Well the review is out from the theatre website—I suppose it could have been worse. I met with the Director of the theatre who had some interesting and insightful feedback for me...he asked me who’s choreographic work I admired most....first choice was of course was Martha-- in the way that her inhibition is completely unleashed in the power of movement. Second, Jonathan Burrows because of the way he uses gaze between his dancers and in the process of watching his work you get a feeling for the human-ness of each dancer. How refreshing it is that they pay attention to each other! Third, Wim Vandekeybus because of the way he utilises the physical body....making dancers throw bricks and catch them or dodge out of their way as a genuine reaction to avoid injury.

The director then asked me where I placed my work within the triangle of these 3 artists. I said, “Somewhere between Jonathan and Wim.....”
“And where would you like your work to be?” he asked.
“Outside the triangle!”

How does one really break out and doing something different? What I don’t want to do is re-hash dramatic dance. Storytelling is a pack of lies and I’d rather see inside the people that the work is for (being danced by) this is far more exciting than regurgitating narrative. Having said this, the director’s main comments were that the work lacked dramatic tension. But how does one create a real situation of dramatic tension if what I am fighting against are fabricated scenarios?

He also said I needed more personal and psychological content. With this I completely agree. I need to get brave. Show the inside of myself and be willing to suffer the repercussions. It is a mental game as much as a physical for me, all this dance stuff...

Feedback directly for the work was that the text and composition of the sound was a very strong element (thanks to my man Iain—the result of his brainstorm) and that the movement and sound were clearly disjointed. I needed to further relate the two....and when I manage to re-work this element, he’d be happy to have a look.

I think eventually my plans for this work are to evolve it into the full length work for my PhD thesis.....it is very personal (despite the fact that no one can see this) and has a lot of potential (if I do say so myself!)