Phoebe Brown
Swing 2.0
6 January to 14 January 2025
Monday 13th: showing to the youth dancers
Swing 2.0 blends contemporary dance and complex mathematical systems to explore relationships and spatial patterns in choreography. The residency will allow me and three dancers to deepen the practice and develop the piece for future presentation. Swing 2.0 experiments with numbers, time, the power between the dancer and the score by taking on the idea and mathematics of a pendulum swing. The choreography currently experiments with four different tempos. Four chairs are set up in the space and labelled as points one to four. Acting like a pendulum, the dancers move linearly back and forth across the points. The movement is linear and gestural as it follows a strict mathematic score but as the speed in the sound decreases the dancers begin to find their own subjective take on the movement. In January 2025, I will work in residence to flesh out developing the strict, mathematic score of Swing 2.0 to evolve to a chaotic, repetitive style of movement that reveals the humanity.
At the heart of Swing 2.0 is the tension between the logical nature of mathematical equations and the fluidity of human movement. The piece uses a pendulum swing as a metaphor for this relationship, with a strict mathematical score governing the dancers' movements. As the music slows, the dancers are encouraged to improvise, allowing for subjective expression within a structured framework. This piece is developing out of the context of relationship between humans and machines, numbers and subjectivity.
During the residency, I aim to develop the ten-minute quartet Swing 2.0 into a full one-hour feature length performance. Swing 2.0 was presented in April 2024 at two dance scratch nights respectively in Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford and The Mac, Belfast. Using the scratch night feedback, I will develop my choreographic practice to flesh out more how we can apply a mathematic score to choreography and how the dancers can use their subjectivity to bring the maths to life. I aim to create a work that is intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging. By the end of the residency, I hope to have a fully developed choreography that reflects my artistic vision while allowing the dancers to connect deeply with the material and express their interpretations of the mathematics involved.
Phoebe graduated from the University of Lincoln with first class Honours in Dance alongside an award for Outstanding Performance in her academic year. Upon graduating, she worked in residence at Ponderosa, Germany and performed across Europe for artists in Berlin, Latvia, Sweden, Madrid, Ireland and London. Phoebe went on to complete a master’s degree in philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London and in 2024 completed an Arts Practice PhD in Dance and Maths at the University of Limerick funded by the Irish Research Council. Her choreography uses mathematic structures such as differential equations to create process performances. Most recently, she has presented a ten-minute work in progress at both Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford and The Mac, Belfast.
Alice began training in ZoNa Dance Company, Donegal. She attended pre-vocational training through Ballet Boost and Royal Academy of Dance Winter Associates. Alice has also trained in SEAD (Salzburg Experiential Academy of Dance), and graduated from the Irish World Academy, University of Limerick with first class hons in Contemporary Dance.
Arianna is a multidisciplinary dance artist and emerging choreographer from the north of Italy. She has been involved with dance for over 20 years with more recent professional experience as a teacher and performer.
Itzel originally from Mexico, is a contemporary dancer based in Limerick, Ireland. Recently, as a dancer Itzel has completed an R&D with new all island company Luail.
With thanks to The Fenton Arts Trust
@phoebebrown_93
@itzelimon.art
@alice_gavigan
@itsarigua
WCAC acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council and Cork County Council in making these residencies possible.
