Digital Commissioned Work
Digital Dance Commissions: Discovering Wonderland & Dawn to Dusk Again
Discovering Wonderland and Dawn to Dusk Again are two innovative digital dance commissions directed by Lizzi Kew Ross, created in collaboration with composer Mark Lockheart and a talented ensemble of dancers. These companion pieces explore the interplay between interior and exterior worlds, inspired by the concept of windows as frames - spaces through which we observe and are observed. As David Hockney once said, "everything is interesting because you are looking at it." These works invite us to reconsider the spaces around us, blending the boundaries of inside and outside, solitude and connection.
Discovering Wonderland
Discovering Wonderland begins within the dancers’ homes, capturing intimate, gestural movements in a "hand conversation" that speaks to the textures of everyday life. The piece then ventures outward, exploring the rough surfaces of walls, the stillness of snow, and the embrace of trees, continuing its dialogue with the changing environment. Edited with the help of the performers themselves, this piece is a testament to the creativity and resilience of its collaborators in challenging times.
Concept & Direction - Lizzi Kew Ross
Performers & co collaborators - Abbie Coxhill, Alice Upcott, Alix Durge, Becca Harris, Bethany Stevens, Brittany Farren, Charlotte Gedge, Ciara Macfarlane, Freddie Smith & Georgina Simms
Composer & musician - Mark Lockheart Garden Rain (Imaginary Dances album) & Surfacing ( In deep album)
Costume stylist - Lorna Isles
Editing team - Ciara Macfarlane, Freddie Smith & Alice Upcott with assistance from PJ Davy and Ian Peppiatt
Sound editor - PJ Davy, with contributions from the students
Huge thanks to the dancers working in these demanding circumstances, for their creativity and persistence and to all the family members and friends who have held cameras again and again. To all of the production team at Trinity Laban, who have supported us all in such innovative ways throughout the process of making- thank you.
Dawn to Dusk Again
Dawn to Dusk Again starts outside, capturing the dancers on benches and in parks, where the energy of the outdoors breathes life into the performance. As the piece progresses, the dancers move inward, retreating back to the solitary spaces of their homes, framed by the windows that both separate and connect them to the world beyond. Mark Lockheart’s saxophone improvisations weave throughout, adding a layer of spontaneity and emotional depth to the movement.
Concept & Direction - Lizzi Kew Ross
Performers & Co-collaborators - Ioli Kaskani, Kaitland Baker, Poppy Browning, Becky David, Zara Everington, Charlie Naylor, Chiara Pagani and Roseann Dendy
Composer & Musician - Mark Lockheart Saxophone Improvisations 2021
Costume stylist - Lorna Isles
Editing team - Kaitland Baker, Lizzie Kitchener, Charlie Naylor & Chiara Pagani, with assistance from PJ Davy and Ian Peppiatt
Sound editor - PJ Davy, with contributions from the students
Huge thanks to the dancers working in these demanding circumstances, for their creativity and persistence and to all the family members and friends who have held cameras again and again. To all of the production team at Trinity Laban, who have supported us all in such innovative ways throughout the process of making- thank you.