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Q&A: BITE DANCE / PICKETT IMPROV


An interview with Hannah Pickett, Director at Pickett Improv, & Alice White, Co-owner at Bite Dance.

 

How did this collaboration come together?

Hannah: I first encountered Bite Dance when I was Producer and Artistic Director for the Brighton Dance Network Dance Trail 2016, as part of Brighton Fringe. Bite Dance presented their piece Still Laughing as part of the trail and I instantly fell in love with their work, admiring them both as artists and individuals.

I later began developing my individual artistic, improvisation-based practice with a group of dancers and a musician. My practice focused on exploring the direct relationship between music and dance. During this experimentation, I analysed the shifts and decisions that occurred within live performance. This continued practice resulted in the start of the Score10 project and was shared in informal and pop up events in Brighton. As Score10 evolved, the next step for the work was to present it in a theatre space.

When finding a double bill partner, Bite Dance was the obvious choice. Their funny dance theatre work contrasts our experimental, improvised performance. I really enjoyed working with them in 2016 and am pleased to share this evening with them at this early stage in our careers.

Why should people watch the show?

Alice: People should come and watch the show to be able to experience the broad spectrum of dance as an art form. In terms of our piece, Crying with Laughter is something that everyone can enjoy – it’s fun and a welcome break from all the terrible things happening in our world today.

What can audiences expect?

Hannah: Two professional dance works contrasting in nature. They can expect humour, experimentation, entertainment and innovation -a diverse evening of contemporary dance.

One word that would summarise each piece?

Alice: Absurdity and invention.

Hannah: Laughter and exploration.

What do you hope to achieve with the work presented?

Alice: I hope Crying with Laughter allows people to enjoy dance from a light-hearted perspective and that audiences can be absorbed by something they’ve not seen before. Crying with Laughter is something very distinctive and clearly portrays our aesthetic as a duet. We reference some of the great comedians, such as Charlie Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy, and it’s been interesting to appreciate these comedians as choreographers. I hope we can successfully pay homage to this style of physical comedy. Dance can maintain artistic integrity, it can provoke thought and be well researched, but it can still entertain us.

Hannah: I hope Score10 serves as a pilot performance that enables audience members to gain insight into Pickett Improv as a practice. I hope this exposure assists in the launch of our future community workshops and provides further performance opportunities.

 

WHERE: The Old Market Theatre, 11A Upper Market St, Brighton, BN3 1AS, UK.

WHEN: Saturday 27th January 2018

Tickets available on The Old Market Theatre website.

BITE DANCE:

Facebook @bitedancecompany

Twitter @_bitedance

Instagram @bitedance

bitedanceco.wixsite.com/bitedance

PICKETT IMPROV:

Facebook @PickettImprov

Twitter @ HannahPickett_

Instagram @hannahpickettdance hannahpickettdance.com

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