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GARBLE.

THE PUBLICATION FROM LONDON CONTEMPORARY DANCE SCHOOL

CONTENTS

Issue 5 | Februar y 2012

Resolution? - Opinions on the 23 year old dance tradition

LCDS Goes Forth - Seke Chimutengwende, Mari Colbert

and Declan Whitaker

12 - The Exchange Jessica Sim talks California, New York and Copenhagen 16

Chris Scott makes us jealous of his time in Australia

Dance Down Under

Dance Faces itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Question Time

22 - David Cameron Is Not The Artist The future of British film 24 - Reviews: Stranger than Fiction, Shane Waltener, Perry and Hockney 26 - Garble Over Lunch With Wayne McGregor. 31

Whats On? - in Dance, Art and Theatre

FIND GARBLE ONLINE:

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= Read the full issue at WWW.ISSUU.COM/LCDSGARBLE = WWW.LCDSGARBLE.TUMBLR.COM = On Facebook and Twitter - Search LCDSGARBLE = For Submissions, Email LCDSGARBLE@GMAIL.COM

Abby Lee Miller says welcome to Issue 5 of Garble. Go to the Back Page if you want to know more about this lovely lady.

{

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note. Its that time of year. Christmas is but a distant memory, forgotten almost as quickly as your New yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolution to stop smoking/drinking/swearing/eating/falling over in public, or other equally fun pastimes. I like to think us dancers have reached the point where we are aware of the impossibility of the tasks we give ourselves come January, and decide to opt out, or go for something smaller, vaguer... Like box splits. In this issue, you can look forward to hearing about the overseas exploits of our dear LCDS exchange students (whom we have missed very much), an in depth review of the Resolution season at the Robin Howard theatre, and some lovely musings on how the government is ruining the country early this year. Oh and an exclusive interview with Wayne McGregor. So enjoy, and as always, if you have any opinions, which we are sure you will, please argue with us on Twitter!

Editor Writers

James Morgan Chris Scott Jessica Sim Mari Colbert Kit Brown Emilia Gasiorek Declan Whitaker Celina Liesegang

Special Thanks to

Mary Bullard David Steele London Contemporary Dance School

Cover Image by Andrea Dorelli

The Garble Team:

GARBLE | 3

Resolution? Text By James Morgan

The Robin Howard’s New Year Season of dance is nearly over, here’s what we think of the 23 year old tradition. It is the beginning of 2012, the time of year of the new and undiscovered - and I don’t mean that post-holiday roll of flab or surprise second chin - I mean the arrival of 78 fresh and emerging choreographers, creating new works to be performed across 8 weeks at The Place. For those who don’t know what Resolution! is (unforgivable for students in the same building), it is the Robin Howard Theatre’s new year season of dance, which has been a staple of the London dance calendar for over two decades, and has launched more successful careers than the X-factor. OK, bad example... The general format hasn’t changed since conception. For two months, works created by aspiring and unknown choreographers are assembled in 4 or 5 triple-bills per week. The open selection

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process makes it deliberately accessible, and leaves room for a mixed bag of performances - at every notch on the scale, from one to crap. The public opinion of Resolution! is equally mixed, questioning everything from the price of tickets to the amount of support given to participating choreographers. Some critics challenge the emphasis placed on the end product, when process is obviously the most useful way for young artists to develop their craft. With so many works being presented, space is only given to returning artists, and choreographers can certainly find it difficult bringing a presentable work to stage, unable to pay their dancers and struggling to rehearse. It is also true that if an evening loses money, this has to be offset by the choreographers. While I believe this is harsh, it is also a reality that cannot easily be solved. The season demands a lot of technical support and organisation, and contrary to the opinions of a certain online dance journal, I think it is naive to assume a bucket load of money from

Arts Council England is easy to obtain - as if The Place hadn’t already thought of that. In a time when established companies are struggling, there isn’t the money to throw at no-name choreographers. Additionally, many regular newspaper reviewers arrive at a Resolutions! performance expecting artistic greatness as standard, when in reality it is the luck of the draw that determines the success of any given night. Don’t get me wrong, some are very successful, but it is the service Resolution! provides contemporary dance that is important, not these isolated snippets. It is true that the application process, which is solely written, inevitably leaves room for some pretty terrible works to sneak through, but its not like The Place is unaware of this; the hired online reviewers aren’t afraid to tear into the fresh meat and tell them their work is crap.

limit the throwaway nature of the season. This, together with an effort to avoid cramming the window of performances, could ensure that no great pieces of work fail to be seen on nights with a particularly weak audience presence. After so many years of the same formula, it is easy for people to breezily state that Resolution! is outdated or irrelevant. Although I am willing to concede that the format might benefit from a rejig, there have been a variety of successful career launches, including Russel Maliphant, Wayne McGregor (turn to page 15 for a pleasant surprise), Yael Flexor, Jasmin Vardimon, Hofesh Schechter and Frauke Requardt, demonstrating that the season is a timetested piece of dance heritage, which is still doing its job. For the choreographers who have the talent, and are savvy enough to understand what they are getting themselves in to, it is possible to make a real success of the opportunity. Resolution! isn’t perfect, but it isn’t meant to be - after all, if you want a more polished affair, there is always The Place Prize in April.

“In reality, it is the luck of the draw that determines the success of any given night.”

It is because of its flaws that I believe Resolution! needs to be forcefully prescribed to new undergraduates: to really get to grips with the minefield of cliches that is contemporary dance, every student should sit through a couple of dozen performances that make them want to peel their face off - call it a ‘what not to do’ guide. I do understand however that this is not a particularly desirable endeavour when tickets, though comparatively affordable, are not something students can throw money at every week. Finding the balance between quality and quantity is obviously a difficult one, and maybe Resolution! could benefit from a more thorough selection process to

So, if you haven’t seen one already, you have one week left. Do everyone a favour and sell out the last few nights - you will likely be in the same position very soon. And when you do go, let us know what you think of the works on Twitter, and don’t hold back. + @lcdsgarble Tweet us @lcdsgarble Turn over for our highlights of Resolution! so far, and interviews with Seke Chimutengwende & Mari Colbert, about their experiences with the season.

GARBLE | 5

When Kane Met Conspicuous Eithne Kane and Dominick Mitchell-Bennett

Eithne Kane and Dominick Mitchell-Bennett

As a stranger to Resolution! I entered the Robin Howard slightly in the dark as what to expect, and I left only slightly more illuminated. The night was a triple bill of the good the bad and the ugly. The good being Jose Campos’ window into a world of alien interrogation, avian formation and naked guys in big hats. The piece opened with a flock of female dancers repeating a simple phrase - to the cusp of boredom - that swiftly morphed into appreciation for the mesmerising kaleidoscopic effect that unfolded. In a schizophrenic twist, we were plunged into the centre of an interrogation scene - the persecuted, an alien. Initially it made for confusing watching but there was a charm in the confusion and the humour that followed was a welcome lift from the seriousness of the preceding pieces. Enter two semi naked men in dunce hats. Their 2 minute descent to the floor may have seemed arbitrary to some but for me, the imagery represented the alien’s humiliation and was a memorable moment.

