Our very own Somerset grown dance company have performed a piece of dance theatre off Broadway in New York City. Influx Dance Company performed an extract of a new piece: ‘A Restless Mind’ that they have been creating in New York City over the last six months.
Influx Dance founded by Joanne Willmott and Nicola Penfold have been company in residence at the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre in Taunton where they have been creating and performing since 2001. Both Joanne and Nicola have been teaching dance and drama in a freelance capacity across the South West they have been working consistently over many years at local institutions such as Heathfield School, SCAT and Bridgwater College.
Influx were awarded Arts Council England funding last July to research into their new production while also attending world renowned institutions that feature cutting edge philosophy and practice in dance technique. Joanne and Nicola have been in Manhattan since August investigating the complexities of choreographic practice under the guidance of some of the leading choreographers in New York, including Dan Safer, Keely Garfield and Gus Solomon. Joanne has been working with former Random Dance Company and current Steven Petronio dancer Julian De Leon in the development of her new piece which is a comment on the book Yellow Wallpaper written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, highlighting mental health related issues. Joanne presenting her new work in progress at Dance New Amsterdam, off Broadway on January 28th 2011.
Joanne states: We are very lucky to have been given this opportunity to carry out our practice in New York. This experience has enriched our personal and creative development which will feed into the range of work we do in Somerset. Whilst being in New York we are seeing the presence of the arts from the South West which is a tribute to the quality of work being created; exposing our local talent internationally.
Photography: Mark Pepperall
Dancer: Nicola Penfold
www.influxdance.co.uk
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
December 2010
Joanne has been creating new material with Julian De Leon a dancer from Stephen Petronio Dance Company. Rehearsals have taken place at Dance New Amsterdam and at Gus Solomon’s studio in Manhattan. Joanne has been developing original duet material with Nicola Penfold; researching the relationship between husband and wife depicted in the short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’.
It is exciting to work with two wonderful dancers and explore how the text can inform the choreographic process.
It is exciting to work with two wonderful dancers and explore how the text can inform the choreographic process.
December 2010
Nikki and Jo have arrived in NYC and have started taking regular dance class at Dance New Amsterdam. As part of Joanne’s visa programme she is taking 35 dance classes per month. Classes include a range of yoga, Pilates, contemporary Simon son technique, Jazz, modern, modern roots, guest artist series and ballet.
Alongside the classes at DNA Joanne has been taking the Choreographic investigation course with Dan Safer. The workshops entitled: Composition, Collision and Creation have been focusing on methods of devising work, from a variety of angles – specifically movement, text and images. At the forefront of these sessions Dan has made us consider the need for performance to be engaging, accessible, and un-ignorable, and not reek of “Art”. Task-based techniques help to circumvent the need to “be creative’ and allow choreographers, directors, and performers to start working from a more intuitive place, constantly surprising themselves with what they come up with. Rigorous theatrical analysis is then applied, crafting ‘gut instinct’ work into viable performance pieces.
This process has allowed Joanne to focus on production elements of the Yellow Wallpaper. Joanne has been supported in this by experienced scenographer Deb O. Deb O has informed Influx of her recent collaborations and expressed her experience of collaborating with choreographers and theatre directors. Discussions have been influential in the Research and development of the Yellow Wallpaper where Joanne has explored a range of linking stimuli to inform scenography in the projected work. The links have included American Impressionist art by William Paxton ‘the other room’ & Robert Reid ‘The Violet Kimono’, other influences have been the recent exhibition of Francesca Woodman’s photography and Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen all these have informed the research and development of the piece, in both a movement context and in staging ideas.
Nicola and joanne have been working in the studio exploring particularly with a female solo, looking at drawing audience attention though the female’s internal dialogue. Finding a movement material that is expressive of her isolation and is raw to her particular mood.
Alongside the classes at DNA Joanne has been taking the Choreographic investigation course with Dan Safer. The workshops entitled: Composition, Collision and Creation have been focusing on methods of devising work, from a variety of angles – specifically movement, text and images. At the forefront of these sessions Dan has made us consider the need for performance to be engaging, accessible, and un-ignorable, and not reek of “Art”. Task-based techniques help to circumvent the need to “be creative’ and allow choreographers, directors, and performers to start working from a more intuitive place, constantly surprising themselves with what they come up with. Rigorous theatrical analysis is then applied, crafting ‘gut instinct’ work into viable performance pieces.
This process has allowed Joanne to focus on production elements of the Yellow Wallpaper. Joanne has been supported in this by experienced scenographer Deb O. Deb O has informed Influx of her recent collaborations and expressed her experience of collaborating with choreographers and theatre directors. Discussions have been influential in the Research and development of the Yellow Wallpaper where Joanne has explored a range of linking stimuli to inform scenography in the projected work. The links have included American Impressionist art by William Paxton ‘the other room’ & Robert Reid ‘The Violet Kimono’, other influences have been the recent exhibition of Francesca Woodman’s photography and Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen all these have informed the research and development of the piece, in both a movement context and in staging ideas.
Nicola and joanne have been working in the studio exploring particularly with a female solo, looking at drawing audience attention though the female’s internal dialogue. Finding a movement material that is expressive of her isolation and is raw to her particular mood.
Thursday, 8 July 2010
1st post
Influx Dance Company have received the fantastic news that they have been awarded funding from Arts Council England for the research and development of a new piece entitled 'A Restless Mind' taking place in New York City.
The work will be choreographed by Joanne Willmott and draws inspiration from the short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman 'The Yellow Wallpaper'. Jo has been accepted onto the Choreographic Investigation Course at Dance New Amsterdam where she will focus on developing the piece.
Nikki and Jo will be taking regular class at Dance New Amsterdam, Alvin Ailey and Cunningham studios and are excited about the prospect of pushing the work of Influx Dance forward into the next realm!
Nikki is currently completing a yoga course in Spain and Jo is finalising teaching commitments which will all come to an end when we leave for New York on 10th August.
Thank you to everyone who has supported our work in the South West and we look forward to returning with refreshed ideas for a new touring piece!
The next blog will be posted from NYC!
Influx Dance
The work will be choreographed by Joanne Willmott and draws inspiration from the short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman 'The Yellow Wallpaper'. Jo has been accepted onto the Choreographic Investigation Course at Dance New Amsterdam where she will focus on developing the piece.
Nikki and Jo will be taking regular class at Dance New Amsterdam, Alvin Ailey and Cunningham studios and are excited about the prospect of pushing the work of Influx Dance forward into the next realm!
Nikki is currently completing a yoga course in Spain and Jo is finalising teaching commitments which will all come to an end when we leave for New York on 10th August.
Thank you to everyone who has supported our work in the South West and we look forward to returning with refreshed ideas for a new touring piece!
The next blog will be posted from NYC!
Influx Dance
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