Back in November we brought you a preview of the new Retina work ‘Layers of Skin’ sans live music, costumes and proper lighting. On a cold January day we ventured south to catch the show as it was intended to be seen.
This time out the company are in full performance mode with the complete complement of Retina dancers, local professionals and community dancers along with the live band Aranis for good measure.
Just to remind you, as the work tours around the UK and Europe it morphs into various configurations. At every venue the company will recruit a group of community dancers and local professionals, if possible, and integrate them into the work, thus making up the titular “layers”.
If you are very lucky you will also catch the music live played by the Belgian music ensemble Aranis.
The company tell us this much about the work;
Layers of Skin is a unique contemporary dance performance project that can exist in different formats and size. At its smallest it is a production for 6 professional Retina Company dancers with recorded music, and at the opposite end of the scale there are 6 Retina dancers, 6 professional dancers and 12 amateur dancers from the local area and live music from 7 musicians from the Flemish music ensemble Aranis, resulting in 31 people on stage.
This feature also sees the introduction of our new “Dancer Profile” series that introduces a series of interviews over the coming months with professional dancers. We kick of that series by talking to Erin Harty and Mathew Slater.
The work is performed by Kristina Alleyne, Pauline De Laet, Erin Harty, Steven Martin, David Michel and Matthew Slater with choreography by Filip Van Huffel and music by Aranis.
Additional Dancers : Anna Borras, Chris Bosner, Clauida Rossi, Effie McGuire Ward,
Emma Lewis-Jones, Giorgia Magazini, Gwenny Rose Robson, Hannah Martin, Jenna Nathan, Judith Hackin, Karla Henry, Kim Bormann, Krystal Cambell, Lauren Randle, Louisa Borgcostanzi-Potts, Olivia Quayle, Rosie Telling, Sam White, Siobhan Kerry, Rae Scudder and Willis Rose.
Filmed at Nottingham Playhouse in Nottingham on January 26th 2012. This video feature was funded in part with support from Arts Council England.
Complete touring details available on their website.