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Declan Whitaker

am not one whose impulses readily give in to anxiety when someone is staged hanging upside down, flying through the air or attempting an audacious and spectacular trick, especially if they are trained. However, in the case of When Kane Met Conspicuous (performed and created by LCDS’s fresh graduates, Eithne Kane and Dominick MitchellBennett) I found myself swallowing my breath amongst an audience held in suspense. What unfolded was a bold duet that challenged the barriers of physicality, aided only by an unhinged wooden door that seemed as light as a feather for these effortless and admirable dancers. It was exciting to see so many risks being taken and executed with such confidence and trust. Two more inspirations added to the unrivaled LCDS alumni.

Mari Colbert

Local Group Jose Campos | Do Not Dance UK

Joel Tulley and James Morgan Image by Sebastian Hinds

Chocolate Eleanor Sikorski

Eleanor Sikorski, Image by Clare Sikorska

ou could liken the first night of ‘Resolution!’ 2012 to a bourbon biscuit; Eleanor Sikorski’s ‘Chocolate’ forming the satisfying creamy centre, sandwiched between two stale biscuits of disappointing dance. The first being a badly realised exploration of what you can do with limited resources (apparently not a lot), and the last being a highly sculptured and stationary leg-fest, consiting only of pose, after pose, in unison boy/girl pairings. Regrettabely, unlike the crunchy snack, I wasn’t able to scrape out the centre with my teeth and discard the rest... Entering a spotlight holding an ominous cardboard box, Ellie proceeded to lay out a semicircle of forks on the floor, which were soon reveled to be effective minstrel flickers, which she used to propel the sweets into her mouth. She toyed with the audience’s expectations, as much as she did her food;

dairy milk, matchmakers and quality street to be exact - seemingly she was putting Xmas leftovers to good use. Plain faced and effortlessly charismatic, she created striking and often hilarious images, her sickly-sweet music choices reinforcing the irony with which we watched. At the pieces close, a glittering cloud of cocoa rose from her magic box while she scrabbled around in the bottom; then hung in the air like dry ice as she exited the stage. The moment honestly took me back to my first read of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the temptation to do an Augustus Gloop and dive in was very real. Some viewers questioned the poignance of the piece and its debatably hollow amusement; but I wonder what else is chocolate, other than a delicious yet temporary satisfaction on the lips?

James Morgan

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Seke Chimutengwende and Friends ‘Mr Lawrence’ on the last night of Resolution! Seke Chimutengwende and Friends, Image by Clare Sikorska

Your work, from what I have seen, is all improvisation based - Are you continuing this for your work in Resolution? Yeah, most of the stuff that I make is completely improvised, so I don’t have a theme, I don’t have a structure, I’m not trying to do anything particular before I start. I guess I just have a time limit. Erm, but this piece is much more structured. Is that related to the fact its made for resolution? No, its just what I wanted to do, its what happened in the studio. Yeah I mean its got aspects of it which are improvised and aspects which are set. Cool. How has it been working towards Resolution? Did that change anything else about the way you had to approach the work - have you been rehearsing at the school for example? No I didn’t get any studio space from The Place, but I got space from Greenwich dance and Roehampton university, and I did a residency at Newington Green and I got some money from the Arts Council, so that paid for a bit of space.

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Helpful. You often work in groups, or collaboratively - Neat Timothy etc, and I know the piece is listed as being by ‘Seke and Friends’, so how many people are you working with this for this work - Is it a collaboration, or is it yours? I know that’s sometimes a strange balance... There’s seven people performing in the piece, and I’m not performing - I’m directing, and there’s a costume designer and a lighting designer. yeah I’d say its not collaborative in the sense that I’m deciding what we are going to do. Not a democratic process. But then I’m giving them a lot of choices in the piece - they’re kind of in charge of a lot of what happens. But I’ve given them that choice, rather than it coming from everyone A free for all Yeah. So the piece is called Mr Lawrence... What is it about? [Laughs] I mean to say, are there any themes, or something in particular you are trying to explore within it? Yeah I think there are definitely themes, what I’ve

LCDS GOES FORTH

realised is that the main thing I’m interested in, with this project, is how I can work with people in the studio. You know, in terms of making performance, how do people work together. I don’t know that the piece is about the process, but the things that are in the piece have come from me exploring process... I don’t know if that makes sense. Its notA piece about making a piece. Yeah its not a piece about making a piece, but the material comes from thinking about how do you make a piece, sort of a weirdParadox? Yeah, but I don’t think at the moment there are any references in the piece, to the piece. [laughs] It was great to see you at Stranger Than Fiction the other day [see page 24], and I’d be interested to know your opinion of the evening - I know you are part of that team. Well I wasn’t involved in that event at all, but I am part of the team that organises it and we take it in turns. And yours is in June. Yes. I really liked how the space was transformed, and it was interesting to see that collection of pieces under the frame of improvisation, and the frame of ‘atmospheres and spaces’. They all had a very different approach, some very simple, and others more elaborate. Yeah, they worked with improvisation in very different ways and I don’t know what any of the processes were really, but I didn’t really feel like I was watching improvisation most of the time - which is fine, but that was interesting. It didn’t put me on edge - like when you really don’t have a clue what might unfold at any moment, I more allowed it to wash over. It was too long for me, well I think the first piece was far too long. That was the only one I didn’t really like. I mean, that was my main problem with the whole evening, I enjoyed the other things - well I liked the first piece, but it was just too long.

So the events are curated by one of the team, is that a very active role? And is it more organisational, or a sort of, artistic director? Yeah its about finding artists to perform, and then organising the practicalities of the event. Its quite difficult to find people to perform, actually. We don’t have much funding so we cant pay people much at all. The other problem is there aren’t that many people who perform improvisation in London. There are a lot of musicians, and quite a few actors but not much dance, so its sometimes difficult. Well I look forward to seeing your piece, I’d be interested to know your opinion on Resolution - Positive? Negative? Well, I think its quite good really, [laughs] I wasn’t sure about it before. But they open up the space for a lot of artists to show work, different kinds of people, very different levels of experience. They offer a lot of support, contact, and quite a lot of creative freedom. I guess there aren’t a lot of opportunities where you have blank canvas to create. Yeah, I mean obviously you’ve got to apply to be in it, but they do take a lot of people. I think its a great thing and also something that can put people off - it does becomes a bit throwaway... The work is very variable. You might go to see a friends piece and there are two other pieces which you really won’t like. That’s the downside to it, but if it wasn’t there, there would be 70-odd people who wouldn’t have the chance to show their work, in a really famous venue. Erm, I think it could be a bit more fun really, in terms of how the evening runs - a bit more interesting. Its a bit serious isn’t it. Yeah, seeing as it’s mostly people who haven’t made much work, or haven’t shown it in these sorts of venues, it could be a bit lighter. Not necessarily the actual work, but the whole setup, when its just people trying stuff out. Thanks for the chat!

