Director, "2 sides of the moon" May 2016
"2 sides of the moon" was one of the events celebrating 500 years of King's College chapel in Cambridge. The production recognised, through the medium of dance, the work of known figures like Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth I; but also of the cleaners, candlemakers, laundresses, ropemakers, events managers and stewards; of those with stories in the windows, like Ruth, the Queen of Sheba and Mary; and of those, like Virginia Woolf whose relationship to the chapel was as an outsider. The work began with archival research in King's College library, then six choreographers worked together to create a series of performances that combined dance, live music and spoken word.
Reviews from audience members included:
"An absolutely stunning performance that taught the audience untold history. I really enjoyed the individuality of the acts and the dancers themselves, and the close proximity to the stage made you feel much more part of it.The message and story behind the dance was clearly portrayed and there's no better place than to tell it than in King's chapel. I'm looking forward to the next performance!"
"While watching 2 sides of the Moon at King's college I was utterly touched by the focus of the presentation being the work of women in the construction of the college. Although we all recognize the importance of women in society, why there are so few spectacles like that? Beyond what I can think about the presentation, the feeling was the more important: I felt so empowered by the end, with a clear understand of why I feel so often alienated of my construction at scientist at Cambridge; more importantly, it is the feeling of belonging here when I see some of my sisters fighting for the recognition of our place around."
"This was a mesmerising and absorbing set of performances in a beautiful setting. What worked especially well was that all (or most) of the performances were rooted in the place, connected to the chapel. The introductory film which set the context and explained how the choreographers had worked on their pieces was very helpful and increased both understanding of and pleasure in the performances. To be repeated!"