Standing Stones Cathedral tour

choreography Jacky Lansley

dancers Katie Keeble, Ayano Honda, Paul Wilkinson and Daniella Ferreira

musicians Dave White - clarinet, Jonathan Delbridge - piano

music Mozart, Clarinet Quintet

lighting design Micheal Mannion

costume design Emma Hopkinson

As a dancer in Standing Stones working with choreographer Jacky Lansley, we explored many ideas and themes that arose from the Cathedrals we were due to perform in during the Cathedral tour, 2008. Jacky had come to rehearsals with many notes and research about the Cathedrals, their history and architecture of their structure and forms. We looked into the Cathedrals history and their relationship with the communities during medieval periods when a lot of Cathedrals were first built, tracing their roots in Pagan traditions and use as theatrical spaces. As part of the choreography I learnt how to stilt walk from Emma, a professional stilt walker herself, whom created the costumes in collaboration with Jacky, performing on stilts as a tall, medieval lady together with work of gargoyle imagery, taken from inspiration of gargoyles placed inside and outside the Cathedrals. The tall character was also highlighting the incredible hight and verticality of the cathedral spaces, as audience members shift and turn in their seats to see the lady appear from behind them!

We performed in 14 Cathedrals in two tours across England, Scotland and Ireland, each one very different to the rest. As part of our rehearsal period we explored the ways in which the piece needs to be experienced and composed within the framework of each Cathedral space, the placing of the audience and our placing within the architecture of the building, that gives the piece its relationship to the surroundings and context of the material created. The piece is choreographed in four movements to Mozart's clarinet quintet performed with clarinet and piano, that created a powerful atmospheric soundscape from the echos and sound vibrations resonating inside the open space of the Cathedrals. The different Cathedrals vary in size as well as shape, and it was fascinating listening to the changes in the music from space to space. I had a really great experience working in this piece and learnt a huge amount from Jacky's techniques and site-specific work, I look forward to continuing these processes, as well as walking on my stilts again in the summer!

You can find out more about the piece and Jacky's work on her website http://www.jackylansley.co.uk/

and see more pictures from the tour and info about Ascendance Rep at http://www.ascendance.org.uk/

photography Jim Poyner