Interviewed by James Morgan GARBLE | 9

LCDS GOES FORTH

Gemma Bicknell, Image by Jonathon Vines

Mari Colbert

I had a chat with Mari about dancing in Jemma Bicknell’s ‘Please Not mine’ So how did you get involved with performing in Resolution? I was in Gemma Bicknell’s piece, and she basically just emailed around the whole school looking for dancers, and I though why not, its a good performance opportunity, a good opportunity to work with someone new. So yeah I just replied and ended up working with her. How did it go? It was good, it was fun, and great to perform on a Saturday and stuff. It wasn’t perfect, we missed a couple of timings, went a bit wrong, but apparently it wasn’t noticeable - we had rehearsed a lot. I was going to say, what was the rehearsal process like? Was there a lot of space available, and was that at the Place? Yeah they were all here. So she paid for them? I think, only returning Resolution artists get to use space for free over Christmas? Oh really? Yeah I imagine so, it was her first time in resolution.

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Yeah I guess there isn’t space for everyone. So, how long was the rehearsal process? Well she actually did it in two weeks, we only had like 6 rehearsals maximum, it was really easy, she was really sure of what she wanted and taught us phrases, that is, we didn’t make any of the material ourselves, She knew what had to be done in each one, a really easy creative process. So it was a good exercise in how to bean efficient choreographer Yeah, working with pretty strict time constraints. Definitely, yeah. What was the actual piece like? It was about... It was, based on the idea of hooliganism and this young lad getting in with the wrong crowd, and getting in late every night, erm, his mum getting anxious - I mean yeah, it was a narrative piece. We were sorry of the crowd, the mob. I mean, basically, what did you think of the piece overall, did you like it? Yeah okay, I’ll be honest, it was very simple, I would describe it as sort of, GCSE. Very easy unison, a simple stucture, and the movement was erm, very two dimensional I guess, just really flat. But she was very clear with her narrative, it just wasn’t the most stimulating thing in the world. I guess that’s people have found with quite a few Resolution pieces this particular year, I don’t know if it’s a trend, or if we are just growing up - ha, developing a more critical eye I mean. I know, I think because there are three pieces every night, usually there is one that is really bad, and on this particular night the other two pieces seemed to go down really well, this one not so much. Yeah, a real mixed bill, but I guess because its open to anyone, Its gonna get allsorts, and that’s a good thing. Yeah, its the only way its completely accessible, but there will always be amazing work in there, and people who stand out and make a real success of it. Yeah definitely. I mean, she was such a sweet girl, and very hard working, it was just veryStandard? Exactly, but it was great to be involved with, being backstage with something that isn’t part of the school, and its always nice to perform.

Interviewed by James Morgan

Declan Whitaker Overtone - In Draftworks at the ROH

‘Overtone’ Performed and choreographed by Declan Whitaker, at The Royal Opera House. Photograph by Johan Persson

irst year Declan Whitaker’s debut choreographic work, Overtone, was introduced by Wayne Mcgregor to a sold out crowd at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre. Thats a pretty good start by anyone’s standards. Created as part of the Youth Dance England’s Young Creatives programme and performed on the main stage last summer, the solo work was this time shown as part of the Draftworks evening of dance. In this event, Dancers of the Royal Ballet have the opportunity to show off their choreography skills, in whatever guise this may come, in a stripped back - no lights no costume sharing. Works of varying quality and context were performed, but it is safe to say that Declan’s was the most polished; no bias intended. Based on the slow moving force of glaciers, he danced with grace, dynamic diversity and startling precision. Reviews were favourable - Judith Flanders of The Arts Desk stating he was “very musical and attractively odd”.

While I admit I know very little about ballet, and judge through my own contemporary lens, I did soon realise that classical movement can be quite dull when taken out of the context of the virtuosic grandeur of an actual ballet. Having said that, there were some very satisfying moments. Lauren Cuthbertson was breathtaking in ‘Feathers in your Head’ by Ludovic Ondiviela - while the choreography was quite standard, archetypal twiching and all, she shone in her dynamic delivery of it. McGregor’s Choreographic Apprentice, Robert Binet presented ‘At the River Styx’, which was beautifully detailed, but could have stuck more clearly to the intended narravie. Lonesome Gun by Kristen McNally was the most couragous work, taking the wild west as inspiration. I was pleasantly surpirsed by the abstract quality it presented from the start, but its gusto faded with each piece of music she introduced. It was amusing how far the no costume rule could be pushed. Clearly there had been several group outings to Bloch round the corner. GARBLE | 11

Along with the lively flock of first years, several new faces from across all bodies of water joined the BA3s at the start of our academic year. In their place six of our own BA3s migrated around the globe to a ‘semester’ abroad; Lara Hollander and Jessica Sim to the California Institute of the Arts, Chris Scott and Laura Robinson to Purchase College (SUNY) in New York, and Andrea Dorelli and Chris Knight to the Danish National School of Theatre and Contemporary Dance in Copenhagen. A journey beyond the walls of LCDS, beyond the coast of the UK, to a plethora of fresh experiences, classes, performance opportunities, tastes, people, and life-styles. Though impossible to describe it all, here is a snapshot of the ‘exchange experience.’

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LCDS GOES FORTH

THE EXCHANGE | By Jessica Sim |

What struck you the most? What did you find most different or inspirational compared to your experience at LCDS? Lara: Definitely, having the different artist from all the various disciplines, being able to talk with them about their various art forms, being able to see how they perceived art differently, and being able to collaborate with them on a weekly basis. Laura: The different dance styles that you could do there. For example our contemporary teacher, Kevin Wynn, was more ‘jazz style.’ He taught combinations really quickly, that you had to pick up like in an audition. Our other contemporary teacher was an ex-Mark Morris dancer. Andrea: Two things. I felt like I danced more. The spaces are much bigger and we rarely danced with mirrors. The movement felt much more internal rather than it being judging from an external point of view. I was a lot less judgemental of myself. Contributing to this is their sense of community. Being in a smaller school, having a whole building to ourselves, the students have responsibility for the building. Describe the training routine: the classes, the institution’s work ethic, the students’ attitudes. Lara: Everyone is very supportive of each other (showing their appreciation by saying “work!” with a snap of the finger.) They are dedicated but also know how to have fun. They have a very good balance, which I’m going to try to hold onto. Class starts at 9:00AM with ballet or contemporary. Ballet is more traditional rather than specifically “for contemporary dancers,” while the contemporary was more ‘American.’ But it was good to try new techniques. It was also great taking classes from different metiers (subjects.) I took Balinese dance and flute lessons. You could take writing courses and courses in any other art form of ‘critical thinking subjects’, which enriches your own artistic studies. The campus was more of a bubble. Everyone relies on vehicles to get places. You come to appreciate London and the public transport that makes it efficient to go and see art. But then again the bubble allows you to focus in a constructive way, being constantly stimulated surrounded by artists. Laura: Our weekly schedule was lot less intense. The classes were strict and regimented, but say on Monday we didn’t start until 12:00 noon. We had ballet and a ‘modern’ class every day and then classes such as classical pas de deux and modern partnerwork. Rehearsals for the Nut Cracker were nearly every day as well. I also took up Italian for fun, which finished at 8:30PM. The dancers were all incredibly strong. There is a high standard and everyone worked incredibly hard throughout the week. Though on the weekends people do let their hair down and we were always able to go sight seeing. Andrea: We started class later, earliest at 9:00AM. We had two classes everyday except Wednesdays where we had one, followed by a school meeting. Every week the entire school would come together to raise issues. Normally in the afternoon we worked on a single project. Everything is just a lot more relaxed and open, and everyone is encouraged to speak up.

