Hello! My name is Jack, I'm a Dancer and Choreographer working in the UK and Europe and I'm curently based in the beautiful city of Edinburgh.
I look like this:
And make dances that sometimes look like the photograph above.
After following Hannah's blog for some time, I decided to get in touch with Article19 to ask if I could write one also.
Previously, about 3/4 years ago when I was a student I wrote a blog on Article19 and am now glad to be doing it again as I find it to be a wonderful way of expression and destressing. Essentially I thought it would be interesting to have two such different blogs, one that is written by a student currently in training, and one from someone who is working in dance after training.
With this blog, I aim to use it as a source of venting, I suppose, but also to generally think about and discuss dance, performance, the dance world, my work, your work and everything else in between.
Let me tell you a little about myself.
I'm currently working freelance and sometimes not so freelance in the UK and Europe.
I graduated from the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance at the Space in Sunny Dundee over two years ago and have been working mainly in Scotland ever since.
My experience in the professional world is varied and somewhat dynamic as I am creating work aswell as performing in the work of others.
Since graduating I've worked with various Companies and Choreographers including SmallPetitKlein Dance Company, Moxie Brawl Dance Company, the wonderful Angus Balbernie, Moon Sung-Lyun, Ian Spink, and most recently the Curve Foundation Dance Company where I performed in work by Hofesh Schechter, Henri Oguike, Jonathan Watkins, Morgann Runacre Temple and got to taste a little bit of William Forsythe's work.
In addition to performing in the work of others, I've been keen to pursue my own choreographic desires and have done so with pleasure, creating 3 pieces to date.
I've been lucky to present my work in various festivals and with generous support in the creation of the work though residencies from various dance agencies in Scotland.
So, let me tell what's going on at the moment, where I'm headed, what's brewing and what to look out for.
First up is the creation of a new solo work for myself. In November, I'm presenting a work in progress version of the work as part of a performance event organised by the multi-disciplinary art company, HICCUP.
I've been invited to present the same work in December, at the Forest Cafe as part of an evening of 15 minutes of theatre every 15 minutes. Bascially it works on the concept of 4 pieces per hour all evening, each lasting the duration of 15 minutes.
In January, I'll be in residence on two occasions at Dance Base, Scotland's National Centre for Dance. The first residency is with a good friend of mine, Lucy Boyes. She is collaborating with a musician of the experimental type, and so will be creating a duet for myself and her.
The second is with another dear friend of mine, the glorious Madira Gregureck, a croatian Dancer and Choreographer who has just completed her MA in Limmerick, Ireland. Again, it will be a duet created by her in colaboration with myself.
In February, I'll be in residence again at Dance Base for two weeks, but will be focussing completely on my own work. This residency is the follow up residency to one I did last year for a piece called 'The Asylum Dances'.
Most interestingly is the presentation of YOU, EXCEPT BROKEN. This piece was commissioned by I AM DIGITAL which was an arts festival that took place here in Edinburgh last February.
I created it in collaboration with my dear friend, Svenja Hamel. In February, we will be travelling to the chaotic city of London, as we have been chosen to perform the work at Resolution! 09 at the Robin Howard Dance Theatre at the Place.
Ok ok, so those are a few of the interesting things that are travelling towards me at a high speed and it is exciting! I want to get out now all of the things that are going on and are exciting because otherwise I feel I may explode.
Look out for more details on those residencies and performances in the future and nearer the time as at the moment, everything is in a haze or in my emails and I'm a little too lazy to fetch it right now.....
I'm going to finish up with this now. I feel I have perhaps written too much? But it felt good and I feel glad to be here.
In about 20 minutes time, I'm going to watch a studio showing at Dance Base. The showing is the results of a project by Ross Cooper, Director of the Curve Fondation Dance Company, who have been in residence there for the past week.
Bye for now.
:)
