First weekend

One down, four solos - plus my responses - to go!!
My intention with this blog was to post either daily or at least twice a week... The best laid plans... So much happening, both in the studio and after we finish. So, here goes, in an effort to include everything that has happened so far around Here, There and Everywhere.

Making the dance
Had a fantastic week working with Steinvor, Steve and Bill. It was a marvelous, collaborative time. Steinvor made some movement, gave me some instructions/requests, and Sheila MacDougall and Morag gave feedback from that sparked a few changes and a lot of clarification. The whole week was extremely satisfying. This first solo is eight minutes long, includes Steinvor's text and the toy globe, and some haunting and quirky music from Steve. Bill videotaped a lot of what we did. Will include some of that footage in a later post.

Steinvor in Studio 4

My response to this first solo will probably come out of a few elements: the synonyms for displacement and dislocation left over from Steinvor's list, a recording of her telling the story (in Icelandic) of how her great-grandmother gave her grandmother a name from outside the family tracition, and having Bill record the squeak of the glove as it spins (plastic against plastic). Not sure yet how all of this will become a dance "postcard" (or, maybe, "text message" or "tweet"), but ideas are percolating.

Interview

Steinvor and I had a conversations about the reasons we live where we do. She was born and raised in Edinburgh. Her parents were born and raised in Iceland, and they all spoke Icelandic at home - so, she is bilingual (as is her daughter). Steinvor and I met in London, in the early 1980s. From there, she moved to Liverpool, where she worked with Spiral Dance Company, before returning to London for several years - and then she came back to Scotland, where she completed a doctorate in Icelandic Literature at the University of Edinburgh. At the same time, she began teaching - both ballet and contemporary dance. So, Steinvor's response to "why here?" is that it was a personal decision, and that the reason for staying in Edinburgh now is because of the feeling that this truly is home - both the city and Dance Base. The atmosphere at Dance Base is remarkable: warm, welcoming and supportive. That ambiance is thanks to Morag and the entire staff. Here are a few photos of the windows in Studio 4 - light enters the space on all four sides:

The stone wall outside the high window is part of
Edinburgh Castle

Sliding doors/windows that lead to a balcony looking onto the Grassmarket - turn around, look up, and see Edinburgh Castle

The wall opposite the castle

The weather has been absolutely glorious: most mornings are a bit overcast, windy and chilly; by mid-day the sun is out and the temperature warms up; by the end of the day, it is really warm - and many of the Grassmarket's restaurants and pubs have outside seating... who could resist? On Thursday, Sheila Steve and I went out for refreshments when we had finished working.

Sheila MacDougall and Steve Kettley, enjoying a sunny afternoon in the Grassmarket