ResDance Series 6: Episode 5: People watching, making forests, drifting attention and undesigning yourself with Theo Clinkard

ResDance Series 6: Episode 5: People watching, making forests, drifting attention and undesigning yourself with Theo Clinkard In this thought-provoking episode, Theo shares insight into his experiences as a dancer, choreographer, researcher and stage designer.  Through situating his thinking in his practice, we explore his experiences of collaborating with artists across disciplines; the value of encouraging investment from the performer and his thinking around bringing the person into the dancer. Born in Cornwall and based in Dartmoor, Devon, choreographer and stage designer Theo Clinkard has performed, created and toured contemporary dance internationally for 30 years, collaborating with artists from various disciplines including film, opera, theatre, performance and television. His practice is focused on the communicative potential of the body and the empathetic capacity of dance in performance. He seeks to create opportunities for memorable connection between audiences and dancers through working with attention, the senses and the imagination as a way to generate a landscape of feelings. Theo launched his own dance company in 2012 and has steadily built a reputation for creating affecting and visually arresting contemporary work with large-scale commissions for companies such as Tanztheatre Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Danza Contemporanea de Cuba and Candoco Dance Company and creations for his own company, including the celebrated ‘This Bright Field’ in 2017. His next large-scale company work ‘Village’ is planned for touring across the UK in 2025.  Movement Direction work includes ‘Aida’ at København Opera, ‘Good Luck to you Leo Grande’ starring Emma Thompson and ‘The Faggots and their Friends between Revolutions’, which opened last years Manchester International Festival. Theo has designed for opera, theatre, dance and live art, including work with Sydney Dance Company, Skånes Dansteater, Scottish Dance Theatre, Scottish Opera, Opera La Scala and Malmo Opera. Theo is an Associate Artist at Brighton Dome and Festival and an Honorary Fellow at Plymouth University.  Photographer Hannah Close Contact details Email: [email protected]  Social Media: Website: www.theoclinkard.com Published sources of interest Colin, N. Seago, C. Stamp, K. (2023). Ethical Agility in Dance: Rethinking Technique in British Contemporary Dance. Routledge: London. Chapter 3 - ‘Choosing a lens of values’: Dance training as relational practice Seke B. Chimutengwende, Theo Clinkard. Chapter 4 - ⁠‘As technique’⁠ ⁠Theo Clinkard⁠ Other relevant sources www.under-story.com  -'A place for informal honest chat from people who work in dance focusing on the times when they had to navigate the unexpected in their career.' Please share this episode with students, educators, practitioners, performers, and interdisciplinary researchers curious to learn more about dance research in action.