On Wednesday we dived into the Research and Development of The Princess Alice project. After months of planning it was great to finally see ideas unfolding in the studio! We spent three days in the beautiful Minor Hall at Greenwich Dance, which is a fantastic space to work in.

We began by discussing the narrative of the work. The research has developed significantly over the past few months, therefore there are many possible avenues this work could take. It is important that we have an idea of how the final work will be structured, and more importantly what we want it to convey, so that our time in the studio is focused.

We explored how to portray the disaster itself unfolding. This is a key part of the narrative and there are a number of ways to present it through movement. We tried a number of different tasks and improvisations and got a little closer to understanding how we might tackle this key moment in the work.

The Princess Alice was a paddle steamer running day cruises from London to Sheerness. These cruises attracted a wide range of passengers, all excited for a day out on the Thames. The atmosphere on the boat would have been joyful with families enjoying food, drink and a live brass band. To capture this jovial atmosphere, we had great fun creating a contemporary/ folk dance fusion.

To best portray the story of The Princess Alice, we will be working in a much more theatrical style than we have in previous work. A big part of the research will be developing characters and their stories. We began exploring ideas for characters during Friday’s rehearsal. This involved creating character profiles through improvisation and discussion. Next week we will be developing individual characters further and creating movement that reflects their story.

Before we began our rehearsals on Wednesday, I received some fantastic music samples from composer Portia Graves. These provided brilliant inspiration in the studio and we are looking forward to seeing what develops with the sound score.

2016 has been a year of learning, growing and big steps forward!

This year we re-visited work from 2015. ‘I’m Laughing At Clouds’ was performed as part of E-Luminate Festival back in February. In July, a re-worked version of ‘She’s Like A Forest Fire…Unstoppable’ was taken to Big Dance 2016 in Medway; both the film and the performance received wonderful feedback and it was great to take the work back to Sun Pier where it began!

The main focus of last year has been planning The Princess Alice project. In October, all this hard work paid off when we were awarded funding from Arts Council England Grants for the Arts and Greenwich Council Community Art Fund. This was the first time I had applied for funding for a project which we were initiating, so it was amazing news to find out that it was successful!

In August, Daisy Farris Dance Collective became a registered company. As a result we now have a fantastic Board of Trustees whose expertise and support have played a huge part in developing the company.
The research for The Princess Alice project has been fascinating yet epic. Considering the scale of The Princess Alice disaster and its tragic circumstances, there is very little public knowledge or acknowledgement. However, once you scratch the surface there are some incredible articles and books written about the fate of The Princess Alice. Through my research I have had the pleasure of speaking to some very interesting people. Recently I met with Joan Lock, author of ‘The Princess Alice Disaster’ who kindly shared some of her own research and findings with me. Through Joan, I was also put in touch with Mr Ellen, who is the Grandson of Henry Drew. Henry Drew was a passenger on The Princess Alice and lost three of his children and his wife in the disaster. The research for the project will continue as we begin working in the studio next week.
As we count down the days to the start of The Princess Alice project, I would like to thank all the individuals and organisations who have supported the project so far. We hope that this project will mark the start of an exciting journey for Daisy Farris Dance Collective and look forward to finally bringing it to life in 2017!
There will be a number of opportunities for the local community to get involved with The Princess Alice project throughout the research and development stages. The first of these is a series of workshops for families. For more for more information about this opportunity follow the link to the Greenwich Dance website.

What a fantastic summer of dance 2016 has been.

In July, I got on a plane and flew to Senegal, West Africa, to embark on a completely unique dance experience- The March! Hosted by Lanla Moves, The March is the first international workshop of its kind; bringing together dancers from all over the world for two weeks to explore the technique of Germaine Acogny.

Founded by Germaine Acogny herself, the technique fuses the traditional Senegalese dance form, Sabar, with Western contemporary dance styles. With influences from Senegal and Togo as well as contemporary dance, Acogny technique is inspired by the world around us- nature, animals and human behaviour. The March was an opportunity to dive head first into this technique and to explore its physicality and creativity. Across the two weeks we took classes in Acogny, Ballet Acogny, Sabar, Contemporary and traditional dance from Togo. We had the pleasure of working with teachers from all over the world: Aida Diaz (Spain), Ise Verstegen (Netherlands), Alessandra Sutin (SA/UK/Zimbabwe), Rokhaya Throne (Senegal) and Raoul Tchakondo (Togo). We also completed a series of creative tasks in groups. At the end of two weeks we performed a presentation of our work which was attended by people from the local town of Toubab Dialaw and beyond.

