Tuesday 25 December 2012

No bones about it

Currently reclined and digesting an sizeable portion of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, veg, chipolatas, gravy and other sundries as only mother knows how to make. A spur of the moment decision has brought me home to roost for the holidays before i get set for another adventure into the unpredictable and precarious world of dance i seem to have found myself in. So here's just a quick update before i pass out:

• 31st Dec 2012 •
If you're coming to Edinburgh (along with several thousand other like minded people) to take in the New Year then you might well see my chevy chase about the street party as host for the REW1ND3R stage at this year's celebrations on the 31st of Dec. With a DJ playing music from the last 60 years of pop music, 2 live VJs and my banter it will no doubt be a night to remember...unless you have one too many hot toddys. Check out more on The REW1ND3R.

• 26th Jan 2013 •
Sees the return of Breakin' Rules to the Dundee Rep Theatre. Featuring hip hop crews from around the UK, this will certainly kickstart your 2013!

• Jan / Feb 2013 •
Making sure i get myself up in time the following day, I take myself and my hosting skills off to Australia with Blaze the Show for the month of January. Performances will take place at the Sydney Opera House (tick that box!) and Arts Centre Melbourne (epi-centre of great coffee and cafes).

• 29th Mar 2013 •
After sufficient time on the beaches of Australia, I'll be back in the northern hemisphere to present SQUISH as part of the March Moves programme by City Moves and double billing with Jack Webb.

2013 is shaping up to be a busy year for R2M, but right now it's time to let nature take it's course, allow the food to digest and the eyelids to close. Hope you're having a great day wherever you are and all the best for 2013.

x

R2M

I'm just trying got keep abreast of the situation



Wednesday 5 December 2012

A Cool Breeze

It's that time of the year when the purple long johns come out and i begin to see my own breath billowing out of my mouth in the morning. The latter is primarily because the home boiler has decided 13 years loyal service is enough and has currently left the building. Remarkable timing given the freezing temperatures outside. Furthermore, getting hold of a chap who is savvy enough to remedy the situation at this time of year is about as difficult as maintaining your balance on the inconspicuous black ice outside. Anyhow, the silver lining is i am learning a lot about boilers and where my gas pipes go and valves and other such useful info. How i apply it is another matter. I faced another sudden temperature drop when i visited Russia for 3 weeks in November....yes, Russia. I think i need to write about this trip in more detail as it's a bit late now and really this post is about giving the (many) fans of R2M and heads up on what is going down. Basically i had an excellent time, met some cool people and did some cheeky networking while at work for Blaze the Show. A lot of golden blog material to have been had but i was seriously slacking. i will endeavour to make up for it. But onto the present and what's coming up:

I'm back in the studio with Tom Pritchard from On The Stage Of The Present as we spend a little time getting deeper into the Squish duet project. For now i'm naming it Squish Squared. This week is mostly about really trying to understand what we are making, how we will do it and what it will say. Although and abundance of ideas and possibilities have already come up and deciphering them will be difficult, i do feel like we have the beginnings of something interesting. Watch this space for longer residencies (and hopefully a completed project) in 2013.

Following this i'll be reworking and old piece with a new dancer. Box Fresh had a few small outings in the UK and France. But, do to commitments it has perhaps not seen as many stages as it should. I am hoping to change that over 2013/14 and begin to introduce a new dancer to the duet this month. Here's the original with fellow Aspekt Matt Foster from David Hughes Dance



The 3rd project this month is to revisit a piece made back in 2006! Jennifer Paterson from All or Nothing will join me at City Moves for a week's residency collaborating with the original choreographer Jillian Thomson. We'll have to see if i can still do the same moves 6 years on. The work be aimed at outdoor festivals as well as sort billings for theatres. Here's what we got up to 6 years ago...


And then it's xmas...and then it's Australia with Blaze The Show...i ain't complaining pal!