Art and science meet in choreographic project

On Friday 15 March 2019, 1st Year students showed an audience of guests their work from a recent choreographic project. Students had been working in duets and trios with Choreographic Course Coordinator Kate Flatt, Improvisation Tutor Elisabetta d’Aloia and Violinist Anna Phoebe.

Anna Phoebe provided students with music from her project Between Worlds, where she is composing a choral work based on scientific research from the University of Kent’s School of Biosciences.

During the rehearsals, Anna spoke to the students about the style of music they wanted for their pieces and then improvised over field recordings to fit the students’ briefs.

1st Year student Elijah said: ‘My favourite thing about the project was Miss Phoebe coming in and her music and how that inspired us to create movement in the first place. It was a real driving force for us creating material.’

Anna said: ‘It’s a real privilege for me to work with these incredibly talented students. I find their ability and their creative ideas totally inspiring and invigorating. Their dancing is a catalyst for me to write music in a new way.’

Choreographic training is central to students’ training and embedded into both their artistic and academic education. Kate Flatt believes that ‘the project was really valuable as it is vital that students encounter creative artists from other disciplines.’

She said: ‘It prepares the students by developing their skills and artistry as interpreters but also, importantly, a fearless approach to improvisation and the creative endeavour required by 21st century dancers. It also fires up and feeds the creative individuals who may go on to choreograph in future years.’

You can find out more about the School’s choreographic training here.