For me The March was an exciting new challenge; taking on a completely new movement language was just the start of that challenge. I expected to be physically challenged and to be taken out of my comfort zone. What I did not expect was for my entire perspective on what makes dance ‘good’ to change. Firstly, The March completely removed my judgement towards movement; I stopped looking for something to be ‘correct’ and started to simply feel my own movement and observe how other around me were moving. Teachers Aida Diaz, Ise Verstegen and Alessandra Sutin would often tell us to ‘dance your truth’. At first I wasn’t sure what they meant by this, but gradually I began to realise that it is about being present with WHO you are not what you think you should be. I was also struck by the amazing sense of community that was created. I felt myself grow and change as a mover due to the trust and respect of the people around me and I could also see this transformation taking place in others.

Ultimately I realised that dance is about more than aesthetics. Real dance brings people together, it has soul and, most importantly, each persons ‘truth’ is unique and THAT is what makes their dance.

Whilst I was away in Senegal, the dancers of DFDC were busy back in the UK. On the 9th July Holly, Hannah and Sarah returned to Sun Pier with Nicola Flower to perform a re-worked version of ‘She’s Like A Forest Fire…Unstoppable’. The performance was part of Big Dance Medway, a bi-annual dance event hosting local dance groups as well as performances from professional companies. The dancers performed 3 times throughout the afternoon and the film was also shown on the big screen in Chatham town. It was very special to be taking the work back to Sun Pier a year after it was first shown there and I was thrilled to hear such amazing feedback about the work.

The final part of my summer was a visit to Mozambique to see some very special friends. Whilst there I had the pleasure of teaching two workshops at a small local school. It was a pleasure to teach kids of a variety of ages and to see them get stuck in with dance and movement!

Overall this was a summer of seeing the power of dance around the world!

Today we spent a wonderful day in the studio at Greenwich Dance Agency, reworking ‘She’s Like A Forest Fire…Unstoppable’.

DFDC has been invited to perform ‘She’s Like A Forest Fire…Unstoppable’ at BIG DANCE 2016 in Medway. The live choreography will be performed on Sun Pier in Chatham, returning to the site that inspired it a year ago. As well as the live performance, the film will be screened on the Big Screen in Chatham throughout the afternoon.

DFDC are excited to present a reworked version of the original choreography which is now performed by 3 dancers. The choreography has taken a new form and it was wonderful to revisit Bluebell’s quirks today in the studio. Between now and then we will be working toward the performance at BIG DANCE so keep your eyes peeled for more updates.

Catch Hannah, Holly and Sarah performing ‘She’s Like A Forest Fire…Unstoppable’, Saturday July 9th on Sun Pier, Chatham. The performance is part of Medway’s Big Dance 2016.

 

 

Those of you who have been following the progress of DFDC over the past few months, will know that we are embarking upon an exciting new project called The Princess Alice. Earlier this month, I spent a fantastic morning in the studio with three of the dancers from DFDC: Laura, Hannah and Holly. This extended rehearsal allowed us to delve much deeper into the research for the project.

I started by sharing with the dancers the mood board I am working on for the project. I find that this is a really effective way for me to process my research and ideas. When in the studio, I enjoy working collaboratively with the dancers; the board works as a visual tool for both myself and the dancers to be able to work from. At the beginning of the creative process, when ideas are buzzing around, I find having a creative output helps me to order my thoughts and clarify the roots of the idea.

It is impossible to tell the story of The Princess Alice without portraying the devastating effect of the water; hundreds of passengers died fighting for their life in the Thames. When working with such a tragic narrative, I am conscious of portraying this in a way that captures the magnitude of what happened but with sensitivity.

We experimented with how we can capture the effect water would have on the body. Starting with experiential group improvisation, using contact to achieve a sense of movement happening to us rather then being initiated by us. We then worked towards re-capturing these sensations individually. These tasks were really challenging and presented a lot of ideas for future explorations.

We then moved on to using props to give the impression of water. We began looking at how the visual effect of water can be achieved using props and finished by experimenting with how the sound of water can be recreated using different materials. I wonder if you can guess how this mini score was created?…

This morning of R&D gave us the opportunity to be highly experimental and tackle the research in a number of different ways. Working through several tasks has thrown up ideas for development and exploration of material. I am so excited to get back into the studio again and see what the next instalment brings.

On the 21st and 22nd April, I had the pleasure of spending two days in the company of dramaturg, Lou Cope at the ‘Doing Dramaturgy’ workshop. An inspiring group of choreographers, dramaturg’s, writers and creative professionals were taking part in the workshop, which took place at South East Dance Studio’s in Hextable.

Over the course of two days, Lou introduced us to the role of a dramaturg and what they can bring to a creative process. She also offered tools and methodologies that could be used to take a dramaturgical approach to making work that we could apply to our own practice. Lou lead the group through the processes of PREPARE, MAKE and PRESENT, explaining how a dramaturg can be involved in every stage of the creative journey.