GARBLE | 13

The Golden Gate Bridge disappearing into the famous San Francisco fog, one of the many destinations on our coastal road trip from CalArts

Aside from dance, how did you find the ‘exchange experience,’ and the city or university life? Lara: It was great to finally have a chance to feel like I was a part of a ‘real university’ even though it wasn’t actually all that big (1,300 students). It was good to go somewhere new and have a fresh start without any bad habits. Getting away from the busyness of London gave me time to process things in my head. Also living in dorms, you hear perspectives from different people about politics, such as the occupy LA movement or really anything ‘global.’ The university is very liberal. People bring dogs to class, any random objects that you find lying around the school could be an art piece… and anything goes in what people wear, think or do. Laura: New York is an amazing city, its brilliant. The only down side is I wasn’t yet 21. But there is still so much to do in the city; there are always free events you can go along to and so many dance performances showing companies from around the world. Andrea: It was some of the best months of my life. I think going on exchange, you become so open to receive every kind of information. You become willing to do so many more things to really get the most of the experience. Copenhagen is an incredible city, but very civilized. They’re organized and also have so much money. It’s smaller and safer. You can just hop on a bike and go around. I went to a lot of eco villages, little communes and different art collectives. It was good to me. I went with hardly any money and ‘freedom raided.’ I never ate so well in my life. I fed twenty people with a whole thanksgiving meal from the dumpster (including David Zambrano!) What did you bring back with you that you aspire to continue as a part of your practice? Lara: A more global perspective on dance. I’ve been inspired to travel and see more of the world. Also learning how to collaborate with various artists has inspired me to want to collaborate more, not just with musicians but with animators, film directors… etc. Laura: A more diverse range of skills. I managed to do a lot of point work, which we don’t get to do here. Chris and I also did a musical theatre show. The amount of performing we did out there and the shows we took part in were of such a high standard, it really opens your eyes to things. Andrea: Some faith in myself, trying not to be as judgemental. Also that dance is internal and not external.

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LCDS GOES FORTH

Any last words? Or words of wisdom? Lara: There is so much to say. I think it is important for everyone to go somewhere and have fresh experiences to dance and not get bogged down. And the sun makes a big difference! I was struck by how similar the dance world is a way, with a few obvious differences. Also about how LA isn’t this magical Hollywood place, it’s this strange spread out place with no real city centre. But still fun at the beach and going to San Francisco was amazing! Laura: The exchange program is a fantastic opportunity that I think we should promote more and make more accessible to everyone. The experience you get immersing yourself in another country is very different from the experience here, especially if you haven’t had the opportunity to ever train abroad. Andrea: I definitely recommend the exchange. It is good in the final year to experience a different perspective, to boost your through your last year and to gain some confidence.

Text by Jessica Sim, Images by Lara Hollander, Jessica Sim and Andrea Dorelli

Top - Lara Hollander performing in her choreography as part of the CalArts ‘Noonish’ Concert. Bottom - A still image from ‘First Bow, a film by Jessica Sim as a part of the Dance For Camera course at Calarts.

GARBLE | 15

DANCE DOWN UNDER | Text and Images By Chris Scott |

If you’re like most dancers you probably have an insatiable desire to travel, in every and any capacity possible. If this desire motivates you far enough to consider a self-directed trip to some far corner of the earth to bask yourself in some other dance culture, I would immediately direct you to one fantastic opportunity - The Lisa Ullman Travelling scholarship fund. This fund finances the travel expenses for dancers wanting to participate in projects, either locally or internationally. Last year I was fortunate enough to receive funding from LUTSF which got me all the way to Australia (and back again), and being half a world away from the land of the Kangaroo, us folk in London hear very little about the thriving dance scene happening down under. So from first-hand experience here is your Unofficial guide to the Australian Dance scene. The sheer geographical size of the country creates a modularised dance industry, with ‘hub’ cities generating the majority of dance work, and little else happening across the vast and sparsely populated country. This actually makes visiting the country and its dance treasure’s very straight forward. The cities to keep your eye on are: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra. I would encourage everyone to be pro-active about travelling, there is nothing quite like letting another country and culture broaden your horizons. It was actually the guru of all knowledge that encouraged me to take that risky step and start planning such a major trip - our very own Sonia Noonan. “You will never feel like you have enough time or money to really invest in travelling... so why not now?” Go for it, you have everything to gain.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;You will never feel like you have enough time or money to go travelling...â&#x20AC;?

Turn over for a closer look at Australia... GARBLE | 17

DANCE DOW A Closer Look

PERTH

• West Australian Ballet, national touring company presenting mixed programmes of work. • Kings Street Arts Centre, exiting hub for dance, holding professional classes and artist support. • West Australian Academy for Performing Arts (WAPPA), world renowned dance training, producing some of the countrys most exiting young dancers.

ADELAIDE

• Australian Dance Theatre, International touring company, artistic director Gary Stewart, presenting highly physical exiting contemporary work. • Leigh Warren & Dancers, the Ex NDT dancer returned to Oz to form his own project based repertoire company.

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OWN UNDER At Australia

CANBERRA

• AusDance HQ, AusDance is the biggest dance Network in Australia with offices in all the major cities, they are responsible for coordinating festivals and dance events including the Australian Dance Awards, they know everyone and everything worth knowing, so looking for more info? They are a good place to start. • Quantum Leap 2, exiting centre for youth training.

SYDNEY

• Sydney Dance Co. One of the country’s biggest international touring companies, artistic director the acclaimed Rapahel Bonachela. • Bangarra Dance Co. - Aboriginal Contemporary dance • Sydney Opera House, - the world-famous landmark presents annual programmes of Opera, music, ballet and contemporary dance.

MELBOURNE

• Considered by many to be the cultural capital of Australia. • Chunky Move Dance Co. new Dutch Artistic director Anouk Van Dijk. Exiting contemporary work with a focus on technological interaction • The Australian Ballet – world famous international touring company.

