DANSOX presents Choreographic Workshop: Exploring the Rhythm, Jacqueline du Pré Music Building 19th-22nd July

Another fascinating event from DANSOX who are this month hosting a choreographic workshop with internationally renowned choreographers, musicians, and dancers exploring the relationship between music and dance in the practice of choreography.

Artists in residence this summer at St Hilda’s College, Kim Brandstrup (international choreographer) and Oliver Coates (cellist/composer) joined by renowned pianist Joanna MacGregor, will direct a workshop with professional dancers.

All welcome to drop in at any time to observe, comment, discuss on each day, and come to showings on Wednesday July 20th and Thursday 21st. Do let us know if you want to come. For more information, timetable, and to book a seat at the showings, contact Susan Jones.

Dates: Tuesday 19th July 2016 09:00am to Friday 22nd July 2016 21:00pm

Venue:  Jacqueline du Pré Music Building, St Hilda’s College, Oxford, OX4 1DY

Free and open to all (booking advised)

Details online here

Find out about DANSOX here

 

All I want for Christmas 2015 is… Oxford Dance Writers recommends

Two years has passed since our last list of recommendations for Christmas gifts for the dance lovers in your life (check it out here); time for another round-up of fascinating and enjoyable reads featured by Oxford Dance Writers, to ease your Christmas shopping travails or request for your own Christmas stocking… Special thanks to Maggie Watson whose many informative and insightful reviews will help you choose the ideal gift…

First up a couple of recent books to enthuse and inform aspiring dancers and balletomanes – perfect Christmas presents:

The Ballet Lover’s Companion, by Zoë Anderson. Yale University Press, 2015

Zoë Anderson has compiled 140 ballets in a comprehensive survey of the repertoire, organised historically and geographically.  A sumptuous and enjoyable gift; read Maggie Watson’s review here. You can buy this book here

 

Call for Papers – Society for Dance Research/DANSOX: The Role of the Choreographer in the Stage and Screen Musical

Call for Papers: deadline Friday 11th September 2015

The surge of interest in the musical in the landscape of British higher education has highlighted the significant gap in research in this area. To explore new avenues of understanding, the Society for Dance Research (SDR), in conjunction with Dance Scholarship Oxford (DANSOX), is holding a one day event on Saturday 28^th November 2015 at the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building, St Hilda’s College, Oxford. The Role of the Choreographer in the Stage and Screen Musical will bring both academics and practitioners together to consider how the choreographer has played a vital role in the development of this form of creative performance. Contributions to the day should focus on exploring the genre of the musical specifically but we welcome and encourage papers that explore wider facets of choreography and dancing therein.

 

DANSOX presents Wayne McGregor in conversation: Dance and Neuroscience – St Hilda’s 10th March

For its first event of 2015 Dance Scholarship Oxford, DANSOX, presents internationally acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor in conversation on the topic of ‘Dance and Neuroscience‘.  Resident Choreographer of the Royal Ballet and Director of Random Dance, McGregor will talk about his choreographic practice with Dr Phil Barnard of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit of Cambridge University, and Arts Producer Eckhard Thiemann.  There will also be an exhibition of the choreographer’s work.  An unmissable opportunity to hear from this influential choreographer whose work Atomos will be performed by his own company Random Dance at the Oxford Playhouse on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th March as part of this year’s Dancin’ Oxford Festival.

Date:  Tuesday 10th March 2015, 5.30-7.00pm, followed by refreshments.

Venue:  Jacqueline du Pré Building, St Hilda’s College, Cowley Place, OX4 1DY

Free and open to all but booking is essential.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dansox-presents-wayne-mcgregor-in-conversation-dance-and-neuroscience-tickets-15217280295

Any queries or for further information, please contact Dr Susan Jones or go to www.torch.ox.ac.uk/dansox

DANSOX is supported by University of Oxford TORCH

Look out for further DANSOX events coming up this year…

 

 

Literature, Modernism, and Dance by Susan Jones

16th October saw the launch of a major new work of dance scholarship by Dr Susan Jones, Fellow and Tutor, St Hilda’s College, Oxford.  Susan Jones spent fifteen years as a soloist with the Scottish Ballet in Glasgow before becoming an academic. She now teaches English at Oxford, and has written on Joseph Conrad, modernism, and dance history and aesthetics.  Literature, Modernism, and Dance is published by Oxford University Press and is the first extended study of the relationship between dance and literary modernism; it opens up new ways of thinking about modernism by showing the dialogue between dance and literary aesthetics.  It recovers the importance of literature for modernist choreographers, and raises the importance of dance as site for literary scholarship.

 

The Rite of Spring – A Centenary Celebration of the Music and the Ballet – 20th February 2013

In a year of significant musical anniversaries, here is one of particular dance interest – the centenary of the shocking premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in Paris.  Dr Susan Jones sends information of a special event celebrating this groundbreaking work at St Hilda’s College with guest speakers Dame Monica Mason and Jane Pritchard and a concert performance of the score in Stravinsky’s version for two pianos…