This was a inspirational for me. The discussion brought my creativity to the forefront of my thinking and I was reminded how important artistry is when developing new work. As many people know, creating work can often become all about creating partnerships, sourcing funding and the logistics of the project; it seems the artistic exploration takes a back seat at times. This workshop re-energised my excitement for DFDC’s new work (The Princess Alice project) and sparked new inspiration. Listening to Lou speak about her work made me realised that the skills of a dramaturg would be hugely beneficial to my next creative process! I have also left with skills that I can apply for myself when researching, developing and presenting work.

It was also a wonderful opportunity to meet such a fantastic group of people. Each and every person had a different professional background and a wealth of knowledge to share with the group. Across two days, a sense of community was developed and I hope that this is allowed to flourish into future working relationships.

A Dramaturg-

• Someone who explores and exploits the inner flow of dynamic systems…
• The ‘weaving’ or ‘weaving together’ of elements of work…
• Disentangling threads of possible meaning…

And that’s just the start…

2015-16 was a brilliant year for The Collective. We had the pleasure of working with a number of amazing collaborators across two very different projects- IN-SITE and I’m Laughing At Clouds. 2016 see’s Daisy Farris Dance Collective tackling a project from scratch!

The new project, which is currently in the research stages, is based on The Princess Alice disaster. The Princess Alice was a Victorian paddles steamer running day cruises from London to Sheerness. One September evening, in 1878, The Princess Alice was returning to London when she collided with another much larger vessel. The Princess Alice broke in two and sunk within minutes. Tragically most of the approximately 700 people on board drowned. Many of the women drowned due to the restrictive clothing that was fashionable at the time. Bodies were recovered and taken to nearby Woolwich where relatives came to identify them. Survivors accounts and eye witness statements provide detailed insight into what happened to the passengers on the boat.

I am currently researching the disaster and surrounding information. Myself and the dancers are meeting twice a month to explore elements of the research in the studio. So far it is really interesting to see how historic research can be interpreted in an abstract way in the studio. As I embark upon this new project, I am looking at applying for funding and seeking support that will allow this idea to reach its full potential. Myself and the dancers have a lot of bold ideas about where this project could go, so keep your eyes peeled for developments…

DFDC is also making steps to become a more structured organisation. We will soon be hosting our first Annual General Meeting with a dynamic group of board members. We hope that this will be the start of significant progression for DFDC.

This week we were back in Cambridge revisiting and reworking ‘I’m Laughing At Clouds’, ready to be performed at E-Luminate Festival 2016. Once again, myself and DFDcollective dancers Sarah, Glynn and Holly we were joined by the fantastic Hannah Spencer and Camila Miranda from Cambridge Contemporary Dance who created this piece with us back in September.

E-Luminate is a festival of light that takes over the city each year. The city is transformed with amazing light projections and a whole variety of events. I was invited by Alessandra Caggiano to revive ‘I’m Laughing At Clouds’ to be part of the festival programme. Anglia Ruskin University kindly sponsored us to make this revival possible.

On Monday we spent the day on site rehearsing the piece and reminiscing about getting sun burnt back in September during the creation process. The bitter February temperatures meant that rehearsals were split between inside and out. The dancers were all too aware that these would be challenging conditions to perform in on Wednesday evening. All the dancers worked incredibly hard to not only remember the choreography, but also rehearse it to performance standard all in one day.

I was so appreciative of the staff from Anglia Ruskin during Wednesday’s set up. The team of people working with me made the technical set up and the event run smoothly. Performances were scheduled for 5:45, 6:15 and 6:45pm. So of course it began raining at 5:30! Having managed to get all the equipment into a safe place, the performances went ahead in the rain! The dancers were incredible! They coped with bitter temperatures and persistent rain and still managed to perform the piece better than they ever have before! Absolute troopers! The rain really added a bit of extra magic to the piece as the lights and movement were reflected in the water on the floor.

I am overwhelmed by the commitment of the dancers. It is thanks to them that the work looked so fantastic, even in unforgiving circumstances!

The work will be available to view online very soon! Keep your eyes peeled!

 

Back in October I went to a debate at Rambert entitled ‘How do we level the playing field for female choreographers?’. The panel was full of some of the most exciting and influential names in dance and the arts, including: Mark Baldwin (Artistic Director at Rambert), Tamsin Fitzgerald (2Faced Dance Company), Didy Veldman (independent choreographer), Charlotte Vincent (Vincent Dance Theatre), Peggy Olislaegers (Rambert, Artistic Associate), Rupert Thomson (Senior Programmer for dance, South Bank Centre), Shobana Jeyasingh (Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company), Brendan Keaney (Dance East) and Patricia Okenwa (Rambert, New Movement Collective). Each member of the panel had the opportunity to talk briefly about where they stand on the ‘gender issue’ that faces the contemporary dance world today. Each had interesting and very relevant points to make. Topics covered included: opportunities for female choreographers, the female artistic voice, balancing a choreographic career with motherhood and the perception of women in the arts and wider society. As interesting as it was to hear such a broad range of topics and opinions, unfortunately it did not leave much time for opening up the floor for debate. I left feeling inspired yet frustrated. Although it is important and valuable to hear the opinion of others, talking over the issues doesn’t offer a platform for taking action.