GARBLE | 19

DANCE FACES IT’S QUESTION TIME | Text by Kit Brown |

On the 4th of November 2011 a meeting was convened in an attempt to address the big issues facing the dance world. Members of the dance community came from near and far to answer the call to arms, suffering the sweltering heat and stuffy air as they crammed themselves into the tiny Riflemaker’s Gallery venue in the heart of Soho. Dance Question Time had all the hallmarks of a shady coup: an unassuming venue (so unassuming in fact that it was practically impossible to find, particularly for the van that was supposed to deliver the chairs), a strong cause, and a thirst for decisive action. The discussion, organised by advocacy group Dance UK and cultural website The Arts Desk had a very respectable panel indeed. The Chair, dance critic Ismene Brown (Dimbleby couldn’t make it), was joined by Val Bourne, the founder of Dance Umbrella; Craig Hassall, managing director of the ENB; choreographer Rosie Kay; TV judge and choreographer Arlene Philips; Robert Noble, co-director of New Adventures; Tamara Rojo, principle with the Royal Ballet; Caroline Miller, director of Dance UK; and Alistair Spalding, chief executive of Sadler’s Wells. The panel and the public came armed to the teeth with opinions. The whole event was teeming with them, apparently leaving little room for actual decisions.. It seemed that here, plotting in

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our unassuming den, was a very select clique of dance-enthusiasts confirming each others opinions and woes, at times wallowing in our own sense of oppression. The former gun shop venue had perhaps become a talking shop. Nevertheless, action or no action the event was interesting. The discussion’s primary focus was on the financial issues facing dance but it also covered questions of regionalism, the importance of dance, and how the dance world can make itself heard. The event began with concerns that with a rise in tuition fees certain forms of dance would once again become a pass-time of the privileged with Rosie Kay pertinently asking “Where are risk-takers going to come from if you’re already going to be saddled with debt? Would talented people choose to go into the dance profession or is it only going to be the domain of the privileged?”. The issue of funding cuts was then tackled. Robert Noble defended the need for public subsidy by pointing out that even a commercially successful company like New Adventures required investment to create a piece before it could make any return. Alistair Spalding extended this defence to the works that would never make money, impressing that it was necessary to invest in young choreographers at the onset of their careers, and to invest in work of artistic merit that would never

cover its own costs. Such investment would often have to be balanced by more commercially successful work, demonstrated best by Craig Hassall: “half a week of Nutcracker at the Coliseum will fund the deficit on a 10-week mid-scale tour of a collaboration with a streetdance company. If I didn’t do the nutcracker, I couldn’t do the other.” Public subsidy was considered not only to enable but to require that companies take risks in order to produce new and creative dance. The point was raised that even without funding

“We have manpower, national coverage, interesting stuff, we’re entertaining people, at the end of the day, so we have all the weaponry to make a really big voice.” dance would still be made. For Val Bourne funding was therefore a question of providing access to work, “[unfunded dance] would just be in a small room performing to your friends, which is really not the object of the exercise”. The panel then attempted to move discussion of the importance of dance away from its purely economic benefits. Hassall and Noble despaired that “dance is an elsewhere art form” considered “the lowest rung of the ladder” whilst Arlene emphasised its ability to nurture intellect. Michael Gove’s labelling of dance A Level as a soft subject

was pointed out to which Tamara Rojo remarked that “academic studies are all very well if you’re going to be academic, but they’re not going to create all the jobs of the future. They don’t encourage creativity and imagination, and arts education does”. Audience member and Rambertcollaborator Professor Nicky Clayton then threw in her two cents: “as someone who interviews people coming in to read natural sciences at Cambridge what I look for is two science A levels, but I do want to see at least one other to be something different, because it shows a broader picture.” Finally the discussion turned to questions of action and making ourselves heard. It was decided that the dance community needed to be more unified if it were to defend itself from cuts and prevent itself from being walked over by the government and by other art forms. This was the time for inspiring speeches and calls to arms. Craig Hassall argued that “We have manpower, national coverage, interesting stuff, we’re entertaining people, at the end of the day, so we have all the weaponry to make a really big voice if it’s done in a coordinated, clever way.” The discussion ended with a light-hearted question met by serious response: “Considering the success of Occupy London, is it time for dance to occupy Westminster?”. Spalding and Rojo seemed to think so, the others were less convinced. Certainly the joke has important implications. The issues that we so comfortably deliberate between ourselves need to be had out in the open and heard by other people. We are the ones who need to make ourselves heard. +

The full video and transcript of Dance Question Time is available at http://www. theartsdesk.com/dance/ theartsdesk-debate-dancesquestion-time Images by Jon Mikol, The Arts Desk

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David Cameron Is Not

The Artist

by Emilia Gasiorek, with Mari Colbert

Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo play George Valentin and Peppy Miller in The Artist

The Artist and the Governments’ new plans for British Film Industry: Will Cameron’s attempt to make ‘successful’ films suck any artistry from this country’s cinema? The plot is relatively simple. A young, beautiful actress is determined to make it in 1920’s Hollywood. Her steady progression to stardom crosses the path of a silentmovie star whose career is plunging in the other direction in his efforts to resist the advancements in technology and consequent propagation of text. Jump forward 90 years and we are presented with ‘The Artist’, an independent film gaining rapid popularity because of, it would seem, its innovative recreation of this sup-

22 | GARBLE

“A refreshing portrayal of the recurrent themes of love and loss, frequented so tediously in mainstream films.”

posedly inferior medium. With no colour and no speech, it tenderly embraces every facet of the human condition through exquisite acting, profoundly expressed with the body and face. Accompanied by the orchestral score of Ludovic Bource, it is undeniably touching; a refreshing portrayal of the recurrent themes of love and loss frequented so tediously in mainstream films. However, the success of ‘The Artist’ was unintentional and unforeseen. As an art-house film, it was not produced purely for entertainment value. Indeed, this resulted in conflicting responses; while some have been enchanted, others demanded their money back, aghast by the unexpected silence. The desire for bigger and

ART AND CULTURE

louder is as omnipresent as ever. Coincidentally, this captivating black and white film has been released against the backdrop of a changing film industry in Britain. Only a couple of weeks ago David Cameron announced plans to steer the film industry towards “more commercial success” where National Lottery Money will be redirected to support more mainstream films. Cameron is hoping to make the industry more lucrative through pumping money into films with huge box office success rather than art-house films, which make less money. Successful films companies will also receive greater support, instead of funding going towards small or foreign companies. The thinking stems from an attempt to raise the caliber of the British industry to compete with the cachet of Hollywood and French cinema. The film industry currently contributes an estimated £4.2 billion a year to the UK economy, where blockbuster films such as The Kings Speech brought in £250 million last year. It is believed that Cameron hopes that with the new initiatives this remarkable success will continue into 2012. Furthermore in a recent survey conducted by the British Film Institute (BFI) showed that out of 2,000 cinemagoers (ages between 15 and 74), over half are more likely to watch a film if it was British. These figures, pointing not only towards the popularity of British film but also towards box office successes, were given significant weight in the report. Ironically a link of a picture of Cameron’s own DVD collection (tweeted by journalist Charlie Brooker) appears rather lacking in British films…

“David Cameron has announced plans to steer the film industry towards more commercial success.”

