an immediate, intuitive and gut-felt reaction to a drawn musical score. Initially improvising outdoors on a beach and in woodland, the dancers then retreated indoors to embody Simon Thorne’s precisely drawn Neanderthal score. By ‘sculpting’ movement and stillness, Shapland's choreography reveals individual expressions and sensitive interactions. Moving from heightened inner awareness, three mature dancers, Eeva Maria Mutka, Marega Palser and Jo Shapland, seek to connect at heart level with something elemental and timeless. ‘Dance for Neanderthal’ is a candid and captivating mix of raw and immediate response with gentle pathos and subtly humorous self-deprecation.
Multi-disciplinary artist, choreographer and performer, Jo Shapland, has over twenty years professional dance and performance devising experience. As Man Troi, she brings together experienced artists to incorporate live physical performance, music, sonic and visual art installation and video. Rooted in landscape, performances and installations are developed and presented site- sensitively in spaces ranging from ruined farm-buildings to traditional proscenium theatres, from natural wilderness to urban architectural interiors. Shapland has a long-term interest in choreographic aesthetics of simplicity, task and ‘sculpting’ in time and space. Originally trained at London Contemporary Dance School (1982-87), for the past 12 years Jo has practiced and demonstrated eastern martial/meditation arts based psychophysical performer training taught by Phillip Zarrilli.
www.mantroi.com
“…haunting, painterly beauty…. remarkable presence” The Guardian (Review of Told By The Wind, Jan 2010)
‘virtuoso dancing’ David Adams, Western Mail 20/5/05
‘quiet passion and intensity…this artist has integrity, vision and commitment’ David Adams, Theatre In Wales (Review of One Level: an homage to Alvar Aalto,11/6/04 |
