CLOSER(2005 — 2008)

Using senses other than eyes, six dancers take flight aiming to bring the separate closer.

Holly on hands and knees. Robert extended over her back. [Photo credit: Eric Richmond]

Liberated from taboos of touch, they share a world where contact is not cautioned, but the start of freedom and trust. Where hearing, smell and the ripple of breath energize the space between bodies with a rich sensory perception, crossing the distorted distances between our world and us.

Closer was devised by the company with Julyen Hamilton and Angus Balbernie. Closer is a natural continuation from TACT. We work with clear spatial relationships and with the underlying themes of “closeness”, distance and relating across space. We explore ways to sustain awareness of each other without sight as the predominant connection. We explore relationships in duets, trios and full company dances, using layers of movement qualities and atmosphere, with sound, video projection and light, with coloured and textured tactile costumes defining the transition from one score to the next.

Credits

  • Original music score: Scott Smith
  • Concrete sounds: Angus Balbernie
  • Pre-show video: Becky Edmunds
  • Lighting design: Alan Jackson
  • Costume design: Alke
  • Tour management: Ed Higginson
  • Dancers: Katy Dymoke, Robert Andersen, Janee Hall, Holly Thomas, Patrick Beelaert and Stuart Jackson.

The performance at Glasgow CCA with Dance House, involved 7 other professional dancers and the Glasgow Improvisation Orchestra for a 25 minute improvisation extravaganza (5 x 5 minute scores with the orchestra and dancers), then a performance of Closer followed the interval.

Closer was audio described.

“Thanks for an enjoyable evening, I particularly liked the staging of some of the personal experience sections and the trio of men had a strong dynamic and a delightful sense of comedy. Well done.” (Deb Ashby, DiGM)

BACK TO OUR PRODUCTIONS

Performances

Nuffield Theatre
Lancaster, 9th Nov 2005

Dance Resource (DARE)
Cumbria, 2006

Swindon Dance

Sadlers Wells
With Lilian Baylis

Whitefield School
Residency workshops and performance involving pupils

Jackson’s Lane, London

Escapade dance festival
London

Waterside Arts Centre
Sale, Manchester

City Moves
Aberdeen, October 2007

Dancehouse, Glasgow

Leap! Dance Festival, 2008

Unity Theatre Liverpool

Photos

A close up photo of Stuart, Rob and Patrick perform a trio "where are you? I am here!" In Closer.
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