“It is quirky, low-key films like The Artist that keep the industry alive.”

Britain’s most recently successful films already cover a wide range. From The Kings Speech to Shame and The Inbetweeners to An Education the industry is currently producing both commercial and more independent films. However, there are fears that the new plans will quash this diversity. Directors are already expressing their worries that future subsidy for making films will be solely based on predicted box office success and on “commercially viable” pictures. Furthermore critics question whether it is possible to even tell what films will be box office sell outs. Following on from this, having been to see (and loved) The Artist I find this report more worrying than positive. Firstly, how on earth are the government going to decide what will be a successful film when it is all so subjective? Secondly, the stress on commercial success means we will lose any variety. The industry needs various projects and different types of films in order to become rich, vibrant, interesting and importantly lucrative. It would be boring to see billboard after billboard advertising only blockbusters. It is quirky, low-key films like The Artist (albeit actually a French film) that keep the industry alive. This dipping into different varieties, the bringing back of old techniques shown alongside new technological explorations gives us an interesting variety. And finally, do art-house films not provide an important experimental opportunity for directors? In dance we need studio time to try out new ideas and push our thoughts in order to find something interesting. Does the film industry not require this in the same way? + GARBLE | 23

REVIEWS The only thing stranger than an evening at ‘Stranger Than Fiction’, is an evening with my parents at ‘Stranger than Fiction’. I strangely reveled in watching my parents silently cope with the masochistic, audience participant, tom-foolerly. The first performer had gone to some length to fulfil the evening’s theme of ‘Atmosphere’s and Spaces’, but sadly managed to destroy any (tenuous at best) atmosphere she had created in forcing us to enter in the dark, by walking over to her laptop to start a projection - pressing play FROM WITHIN MOVIE MAKER. Unforgivable. Other works were more successful: Air, by Bettina Neuhaus & Mark Horrocks demonstrated the satisfaction we can feel when a piece is executed simply, but with care. The playful relationship between James Morgan improvised dance and music was beautifully self aware. It didn’t apologise for the visible technology, and the movement was laced with both precision and whimsy, interacting with the space in a subtle and refined way. The fourth piece was equally well realised - a simple duet between dancer and torch wielder in darkness, was the most emotionally evocative work of the night, and I couldn’t help but see the iconic shadow ascending the stairs image from Nosferatu, the German Espressionist film. Oddly, it was her silhouette against the glow of the studio’s fire exit sign, which dwelled in my mind for the rest of the night. The final piece, 5 Aggregates of Motion was the most fully realised ‘atmosphere’. Lit with coloured circles of light from manned cinematic film projectors, the dancers twisted and moaned and we were gradually assaulted by images of violence and nudity, which evoked an engagingly disturbing mood. I only wish I didn’t need to stand on a chair at the back to see; my only realy problem with the whole event.

Stranger Than fiction, Saturday 28th January @ Siobhan Davies Dance Studios

David Hockney, an artist considered one of Britain’s greatest living masters, has brought so much to today’s art world. His works have previously made modern art more accessible to the public. With this new, huge exhibition, held at the Royal Academy of Arts, of works produced dating between 2004 and 2011 we see his celebration of Yorkshire, his birthplace, and a continuation of this accessibility. The work explores his continual interest in landscapes and the natural world. Drawn from memory and imagination, sketched and painted in situ and even created on an iPad; his variety of media is astonishing. The first thing that strikes you is the enormity of the canvases Emilia Gasiorek and boldness of colour – you could spend hours staring at just a few paintings. His likeness to Turner or Constable is uncanny; they share an interest in natural beauty, yet Hockney takes this further. His bold, vivid paintings stand next to intricate, chocolate-box watercolours, film work, photo-montage and iPad creations. This exhibit is phenomenally full of life; it really does seem to exude vivacity from every canvas, tying in neatly with his exploration of nature’s cycles of life. I found that I couldn’t help but leave feeling happy and as if his bright colours would remain with me for the day.

David Hockney A Bigger Picture @ Royal Academy of Art

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ART AND CULTURE

Shane Waltener Drawn To Motion, Space Stitched Over Time @ Siobhan Davies Dance Studios Emilia Gasiorek

Grayson Perry The Tomb of The Unknown Craftsman @ The British Museum Celina Liesegang

Following the trend of cross-art form collaborations, where different genres spill over into each other, Shane Waltener presents an exhibition of new works exploring the relationship between dance and textiles. Specifically designed for the Siobhan Davies Studios, using dance notation and stitching patterns he exhibits both static art pieces and a ‘performance’ resulting in a site-specific installation. The opening night showcases, as described online, “a performance” in collaboration with dance artist Laura Glaser “to interpret stitching patterns into a set of movements”. Dancers, possibly representing human bobbins, held long strips of yarn and wove intricate patterns up and down the main stairwell. The exhibition also included small architectural plans overlaid with stitching and dance notation, and a wall of torn clothing and fabric mimicking dance notation. As interesting as the evening was, and as amazed as I was with the complexity of the installation created, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Having read the description online I had expected to see some movement. At the end of the day it taps into the debate about what dance is and what it means to ‘see’ dance. Weaving and dance don’t jump out to me as an apparent match but inherent to both is the possibility to create patterns and explore form and rhythm. In this sense, especially with today’s blurring of artistic boundaries, I did ‘see’ dance.There was a strong sense of tradition throughout the entire 110 minutes. The soul touching, live Irish music was clearly embraced by the audience’s rapturous applause at the end of each song and the movement had its own tradition as the dancers were visibly free to engage with their own, unique physical qualities. A contagiously energetic piece, comforting in its carefree and fun presentation of life and very easy to watch with its simple yet spirited choreography. But the highlight of the show was by far the music. There is nothing like live musicians, especially if they’re playing songs that originated in the pub, over a sociable pint with friends and family. Next time you fancy having a Teddy bear’s picnic, look no further than the British Museum! The latest exhibition from the Turner Prize-winning, cross-dressing, Grayson Perry, seems to have overflowed even to the museum’s restaurant menu, taking inspiration from his childhood teddy bear “Alan Measels”... However strange this must sound, I left the exhibition questioning more than just the recurrent appearances of ‘Alan’. After two years rummaging through the British Museum’s archives, Perry has installed various artifacts to create a “memorial to all the anonymous craftsmen that over the centuries have fashioned the manmade wonders of the world”. Alongside this, are his own creations; vast, dynamic tapestries, vases and sculptures, which together create a dialogue highlighting the similarities between the artists of today and the ancient craftsmen who created artifacts for their own cultures. His work analyses the pilgrimages we make throughout our existences , the art world and its infiltration into lives of the general public, and disparaging our “celebrity obsessed culture”. His emphasis on the anonymous craftsmen is a reminder that the relationship between tool and maker has been lost in this technological age. I left wondering: if I was the only person left on this planet, how many of the objects I use daily would I be able to recreate?

