Light Falling: Janis Claxton Interview

"Elegant, lyrical, musical, earthy, gutsy, sensuous, visceral, with a definite tinge of classicism"; this is how Janis Claxton defines her choreographic style. With such a delicious description of her dance, audiences will be drawn to watch Falling Light, opening this month at the Traverse Theatre. Comprising three works set to Bach, Gorecki and a contemporary piece by the Australian ensemble Waratah, Claxton and her cast of international dancers will also be joined by the Edinburgh String Quartet, who will be accompanying them live each night.

Those who enjoyed Enclosure 44 – Humans at the Edinburgh Fringe can expect a more structured dance show. And, of course, one performed at a theatre rather than a zoo. Claxton is excited to be performing at the Traverse. "It's wonderful to be premiering at such a fantastic venue in Edinburgh; the Traverse is a great venue for dance."

While very different to Enclosure 44, the new piece set to Bach Partita no. 2 still shares its genesis with the former: "it originated with my research at Edinburgh Zoo and the relationship of human to animal gesture and play" says Claxton. "I'm interested in the formality of the music and the formal structures that humans exist within, how these relate (or not) to the animal kingdom and how these structures remain and disintegrate as the human animal emerges".

Falling Light also sees the return of Claxton's acclaimed piece Rinne. She describes this piece as "an extremely precise musical work that requires an intense physical and mental stamina and is very uplifting to observe… The dancers seem to 'sing' the music with their bodies".

Claxton explains that Gorecki's String Quartet no. 3 was the inspiration for her third piece Songs Are Sung. "This is an exquisite score which embodies the agony and ecstasy of the human condition in almost every note. It's richly layered, deeply textured and emotionally compelling." Claxton promises the "piece will be full of juicy, luscious fully-felt dancing". With such dance and Gorecki's music played live, it's a premiere definitely worth checking out.