Improvising with Dance

Many years ago I worked extensively with Ines Boza - from SenZaTempPo & Pina Bausch Company.  And then with Royal Dutch Ballet choreographer Wayne Eagling who went onto run English National Ballet.  I think these commissions meant that when I returned to filming in this digital era I first leant towards dance.

So I asked dancer and choreographer Stephanie Derrick (née Potter) if she would be into making a film and, being ace, she said yes! I originally wanted to capture something about the strength and shape of her brilliant dancers' legs... which sounds creepy I know but is what I explained. Stephanie was amazing - throwing herself so completely into the role and the hard work - exactly what dance is.

We had one afternoon.  I was expecting a 10-min film maybe. I asked Mark Pollard to play the role of a choreographer - and to arrive about an hour after myself and Steph started.  Then I asked musician Martyn Hawcroft - who is in the band with Mark that he mentions in the film. Only she was at the football and could not come till say 5.30?  Perfect. This gave an instant three part structure for the film.  Enough to get going and see what emerges - for real and for the film.

Later I added a poem, a philosophy - inspired by this captured process and the other work myself and others  were doing at Creator College, the venue here, teaching youngsters and teachers how to create, perform, direct.