2 faced Dance

2Faced Dance have been one of the hits of the Fringe for the past two year, with their acrobatic mixture of hip-hop and contemporary. Gareth K Vile catches up with their artistic director.

Feature by Gareth K Vile | 15 Aug 2009

1. What was the inspiration that led to the creation of the company?

After finishing dance school I moved back home to Hereford and at the same time a brand new arts centre was opening [the Courtyard], so I asked if I could do some teaching and put on a performance. The then director, Jonathan Stone, said "yes, sure, why not?!” That’s how it began. I kind of thought that if there was nothing already happening then I should make something happen. A place is what you make it after all. And it worked, so the professional company was launched five years later.

2. The company takes inspiration from a wide range of forms. What made you decide to use this approach- were there any particular choreographers that inspired you, or did it come from the company's skill base?

I set up a boys' dance programme in Hereford and used a range of dance styles with them including break, street and contemporary. I discovered that if you made dance really physical then the boys would keep coming. In the early days there was one particular group of students that were really talented so they became the '2Faced Dance Company' and I bought them to Edinburgh in 2004. As I was working with young people I often drew on their skill base, what appealed to them and what inspired them. I still think this is a crucial part of the professional company, even now we’re touring to big venues and working with older, more experienced dancers.

Choreographically, the early work being produced by Phoenix Dance Company inspired me. The strength, power and the grace of their dancers was amazing. I had seen so many dances that didn't really move - where the dancers seemed to have returned to a pedestrian type of movement. I yearned to see dance that really moved, was highly physical, and strong in its intentions.

3. Previous 2Faced productions have emphasised the incredible skill of the performers, without losing a strong forward momentum. Does Still Breathing have any particular narrative?

Over the last couple of years I've had the opportunity to work on some amazing projects and met so many different people. I worked on a project called 'Chasing Fate' where I met a lot of young people who were homeless and who found life chaotic and challenging. These young people wanted to lead a normal life and talked to me about the obstacles they faced to get to that point. Then last year at Edinburgh my company and I all shared a small flat. There was a severe lack of space and I started thinking about the impact this could have on a situation and how it could alter the decisions you made about things.

So Still Breathing has an essence of a theme running through it. It looks at space, it looks at how we overcrowd and it looks at the effect lack of space has on a situation, a time. It's been interesting working this way round - using a theme as a starting point.

4. What is your choreographic process? Is it collaborative or directorial?

My choreography is highly collaborative. It’s very important to me that the dancers feel like it's their work as well. If you have to dance something for two years, you need to like it and understand it. In 2faced the dancers all come from a variety of different backgrounds and training, from ballet to break, so it’s like having eight soloists in one company. I work with the dancers to draw out their individuality as well as create a strong sense of company.

5. How do you feel that you fit into Zoo's overall programme?

Zoo's dance programme this year is excellent and really wide ranging. It’s great to be in a mix with companies like Tilted and Scottish Dance Theatre.

 

2FaCeD DaNcE present STILL BREATHING Zoo Southside

  117 Nicolson Street 7th – 31st August 2009

| previews 7th & 8th | no show 17th & 24th Aug 4.30pm | approx 1 hour £9.00-£13.00 | concs £9.00-£11.00 0131 662 6892

http://|www.zoofestival.co.uk