AFTERPARTYAFTERPARTYAFTERPARTY (work in progress)
Dance/DJ performance
Research and Development phase supported by Arts Council England, MAYK, and Falmouth AMATA.
AFTERPARTYAFTERPARTYAFTERPARTY is a hybrid performance project in development, working with DJing, dance and experimental theatre processes to create a reflexive and captivating performance about Nightlife. This R & D process included:
- Interviews with DJ’s: Sol Service (Nottingham), Ella Brandt (Bristol/Birmingham) and Julie Brown (Birmingham).
- 5 weeks of studio development time with dancers; Linzy Na Nakorn and Kit Hall, and DJ; Daisy Moon.
What we have now:
- A set of movement prompts inspired by interview material, and related reading on the history of dancing, clubspace, nightlife and parties. These prompts include states of rest or quietness, display or dance, connection or independence, and work together to generate an active and flowing performance of many intricate parts.
- A DJ set designed by Daisy Moon through studio improvisations. This DJ set takes us through three different sound worlds, and is performed live within the performance.
- A score for a performance that works with these movements prompts, stage instructions and sound worlds to create an improvised, visceral and captivating performance on Nightlife.
- A female perspective led project on Nightlife that is pro-party and pro-nightlife, centring the significance of this space and time for women.
We ended this process with a small sharing at the Mayking space in St Annes, documented beautifully by Nightlife photographer Sinag Yuson.
Audience quotes from work-in-progress’ sharing:
‘Everything is a bit blurred, and your body and your mind are a little bit disconnected because your not supposed to be awake at that time so everything is a bit strange but then other things are possible’
‘It was really visceral and atmospheric’
‘It was funny, I laughed a lot, and some of the dancing was just really joyful, euphoric. You were both really locked in to your zones and the music and that felt really carefree.. like zero fucks given, just having it’
‘when the DJ set up came closer, then I could really see what you were doing, and I kind of forgot about everything else, and I was fascinated, as I’ve never watched someone so close up, do that’
‘It captured really well what happens to time, after a certain time of night, at an afterparty, it stretches and goes weird, and I felt that, and I lost track of time’
‘I felt like it related to my feelings of being introverted, moments of hiding, or wanting to be more covered and shy, and then other moments of wanting to be expressive, that takes me to moments on nights out when I wanted to be more closed and head down rather than those moments of being connected with others’
‘oh wow, when a DJ has been making a whole room move all night and then everyone has fallen asleep or gone... I really got that in you sitting there and just taking a moment for yourself, it was quite strong, and really emotive’
‘It does really encapsulate so many things that are hard to put into words of being in that space... when your in that experience you don’t want it to end and then as soon as it ends you feel sad, and I’ve experienced that through watching this.’
Creative Team
Lead artist and Director: Hannah Sullivan
DJ: Daisy Moon
Dancer: Kit Hall
Dancer: Linzy Na Nakorn
Dramaturg: Tanuja Amarasuriya
Producer: Ellen Booth
Photography by Sinag Yuson