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WAYNE McGREGOR RANDOM DANCE, ROYAL BALLET | Interviewed By Declan Whitaker |

Could you tell us about your introduction to Dance? I always say that I started with ballroom and Latin American dance when I was about 8, growing up in the 70‘s, John Travolta was in all those movies: ‘Grease’, ‘Saturday Night Fever’ so I just wanted to a bit of disco. My mother reminds me however that I did English country dancing and that was my introduction, I ought to be honest about it and admit it! I think I just did it for pleasure and I went on to do amateur musicals, I love musicals. Do you watch Glee? I used to. I like, love glee. Anyway, you don’t have to write that. Gleek. Exactly! So I did musicals and went off to do a degree in Choreography and Semiotics. Did you imagine your success when you were younger? I don’t think it’s good to. If you have this thing on your shoulder telling you ‘it’s gonna be bad, it’s 26 | GARBLE

gonna be bad’ you’ll never make any good decisions. But really you have to commit and do what you really believe in. What other people think about it and what happens to it is really not in your gift. If you decide you’re going to make a piece to get an Olivier it just ruins you. It’s important to do what you do and be passionate about it. As it happens Random Dance is one of the most successful contemporary companies. You’ve developed an original aesthetic and vocabulary but your use of technology in dance is really interesting. How important is the relationship between the dance and technology? I’ve had Random almost 20 years and have been lucky to have a lot of interesting collaborations. I think the most important technology for me is the technology of the body and that everything is someway and extension and development of that. If you think about iPad, your body is always the interface of the technology that you work with. In the early days a lot of people thought technology was just an add on, but for me growing up I was

GARBLE OVER LUNCH

one of the first young people to have a computer, it was a spectrum, at the age of 9, it’s always been a part of my life. I don’t think of it as ‘I’m working with that composer or that visual artist’, technology is just part of the way I live every day. I used to work a lot with technology as an application, 3D or motion sensor images, but now I’m interested in things that can tell us more about the inside of the body and the mind when it’s working. There are so many brilliant technologies that can tell us something about the creative act and that’s what I’m interested in now.

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Critically acclaimed choreographer and recent CBE recipient Wayne McGregor talks to us about conservatoires, Glee, John Travolta and more... ...................................

Wim Wenders’ Pina was shot in 3D and your own work UNDANCE had 3D elements, what was the audience’s response to this? There’s a responsibility on artists to try new things out and even if the audience say ‘Oh it’s not like Avatar, I don’t see the 3D in front of my face’, they’re different mediums so keep exploring what the potentials are. You mentioned using the body as technology. Your work pushes dancer’s physicalities to extremes. Do you think the techniques taught at conservatoires are enough to prepare dancers for dancing life and where do you see technique going next? Hmm, Ok... What’s interesting about technique for me is that people often say ‘you really push dancers to their limits’ and actually my response would be: The dancers I’m faced with in the studio want to invent new movement langauages for themselves, they are interested in pushing themselves, they are interested in doing things that are unfamiliar. So it’s not me with a stick at the front telling them to, it’s willing, intelligent collaborators wanting to do it. If you look at dancers from today and dancers 30 years ago, they are faster, they are able to do more

turns, the technical capacity is absolutely extended. So it says something about how the body changes over time - how it can evolve. Surely that’s an interesting relationship to explore. I think unfortunately many training institutions haven’t caught up with what the capabilities of the body today and are training people to be in companies that existed 30 years ago. One of the difficulties they face is that when these dancers come to auditions, with choreographers like me who are expecting a highly attuned instrument and a highly attuned intelligence, they can’t actually deliver. Your work often uses psychology and science as a starting point. When did this interest start? It’s a good question. I just realised we consider dance to be a non-verbal means of comunication but we talk so much about it: I’m talking to you, I’m talking to the dancers, I’m talking all the time and actually a lot of my work happens in my head, it doesn’t happen in my body. I thought if I’m thinking about choreography 50% of the time then cognition must be useful to me, it has to be. It is important that the audience recognises the cognitive process? I am always bewildered by people like Clement Crisp (Financial Times)...

Wayne Mcgregor’s ‘Live Fire Exercise’, Premiered at The Royal Opera House

Continued over the page...

GARBLE | 27

that when he writes a review, he’ll spend half of it writing about what I’ve said in the programme. He writes back the notes but has limited opinion about what he sees. Audiences have two options: They can either read the programme because they want to be engaged in the process of making, which might in some way inform them. But some people don’t want to - so don’t read the programme. Right? Just watch the piece and get what you can and analyse it in the terms that you want. Everybody watches pieces through filters. What I object to is when people read the programme notes and then don’t do their own analysis and try to retrofit something onto it. All I’m saying is, this is my reality, this is how I made my piece. You don’t necessarily have to see all the steps but I was inspired by this, and what you see is that transaction. In 2006 you were appointed resident choreographer of the Royal Ballet, how much responsibility did you feel you were taking on? It goes back to the question about success, I don’t think about the responsibility of it I just think about what I’m going to do, I’m a bit of an action man like that. I think what can I offer to this massive organisation in my own way to make a contribution. In a place like this [Royal Opera House], it’s not enough just to have a title. You have to be out there inventing things. The great thing about here is it’s a really collaborative building. Even I had the perception that it was old fashioned and rigid but actually it’s full of individuals who are really creative and all want to make to difference, so galvanising their energies makes things happen. One of the great joys about being here is that you are able to do things: work with young choreographers, in education, with film makers... My responsibility is to my work, I’m my own worst critic. I have to be to ensure I’m developing the work and dancers. Has you work with Random developed since the appointment? It’s different in Random. With the Opera House, it has a particular audience, view and place in the 28 | GARBLE

world. If you were doing a piece at The Place for an exam, you think about the tutors that are judging it. Do you temper it in line with those people to get a good grade or do you think ‘Fuck That’ and do your own thing? There’s always a condition. With Random, there’s no conditions, it’s my own, I started it from nothing. I have the opportunity to do what I want. Sometimes they totally flop and sometimes they work really well. What I think is great audiences can think are crap, so it’s very unpredictable. With the Opera House, the stakes are much higher but for me why they work together is I have this place to experiment with Random so I can learn things from both places, ways of working, ideas etc. So there’s this symbiotic relationship. I read online about Akili. Could you tell us a bit more about that? Sure, in 2005, I built a house and studio in Africa, in a town called Lamu in Kenya, on the Indian ocean on 12 miles of beach. I wanted to offer artists residency there. They go there, they can work if they want, or eat, sleep, read, whatever they want. We’ve had 150 artists go... Dance artists? Cross art forms, composers, muscians, actors, anything. There’s no application form, it’s just an invite and the last two summers we’ve run the East Africa writers course for Sundance Film Festival. We have 30 writers that come for a month to write scripts, plays. It’s just a place for artists to play. I use it myself to recharge before big projects, clear my head, just time to think. One last question, someone at LCDS wanted to know what your favorite ice cream was... [Laughs] One I would ask, why would they want to know? But also how did they know to ask about Ice Cream? I’m an ice cream junkie, so two, no three... no two things. It used to be, it could still be - Häagen-Dazs pralines and cream. But they’ve opened a new restaurant by my house and they have a desert called the kinder, but I have no idea what ice cream they use. So Kinder or Pralines and Cream.

