Promoter Information

One Up One Down

For a Promoters pack please email laura@gilmorepoductions.co.uk

THE BLANK ALBUM

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Dance literally rocks in The Blank Album! Performed live with guitars, fiddle, cello, percussion and voice, choreographer Natasha Gilmore (Protein Dance, ex Dance Artist in Residence, Dance House), composer Quee MacArthur (Shooglenifty), and a cast of dance artists/musicians, have created a comic Dance Theatre piece – The Blank Album. The work embraces the surreal and the fast pace of popular culture, via an emotionally charged intimacy, that invites the audience into the characters' inner worlds.

Pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance, The Blank Album combines rock music and pop imagery in a high energy performance which, ‘…deftly blends comedy and dance’ Scotland on Sunday. The performers create a live sound score and will not only play their instruments but will dance with them – taking the imagery of air guitars to the next level and beyond.

The Blank Album

Laced with references to youth and popular culture, The Blank Album is fast paced, unpretentious and self-assured. As a piece of audience development, the work challenges the perceived boundaries of dance and genuinely connects with both teenage and adult audiences, including people new to the artform whose primary engagement with culture is through music and comedy.

The Blank Album is suitable for young people aged 14 years and upwards.

“DEFTLY BLENDS COMEDY AND DANCE”
SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY

“AT A STROKE SHE INVOKES BOTH CLOWN AND TRAGEDIENNE. BRILLIANT” THE TIMES

Choreographer: Natasha Gilmore

Since graduating from Laban in 1996, Natasha has worked as a choreographer, dance artist and teacher. She has devised and toured work with Protein Dance (creating Publife, The Banquet, Big Sale and White Christmas), Rose's Thoughts and Jean Abreu. She has undertaken a research project with Jasmin Vardimon and has worked with Takeshi Koga's Kiya Dance Company. Natasha founded her own company in 2006. As Artist in Residence at Dance House, Glasgow from 2006-7, she produced an autobiographical solo, Madame Bazie, which she was invited to perform at Dance Base during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Recently, she premièred Bunty and Doris, a duet created with Liz Rankin, formerly of DV8. She has since received commissions from East London Dance to create a site-specific piece on the South Bank; from DanceXchange, Birmingham, to create a touring work with their 'DAIR To...' company; and from Glasgow City Council to create a site-specific youth piece inspired by the Commonwealth Games for its Inspiration Festival. Natasha devised and taught ‘The Big Dance Class’ for the BBC’s record breaking biggest ever dance class and teaches with Scottish Ballet Company, True Grit, Dance House, and with RSAMD's Drama students. In May, she will be rejoining Protein Dance Company as assistant choreographer and performer for Happy Together, a piece based on Stage and Hen parties as part of the Brighton Festival.

Music Director: Quee MacArthur

Quee MacArthur's compositions are influenced both by traditional and contemporary music and use a wide range of acoustic and electric instruments, mixed with sampled sound, to create original works. Since 2002, he has played bass and collaborated in writing and recording CDs for the Scottish band, Shooglenifty. Some of the companies and people he has worked with include: Fight or Flight, Ingognita, Urban Dance Theatre, Theatre Babel, Boilerhouse, X Factor Dance Company, YDance and Freshmess.

“COMMUNICATIVE AND PLAYFUL. GILMORE ADAPTS A VARIETY OF STYLES, FROM BALLET TO DISCO...THE BOUNDARIES OF DANCE ARE CHALLENGED AND EXTENDED.”
THE SKINNY

Performers:

Jade Adamson has performed with Freshmess Dance Company, X-Factor Dance Company, David Hughes Dance Company and works regularly with Glasgow based aerial dance company Spinal Chord Projects.

Stuart Bowden has performed with Bombastic, David Hughes Dance Company, X Factor and Diversions. He also worked with Earthfall, Emilyn Claid, and Raphael Bonachela. His dance teaching experience includes over four years as Education Officer for X-Factor.

Laura Durrant tours as one side of the cello duo, “Belles and Bows”, giving recitals and performances across the country. She also teaches and is involved in a wide range of theatrical projects. Her interest in dance arises from gymnastic classes as a child and an instinctual need to express herself through physical movement as well as music.

Simon Jaymes studied at the Sylvia Young School and then went to Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance when he was 16 years old. Simon’s career to date has mostly consisted of travelling the world dancing and acting with various companies including Matthew Bourne’s New Adventure Motion Pictures and Tetsuya Kumakawa’s K-Ballet Company (Japan). He also appeared in: ‘The Beautiful Game’ by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton and alongside Jim Dale in Cameron Mackintosh’s Production of ’OLIVER!’ at the London Palladium, plus appearing as both a featured and supporting artist in various TV programs and films. Simon was also an ‘Indy Award Finalist of 2008 as Best Male Solo Act’

Ruth Mills is an ex-national team gymnast. She has danced with Martial Dance, London Dance Ensemble, TAG Theatre Company, Marisa Zanotti, Les Ange, Fight or Flight Physical Theatre Company, and Touchdown Dance Company. She has made several choreographic and music films and is also a keen musician.

“BRAVE, UNAFRAID AND SUPREMELY CONFIDENT, GILMORE WINNINGLY MIXES THE SUBLIME AND THE RIDICULOUS.”
THE PLACE ONLINE REVIEW

BOOKING DETAILS

Touring Autumn 2008 and Spring 2009
Performers on stage: 5
Number on the road: 7
Running Time: 60 Mins
Get in on the day of the performance

Performing Area: 8 metres x 8 metres
Minimum technical requirements Sprung Dance Floor, Black lino
Black backdrop/wall
Full lighting rig with the provision of side lighting
Sound System and 1 x Microphones
Provision to amplify 2 Electric Guitars
Technician throughout get-in and get-out

Contact

Belinda McElhinney
Gilmore Productions
The White Studios 410-412
Templeton on the Green
62 Templeton Street
Glasgow
G40 1DA

Tel: 07814 025677
Email:

Technical Enquiries
Roy Fairhead
Tel: 07790 565115
Email: RoyF18@hotmail.com

EDUCATION RESIDENCIES FOR 'THE BLANK ALBUM'

Gilmore Productions provide exciting and creative dance workshops, designed in such a way that they are inclusive. All participants are able to work from their own level. The participants learn about the process of creating a dance theatre piece by experiencing first hand the tasks that lead to devising movement and music.

Company members have experience of teaching and creating dances with a broad range of participants - children and young people within mainstream education; youth groups; professional dancers; disabled dancers and their carers; and older people.

The workshop programme accompanying this tour offers a unique opportunity to combine music, dance and theatre. Curtain raisers can be created with dancers and musicians together.