Thursday 18 August 2011

Moving Colour thoughts from James

Moving Colour has lived up to its name, with rehearsals spanning the East Midlands and performances happening in Skegness, Sweden & Denmark. The costume designers made sure the colour part was true too – just check out the photos!

Katie's process for this project was very much one of planting ideas, letting us grow our own weird and wonderful movement from it, and then harvesting those parts that worked for her aesthetic. This always makes me feel a much stronger sense of ownership about the final piece, and some pride in seeing the other performers dancing even just a small phrase that I created. It's also a lot easier to remember material you've helped to develop.

Skegness was its usual delightful self, complete with trips to the arcades, dance mats, fairground rides, the fish & chip shop and time spent on the sand (though we never quite made it to the beach...next year!) There's always something you can grumble about but looking back my impression of the whole festival was really positive, and I recommend you check out SO Fest 2012.

Sweden benefited from amazing weather all week, the fact we made it to the beaches several times, and that we had already performed the piece, so I may be a little biased in singing its praises. Helsingborg doesn't have Skegness's amazing bargain clothes stores, but it makes up for it with yachts, a beautiful arts building and massive promenade complete with seaside open-air gym and a massive basket swing that makes you feel 5 again! The Swedish team were massively welcoming and I am so grateful for Facebook so that we can stay in touch (and I can practice my Swedish reading their random statuses). The only downside was the 9½ hour train-plane-train journey..

Other high points include teaching Ninja to an international audience (I am spreading this game as far and wide as possible), spending loads of time with my roomies Steph & Alice, being praised for being able to eat all of my Full English Breakfast and getting to work with Katie again, who is one of the nicest people I know.

If I have one regret it would be the time my body came crushing down on Vicky's wrist. I felt so ridiculously guilty, but she gallantly waived it off and soldiered on inspiring me to simply put up with the 1000 tiny splinters I got from rolling across the length of the wooden decking in the first day performing in Sweden. Vicky, you are a hero!

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