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GARBLE OVER LUNCH

Wayne Mcgregor’s ‘FAR’, Premiered at Sadlers Wells

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Interviewed by Declan Whitaker. Speacial Thanks to Clare Thurman (Royal Opera House)

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BREAKING NEWS

#sergeistorm

Was it the Jete that broke the dancer’s back? Or a refusal of the young dancer’s bad boy attitude? Two weeks ago, the Royal Opera House became a whirlwind of confusion and rumours. The jewel in the Royal Ballet’s crown demoted himself to diamond in the rough with a shock resignation. Polunin rose swiftly through the ranks at the Royal from student, to artist to principal and had placed himself firmly at the top. Due to perform last week as Oberon still no revelations. Although Monica Mason of the in The Dream, the Royal Ballet’s bad boy created Royal Ballet took no time in releasing a statment a #sergeistorm - no explanation, no indications and wishing him success and good luck, the terms of his departure remain uncertain. But one thing was for sure - his place at The Royal was no more. The rumour mill that is twitter has been churning out talk of drugs, tantrums and a diva-like attitude, however Polunin’s personal account has remained elusive with hints at becoming a tattoo artist. Although performing at Putrov’s Men in Motion at Sadler’s on friday, Polunin’s future as a dancer hangs in the balance. In a political twist, Polunin’s right to work in the UK has been denounced upon leaving the Royal, adding to the furore of the #sergeistorm.

The much beloved Bellyflop Mag has announced it is taking a break from writing, to re-evauate how to stay afloat with no funding. As envious admirers of such a great publication, we would like to wish them good luck in finding some money and getting back to flopping. Sign their petition - http://www.ipetitions.com/ petition/get-bellyflop-magazine-back/ 30 | GARBLE

Article 19 need to chill out. The argumentative, and adolescently opinionated online dance publication have really been getting on our wick and we’re starting to wonder if is there anyone they do like... In a time of such uncertainty for the arts, it would seem appropriate to make a more positive contribution to dance journalism, rather than bitching and pointing out typos on twitter, especially seen as they aren’t really as funny as they’d like to think.

What’s On? Our Top Picks...

DANCE

29th Feb - 1st March: Richard Alston Dance Company @ Sadlers Wells - A mixed bill featuring the new ‘Ceremony of Carols’ which features five dancers from the third year at LCDS. 8th-11th Feb: Without Warning, Lizzi Kew Ross @The Old Vic Tunnels - A work inspired by ‘An Evil Cradling’, an account of Brian Keenan’s time in captivity. With live accompaniment, and a darkroom of work by Peter Anderson, this promises to be an evening of serendipity. 6-18th Feb: Jealousy @ The Print Room - The premiere of a collaboration between sculptor Laurence Kavanagh’s and choreographers James Cousins, Hubert Essakow, Daniel Hay Gordon and Morgann Runacre-Temple. Feb 18th 12:30-5:45pm: Swing patrol @ Cafe1001, 91 Brick Lane - Learn to dance swing in a day. This workshop is ideal for brand new dancers who are keen to try something new… in one day! Workshop covers introductions to six beat, eight beat, charleston and swing dancing. 6th - 9th March: Nederlands Dans Theater 2 @ Sadlers Wells. Presenting works including Kylian’s critically acclaimed ‘Gods and Dogs’. If you have never seen this world renowned Company I can not recommend it more highly; and with dancers aged only 17 - 23, the result is quite remarkable. 9th – 28th Mar: Can We Talk About This? by DV8 Physical Theatre @ the National Theatre, Lyttelton – International tour of Lloyd Newson’s most recent work exploring speech, censorship and Islam. 16th - 17th Mar: LOL (lots of love) by Protein @ the Robert Howard Dance Theatre - Nominated for Best Modern Choreography at the 2011 NDAs’; a physical theatre exploration of the cyber world.

THEATRE

2nd - 25th Feb: The Paper Cinema’s ‘Odyssey’ @ Battersea Arts Centre - Homer’s classic tale told through animation and puppetry. 8th - 25th Feb: ‘At swim two boys’, Earthfall @ Riverside Studios - Set at the start of the Irish revolution the story follows the love affair of two men and the political upheaval that surrounds them. Staged in a slowly filling lake. Feb 28 - March 23rd - The Leisure Society @ The Trafalgar Studios. A tale of ‘middle class grotesquery’ by playwrite Francois Archambault starring British supermodel Agnes Deyn. Matilda, the Musical by Dennis Kelly & Tim Minchin @ the Couryeard Theatre - Award winning stage adaptation of the Roald Dahl childrens classic - tickets from £15, try midweek performances!

ART

19th Jan to 18th Feb: The Alan Cristea Gallery is exhibiting David Hockney lithographs. Its a nice offthe-beaten-track gallery to visit if you can’t make it to the Royal Academy 15th Feb - 15th July: Picasso & Modern British Art @ Tate Britain - The new exhibition explores the profound influence Picasso’s work has had on modern art and culture in Britain Until 11th March: Tacita Dean ‘FILM’ @ Tate Modern - As part of the The Unilever Series Dean has produced a 11 minute silent film to be projected on the walls of the massive Turbine Hall. Free entry! 21st Jan - 9th April: David Hockney ‘A Bigger Picture’ @ Royal Academy of Arts - Major exhibition of Hockney’s landscape work inspired by the East Yorkshire landscape. See our review on p22. A definite must see, but make sure you go early to avoid the queues! 4th April - 24th June: For the Love of God @ Tate Modern - Damien Hirst’s iconic Diamon skull goes on display in the Turbine Hall for the first time ever in the UK - Free!

GARBLE | 31

EVERYTHING ELSE

we think you need to see

Links to all of this crap can be found, on our Facebook page...

Search “African Dance white girl” She’s insane, it just doesn’t make sense.

PHOTO CORNER

This is exactly what it looks like. Pictures of cats with bread on them. Welcome to the internet.

Search “Shit Ballet Dancers Say”. Clearly we aren’t that different... It’s trashy American reality TV, about kids less than half your age, dancing twice as well as you ever could. And by that I mean they do lots of no-handed walkovers and layouts, to lyrical music and covered in sequins. It’s their moms, who apparently don’t have jobs, and dance teacher Abby Lee Miller however, that will have you watching the show incessantly. You may start watching it ironically, but somewhere down the line, when you catch yourself screaming “Cathy are you for real???” at the computor screen, the self hate will begin to set in. But too late, you will be hooked...

SONIA SAYS: What do you have to say to Garble readers this issue, oh wise one?

Don’t seek to dance in your teachers footsteps; seek what they sought.