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I entered the development and rehearsal period for 'Lying' focused on providing these emerging dance artists with an open-ended choreographic process. Rather than walking into the studio armed with an idea and a vocabulary of movement, I was particularly interested in finding out what the dancers were engaged in and by - both personally and kinaesthetically. The themes of this work - truth and intimacy - reflect the discussions and interactions the artists involved in the project have had since its beginnings almost 6 months ago.
I have sought to introduce what for many of the students is a new mode of making performance material, and also attempted to find ways to express ideas and thoughts to them about the decision making process itself.
'Lying' is a work containing material developed by the students utilising a multitude of choreographic and improvisatory tasks. It has been shaped by me as 'choreographer', and heavily influenced by the sound developed by Jacqueline Grenfell, but the ownership of the material remains with the students. The work is a reflection of their commitment to the choreographic process, and enthusiasm in taking on an enormously demanding temporal structure.
Simon Ellis
November 2002