Since attending this debate, I have been questioning where I stand on the issue of gender in contemporary dance and also in the wider context of the arts as a whole. I felt it was a discussion I wanted to be further involved with. Clearly other men and women in the dance sector felt the same because, when Chantal Guevara organised an Open Space event to further the discussion, an enthusiastic and impassioned group of people attended.

Open Space events start with no set agenda; participants arrive and propose ‘sessions’ for topics, ideas or debates that they wish to lead. Once they have determined their session they then choose a time and space in which to host it. The result is a number of small discussions happening at any given time. There is no pressure to lead a session, and I chose to remain free to move from one discussion to another. The leader of each session writes up notes to share with the entire group at the end. This was a new concept to me, but a highly successful one, particularly for a topic such as gender which has many different facets. Throughout the day some fantastic minds came together to discuss the current state of the industry and to think of ACTION points! This was refreshing: finally a debate with the objective of making change rather than endless talking!

Events such as these make me realise the wealth of experience in this industry and I feel I can learn a lot from the wonderful people who were present. Everyone seemed genuinely interested in each other’s work and I believe this support is essential in moving forward and creating an industry that is dynamic and represents both men and women equally. I walked away feeling positive. I now feel part of a network of artists who are making positive changes to transform the industry. I hope that this community of artists continues to meet and support one another’s endeavours.

Interestingly, the following week, in a perfectly timed interview, Akram Khan claimed, “I don’t want to say we should have more female choreographers for the sake of having more female choreographers.” (Read the full article in The Stage.) His argument was that we shouldn’t prioritise work made by female artists simply in the name of gender equality. This would be a fair point, if we were planning on simply handing out commissions to female choreographers regardless of skill or merit. However, there are many women capable of making large scale work who are not being given the same platform as their male counterparts. I respect the choreographic work of Akram Khan and many other successful male choreographers and I think it is important that we engage in conversations rather than developing a culture of separation. By creating an even playing field, not only will women benefit, but the industry as a whole will evolve as a result of being exposed to new artistic voices. The fantastic thing about contemporary dance (and the arts in general) is its ability to reflect human experiences. For this reason, I think it is essential that we strive for a culture that reflects a diverse range of experiences across genders. Roll on 2016!

 

For further reading see the following:

– A brilliant article written in response to Akram Khan’s comments from loveDANCEmore.org.

– An essay written in 2014 by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie entitled ‘We Should All Be Feminists’. It is a personal essay based on her TED Talk with the same title. This essay challenges how women and girls are perceived in society and offers a 21st Century definition of ‘Feminism’. Adichie draws from her experiences as a women living in the US as well as her native Nigeria. You can download a Kindle version on Amazon.

– Emma Watson in a recent interview for the HeForShe Campaign, addressing the issue of Gender Equality of a wider spectrum. Visit the HeForShe Facebook Page and also the website www.heforshe.org.

– I am about to start reading ‘I Call Myself A Feminist’, a collection of essays edited by Victoria Pepe, Rachel Holmes, Amy Annette. Alice Stride and Martha Mosse…let’s see what it has to offer.

 

 

Having had a successful year completing two exciting commissions, November has been the first month with no dates in the diary! This can feel like an empty abyss after such an active year. However, with my inability to sit still and do nothing, I have begun to look to the future and plan potential projects for 2016. It has also given me some time to reflect on the past few months and the endless lessons I have learned.

I have loved collaborating with different people this year. Today and I going to meet Nicola to talk about projects for 2016. Here are a few of my thoughts on collaboration based on my experiences this year:

• Collaboration requires you to step into the unknown. Working with Nicola pushed both of us out of our comfort zone, and it was in this vulnerable place that we found something new and exciting.

• Trust, respect and support. When making work with another artist, you have to find a mutual respect for the skills each of you are bringing to the table and trust the ability of that other artist. Supporting each others ideas allows you to move forward as a team

• ‘…You don’t, however, have to agree about everything. Collaboration is sometimes about finding the right way to disagree.’ Jonathan Burrows in his book A Choreographer Handbook.

• Innovation! Collaborating will throw up ideas that you would never have thought of on your own. The scary part of collaborating is allowing yourself to run with these ideas!

• Simplify. Sometimes collaborating is simply working with a friend.

• Patience. Working with another artist takes time to understand each other and unpick a web of ideas. Don’t be disheartened when the first few ideas fall flat. Every idea – rejected or developed- builds towards the final collaborative piece; nothing is wasted and everything teaches you something and moves you forward.

Let’s see what is aded to this list in the next year!