Thomas Michael Voss, one of our ballet critics, is also an award nominated choreographer.
We ask him to describe QUAESTIO, his much anticipated new dance work which is currently in rehearsals and will be performed at RESOLUTION 2017, the UK’s biggest dance festival, now in its 28th year, at the Robin Howard Dance Theatre, The Place, London.
The Festival is a great chance to discover new choreography, artists with jaw-dropping skills and thought-provoking new pieces and QUAESTIO will premiere on 1st February 2017 at 8pm.
He tells us “I was inspired to make the piece by a chance meeting with stand up comedian Joshua Robertson, AKA Yeahman, who at the age of 11 had a quad bike accident, suffering serious brain injuries. His energy and positivity really impressed me and I set out to create a work in which we could feature him as a dancer.
In it we explore issues of disability in body language and movement from the perspective of anyone who fears they don’t “fit in”. I’ve particularly focused on the pressure faced by young men to comply with society’s stereotype of masculinity and the bullying which can result from being different in a football environment. The word Quaestio is a Latin term that refers to an issue which needs addressing, it became our title and our theme.
The aim is to include the ‘jerkiness’, ‘distortions’ and ‘different levels of coordination’ of disability into choreography, reflecting its everyday challenges.
The piece is performed by four conventionally abled dancers, Bruno Aversa, Raphael Blanco, Ash Goosey and Top Norrington who appear alongside Robertson.
A startlingly original score has been specially composed by harpist Hero Douglas which he’ll perform with Miroslava Mala on the piano, David Shaw on the violin and operatic soprano Eliana Pretorian. Our beautiful lighting design is by Kieron Johnson.
It’s just been announced that powerful producer Sonia Friedman is to transfer The National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre production of raucous new musical OUR LADIES OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR from the National Theatre to the Duke of York’s Theatre.