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uring the spring term, as a part of the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) creative curriculum, we run a project called Choreomission. This is part of the year when the CAT creative team dedicate their time and experience to the students’ own choreographic practice. The project provides students with open space to play, explore and develop their approaches to movement without the pressure of performance.
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As part of the project students can apply to be a choreographer who is mentored through the process of creating material with a small group of fellow CAT students, who may also contribute to the creative process. During the spring half term, all CAT students took part in a two-day intensive exploring this year’s Choreomission theme of ‘technology’. The intensive consisted of discussions and creative responses to the theme as well as exploring various ways of generating material through task based work. Over the term, the six student choreographers developed ideas with their dancers, exploring different methods of creating material, before manipulating, editing and developing what they had created. At the end of the spring term, there was an informal sharing of the work the choreographers had produced. Three of the choreographers were then chosen to continue to develop their work over the summer term to be performed in the end-of-year CAT show.
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A mentor’s view Choreomission offers a fantastic opportunity for the CAT students to explore their creative voice. Acting as a mentor in this process, I have been able to watch as their choreographic ideas are realised. For those who have been new to choreography, it has challenged and pushed their understanding of the practice, and for others, it has presented an opportunity to strengthen and develop their skills. Either way, there has been a real energy in the studio, and an abundance of creative thought and play. It is truly great that these young artists are offered such an exciting creative platform, and it has been a pleasure to share this experience with them. Emma Waller
iHuman I have taken part in Choreomission almost every year since I joined the CAT scheme, as both a choreographer and a dancer. It is always one of the highlights of my CAT year. This year I was lucky enough to be given six immensely talented dancers and the opportunity to create an original piece of work in collaboration with them. One of the best parts of the process for me this year was that, while I am technically the ‘choreographer’ of the piece, it was very much a team effort in every way, and I relied very much on my dancers’ creative (and open) minds. In terms of my choreographic process, I tend to plan many creative tasks and choreograph a lot of material, and then promptly use almost none of it! Although this could sound negative, the complex and surprising nature of choreography is one of the main reasons I love to choreograph and hope to continue doing so in my future career. iHuman explores the technology of the human body. The material stemmed from 16 original ‘gestures’ that were created by the dancers which were then developed through further creative tasks and manipulation. I chose to focus on the technology of the human body as it is something which I experience and use every second of my life, and instinctual behaviour is something that has always fascinated me. Although when writing this I am still in the process of finishing the work, I feel that through Choreomission this year I have begun to take more risks (such as bringing elements of improvisation into the work). I can’t wait to see my dancers performing the work. It will be the last year on CAT for many of them and I really hope it is a piece that they will enjoy, remember and learn from. Theo Livesey
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