NSCD students and alumni have been commissioned to create new work as part of The Dispersed Dance Company, a project by Instant Dissidence in collaboration with CLAY and East Street Arts. The works are available to watch online and in public spaces in Leeds from 2 - 9 October.
Recipients of the commissions are: Yoodaloo Dance Theatre (a company comprising recent graduates Amber Howells, George Swattridge and current third year student Isla Hurst), Funkified Fried Funk Fries (current third year students Lisa Chearles and Luis Dunn) and individual third year students Amber Bosteels, Neema Mwande, Jemma Stein, Kieran West and Holly Yu.
Read more here: clayleeds.co.uk/dispersed-dance-co
The Dispersed Dance Company forms part of CHASM - a programme of performances searching for intimacy during times of social isolation.
Each commissioned artist performed in Instant Dissidence's The Rebellion in 2019, a work originally commissioned by NSCD as part of Flock Fest, which looks at dance as a social engine during states of climate emergency
“No Makeup” Makeup Tutorial by Holly Yu (South Korea)
“Here’s a special tutorial for those of you who’ve been told to get eyelashes done, keep your opinions to yourself, and, of course, please your man.”
In this work, Holly shares the beauty hacks she learnt from South Korea’s K-beauty world.
US by Jemma Stein
Do you remember the faces you saw walking down the street two months ago? Two weeks ago? Two days ago? Two seconds ago?
Light by Kieran West
“Light encompasses everything; both natural and artificial. Light allows humans to experience the night, but do we know its true effect on natural habitats? If the land where nocturnal animals live is touched by humankind, they will cease to exist…”
Crown by Neema Mwande
“For many black womxn, policing of our hair is the first instance of societal racism we experience. From the moment we enter the world, society teaches us that our hair is ‘unkempt’, ‘too big’, ‘unattractive’. But our hair was and always will be beautiful regardless of social pressure and fashion trends. It’s more than hair. It is our crown. It is beauty and it is power.”
Interwoven by Amber Bosteels (Belgium)
Using red thread as a metaphor, Interwoven is an interactive installation about the separation and connectivity created during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SCANT by Yoodaloo Dance Theatre
Follow three voices of self-given authority as they preach their solutions to the world’s sustainability problems. SCANT is a silly, satirical, sarcastic and slightly sardonic look at the sub-optimal situation that is the planet’s depleting resources.
Yoodaloo Dance Theatre is NSCD graduates Amber Howells and George Swattridge, and current student Isla Hurst.
the humans… now have beaks by Funkified Fried Funk Fries
Two aliens arrive on Earth in the midst of the pandemic, with the goal of determining if Earth is suitable for colonisation. They’re met with a world where people hide in their homes, grocery shopping is the highlight of the week, and pigeons are the predominant patrons of deserted city centres. Join the aliens as they struggle to make sense of the state of the planet, and chaos ensues.
We are Funkified Fried Funk Fries (FFFF), a collective comprising Luis Dunn and Lisa Chearles. Our works focus on creating characters, and building an absurd world for them to live in. We enjoy testing the boundaries of reality and often allow our imagination to navigate the creative process. We’re fans of not taking ourselves too seriously and amusing ourselves to amuse you. So have a laugh, on us.
