HOTFOOT Online Autumn 2017
Sarahleigh Castelyn is a performer, choreographer, and researcher (selfconfessed "dance nerd"). She teaches at the University of East London on the BA (Hons) Dance: Urban Practice programme, and supervises research doctoral students. She has completed an Arts and Humanities Research Council funded practice-based doctoral research project into South African Dance Theatre at Queen Mary, University of London. Her dance research focuses on race, gender, sexuality, and nation in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa, and is very much interested in embodied politics of dance studies. Sarahleigh has both performed in and choreographed dance works in the United Kingdom and South Africa, including at Siobhan Davies Dance Studio (London), The Playhouse (Durban), and at Jomba Contemporary Dance Festival (Durban). Saraleigh has published and presented her work in a number of academic journals and dance magazines, such as South African Theatre Journal, South African Dance Journal, Dance Theatre Journal and Animated. She serves on a number of editorial and organisation boards, including The African Theatre Association and South African Dance Journal.
The first Dissecting Principles Lab Exchange took place on 19 June at Moonshot Centre, London as an associate event of One Dance UK’s Bloom National Festival. It was a sharing from a research project by Judith Palmer, Director of African Heritage UK, and ‘Funmi Adewole, (see previous page for biography). It was part of a wider research project funded by The Exchange, which supports short investigative collaborations between artists and academics. The workshop was based on the Agbadza dance from Ghana, with the aim of looking at documenting ways of teaching African dance. This is a work in progress, and the first part culminated in an open workshop, panel discussion and Q&A session. The event was a success on many levels. It brought together over 30 practitioners working in dance and academia from around the UK, including Leeds, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Wales. The session also attracted visiting artists from Grenada, USA and Japan. Be sure to look out for updates on our social media channels and future editions of HOTFOOT. Further information: www.africanheritageuk.com Read a review blog by Emily Labhart
Avatâra Ayuso, Mbulelo Ndabeni, Rachael Nanyonjo and ‘Funmi Adewole lead the Dissecting Principles panel discussion, photo One Dance UK
Dissecting Principles - Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for African Dance
