The Choreographic Lab provides a platform for sharing choreographic practices, critical inquiry and debate.
Placing an emphasis on processes and practices, the Lab seeks to engender dynamic relationships between theory and practice, choreographer and scholar, so that these distinctions may be shifted and traversed.
The Lab has an established reputation for generating stimulating environments for the investigation and articulation of dance practices that blur conventional research and artistic contexts. We work to curate exchanges, workshops and events, create innovative new works, support the publication of new dance writings and develop training/mentoring programmes.
Choreographic Lab is currently a Research Associate Artist at Dance4
Throughout its’ history The Lab has been committed to the providing opportunities for:
1. exploring aspects of choreography that do not easily fit into programmes of activity elsewhere, including blue skies and independent activities.
2. the undertaking of research activities which might give rise to a multifacitated range of creative and discursive outcomes.
3. sharing and the creation of critically engaged practices.
4. the creation, articulation and dissemination of high quality movement led practices.
5. the development of ‘languages’ for dance, including the curation of a bi-annual peer reviewed journal.
6. developing movement led practices and extending understanding of dance to a wide audience.
7. being in-between writing and dancing practices.
The Choreographic Lab directors are:
Jane M Bacon
Dance Artist/Academic, Jungian Analyst, Focusing Trainer and Teacher of the Discipline of Authentic Movement. Jane Bacon is Professor Dance and Somatics at University of Chichester and lives in Northampton, UK. She has over 30 years of experience facilitating and lecturing in dance and performance and over 15 years experience as a psychotherapist and Authentic Movement teacher. Her installation work has been shown internationally and she publishes her research in professional, online and academic performance and psychotherapy journals. Her work in both the arts and psychotherapy focuses on finding ways in which we can ‘articulate something’ of and from a creative and personal process. Her performance/installation work combines her understanding of and respect for conscious embodied awareness with somatic practices such as Authentic Movement and Focusing. Recent works include: Scratch, A Choreographic Conversation; skript, a micro-installation; Sitting:Walking:Practice and Myths and Stories by Her. She is committed to challenging contemporary myths of dancing, spirituality, womanhood and feminism in all her endeavours.
Vida L Midgelow
Dance Artist/Academic, Consultant, Mentor and Educator, Vida L Midgelow is Professor in Dance and Choreographic Practices at Middlesex University and lives in Derbyshire. She has over 25 years experience facilitating and lecturing in performance and she is a qualified yoga practitioner (200hr YTT). Her movement and video work has been shown internationally and she publishes her research in professional, online and academic journals. As a movement artist her work focuses upon somatic approaches to dance training, improvised dance practices and articulating choreographic processes. Works include: BreathBone; Skript; ScreenBody; Voice (a retracing) (shown on BBC big screens) and the performative lecture Everywhere and Nowhere. She is a committed educator and mentor, undertaking dramaturgical, curatorial and consultancy roles for artists and organisations.
