Inspired by a painting, a poem, Bach, Stravinsky, Schoenberg and the CERN Hadron Collider, Rambert’s exciting and innovative triple bill showed how choreographers can start from utterly different places.
Rambert has a scientist in residence (Professor Nicola S. Clayton), but it was artist Katie Paterson who took Mark Baldwin to CERN, where he found out about the properties of quarks. The Strange Charm of Mother Nature is a virtuoso dance piece in two movements; the first, to Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks, gives us slow duets, set against dancers who ricochet across the stage like neutron stars; the second, to Bach’s third Brandenburg Concerto, bursts through space in a blaze of colour with spectacular spins and leaps, the embodiment of cosmic energy, yet strangely cool and scientific. (more…)
Leap Day Dancing is a special programme of works by Oxford artists featuring dance, live music and film to join Dancin’ Oxford’s tenth anniversary celebrations. Guest performers will include Crossover Intergenerational Dance, Joelle Pappas Projects and Jos Baker presenting the UK premiere of his new solo Of No Fixed Abode. Full programme:
Allan Hutson with his solo performance Am I Real! which takes the Idea of objects having a soul from the ballet Petrushka. Left on the shelf in the toy shop, a lonesome figure is destining to venture out and explore the beauty life has to offer.
Taut from Cecilia Macfarlane’s Crossover Intergenerational Dance, explores architectural forms and archetypal relationships between generations. Inspiration is taken from the live music of the cello, the sounds that emerge as the strings meet is echoed in the dance. (more…)
DANSOX begins its programme for 2016 with a Distinguished Guest Lecture from Alastair Macaulay, Chief Dance Critic of the New York Times, about the great British choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton:
‘Frederick Ashton: Steps, Stories, Style’
Date: Wednesday 2nd March 2016, 5.30pm, followed by drinks reception
Venue: Jacqueline du Pré Building, St Hilda’s College, Oxford
Free and open to all but booking essential. Book via https://dansox-alastair-macaulay.eventbrite.co.uk
Any queries or for further information please contact susan.jones@ell.ox.ac.uk
And for more information about forthcoming DANSOX events www.torch.ox.ac.uk/dansox
This year Oxford celebrates the 10th anniversary of its very own springtime dance festival in Dancin’ Oxford 2016. Watch out for an action packed 11 days including performances by locally based companies and visiting national and international artists, as well as a host of enticing workshops in a range of genres. Here is a calendar of performance dates for your diary with links to further information and booking:
Friday 26th-Saturday 27th February, Pegasus Theatre:
Moving With the Times. The annual platform of new work by Oxford dance artists includes Dancin’ Oxford & Pegasus commissioned pieces from in.motion dance (contemporary), Body Politic (hip hop) and Drishti Dance (contemporary/kathak) and We Were Youth, choreographed and performed by 3 male dancers who started dancing in Oxford and are now at the top of their game, dancing with such international companies as DV8, Hofesh Shechter and Peeping Tom.
Further info here
Saturday 27th February, Bonn Square:
Dancin’ Spaces. Celebratory open air free performances in the city centre; companies performing Hawk Dance Theatre, infuse DANCE, Granny Turismo, Company Chameleon, Ajos Dance and Sole Rebel Tap.
Monday 29th February, Old Fire Station:
Leap Day Dancing. A special programme of works featuring dance, live music and film to join Dancin’ Oxford’s tenth anniversary celebrations. Including Oxford artists Crossover Intergenerational Dance, Joëlle Pappas Projects, Susie Crow, Paulette Mae, Alan Hutson and the UK premier of Jos Baker’s new solo work Of No Fixed Abode.
Wednesday 2nd March, The North Wall:
In The Happiness Karla Shacklock Company combine choreography, spoken word and live sound in fast and furious devised physical theatre.
Friday 4th- Saturday 5th March, Old Fire Station:
Duet Squared and More. Joëlle Pappas choreographs and directs a poetic programme of contemporary dance to piano duets by Maurice Ravel and Erik Satie, played live by Diana Hinds and Elizabeth Kreager. The evening also presents dance to compositions by Douglas Young and Benjamin Britten.
Friday 4th-Saturday 5th March, Oxford Playhouse:
Thomas Noone and Mercat de los Flors Barcelona present the UK premiere of Medea, Noone’s powerful version of Euripides’ ancient tragedy, an exquisite evening of dance packed with emotional charge.
Saturday 5th March, Pegasus Theatre:
The Black Album. A triple bill in which three distinctly different hip hop choreographies are woven together like a concept album, taking you on a soulful journey through many shades of black.
You can find the full Dancin’ Oxford 2016 festival programme including all the workshops
hereBook soon, most venues will quickly fill…
Enjoy!
Oxford Dance Writers 