Monday 5 January 2015

Sze's Dance Updates Sep 2014-Apr 2015

Dear everyone,

Happy New Year from London!

As some of you may know I moved to London last September to begin a postgraduate choreography programme at the London Contemporary School of Dance - also fondly known as “the Place”.

My anxiety about moving melted away in my first week here. It helped that there was atypically glorious weather for almost a month here. Back in school, I am relishing the creativity and intellectual curiosity of my classmates, and the challenges presented by engaging and supportive faculty. I am impressed by the talent and dedication of all of the students in the building! As a city, London has charmed me unexpectedly in spite of the dizzy pace - and given me much to discover.

I’ve had the chance to plunge directly into making new work in the last four months, with the privilege of wonderful collaborators. Unfortunately I don’t have proper pictures or videos yet (as my mum will no doubt remind me), but here are some brief postcards and rehearsal pictures:

Through Level Two with Gabriela Serani and Virginia Scudeletti was a site-specific installation in November 2014, during the Place’s “Ideas in Action” platform for student works. It was a group improvisation and soundtrack generated from the physical traces of people passing through the Place’s long corridors. We had an unexpected accolade as one of the top picks from the day’s showings.

Loop with James Albany Hoyle and Feet of Bread with Sylvia Lim, presented in December at the Place theatre with four other LCDS-Guildhall Collaboration projects. James and Sylvia are two wonderful composers whom I encountered in a workshop with composition MAs from the Guildhall School of Music. 

James and I created a playful duet where I hopped and galloped and slid around audience members in the theatre foyer and bar, while James provided extra “dancers” with sampled dance sounds played from a keyboard.




Feet of Bread was created with Sylvia and performed by Virginia Scudeletti and Liam Byrne on the viola da gamba, along with performances by the theatre doors, opening and closing in the dark space. I am told it was either minimal and spacious, or downright eerie. The evening had a lovely review here.



I have also been greedily dancing contact improv at least twice a week, and am thoroughly enjoying being a student and a participant. I closed off the year supporting the organizing team for the London New Year Contact Improv Gathering. (Now the favourite New Year’s party of my life!)

Coming up in 2015:
February and April - Focus with Cie Kham
Yes, more Focus! Our trio is three years strong and back in the theatre, in Lyon, Toulouse and Arcachon. Contact me if you would like more details on the dates and venues.

16-17 March - A new work by Paolo Mangiola
A yet-untitled new quintet for a fellow MA project, at the Place Theatre.

May/June, dates tbc - A pop-up interactive performance on happiness, as well as my first dance film!

If you'll be in London and are interested, drop me a line for details...

All the best in 2015!
cheers,

Sze

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