Dancing with Apollo
Project Lead:
Fiona Macintosh | Faculty of Classics
Partner Organisations:
This project brought together a group of artists and Oxford researchers to begin research and development on a larger programme of dance, music and words: Dancing with Apollo. Spitalfields Festival commissioned a new score from composer Edmund Finnis, and the week's residency took place in Oxford from 4–9 July in the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building at St Hilda's College. The premiere took place in London on Sunday 11 July 2021 at 5.30 pm at King's Place.
The residency developed the first dance piece based on Cupid and Psyche, which lay at the heart of the early modern quarrel between the ancients and the moderns and had particular resonance with the #MeToo movement. The focus was also on the myth's concern with touch, breath and lack of (fore-)sight—themes that spoke especially powerfully to the conditions imposed by the pandemic.
The residency involved celebrated choreographer Kim Brandstrup and two professional dancers, Liam Riddick and Laurel Dalley-Smith; award-winning violinist Sara Trickey and pianist Ivana Gavrić; with Marina Warner (All Souls) serving as dramaturg. Further academic engagement came from Susan Jones (Director, DANSOX), Fiona Macintosh (Director, APGRD), and Stephen Harrison. A film of the workshop by distinguished filmmaker Rocío Chacón is available below and on the APGRD website.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ztvq1BSj9KY
Contact:
Professor Fiona Macintosh
Project Lead
Fiona Macintosh is Professor of Classical Reception and the Director of the Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman DramaGreek Drama and Epic. Her research interestings include Classical Reception, Reception of Greek and Roman Drama and in the modern world, Epic on stage, Ancient and modern dance, Classical Reception in Ireland and Britain, Reception of Greek Drama in France, Vernacular translation of Greek and Roman Drama, Shakespeare and the Greeks.
Liam Riddick
Dancer
Laurel Dalley Smith
Henrik Bjerregaard
Kim Brandstrup
Sara Trickey
Ivana Gavric
Marina Warner
Sue Jones
Faculty of English | St Hilda's
Professor Stephen Harrison
Professor Wes Williams
The Guardian 4 star review of Dancing with Apollo performance
The Humanities Cultural Programme project Dancing with Apollo performed their programme of music, dance and commentary centred on Greek myth at Kings Place in London on the 11 July 2021.
Tim Ashley from The Guardian published his 4 star review of the performance, saying "Spitalfields Music festival’s combination of chamber music, dance and lecture showcased the lyricism of violinist Sara Trickey’s playing and made for a thought-provoking concert".
You can read Tim Ashley's 4 Star Review here.
The residency for the development of this project was supported by TORCH as part of the Humanities Cultural Programme, APGRD, and DANSOX. The dance in the photograph was choreographed and rehearsed exclusively during the residency at the Jacqueline du Pre Music Building - Choreographer Kim Brandstrup emphasised that they couldn't have done it without the facilities and ambience provided by the team at St Hilda's and the JDP.
This performance is part of Dancing with Apollo project, part of the Humanities Cultural Programme.
