Interview with Dancer & Choreographer Matthew Robinson
Upcoming Performance - 'Some Other Future' by Matthew Robinson & Toby Fitzgibbons
Two boys dreams collide behind the iron curtain. How much are we made of what we wanted to be?
Promo Video -'Some Other Future' Matthew Robinson and Toby Fitzgibbons
On 15th January 2011, Toby Fitzgibbons and Matthew Robinson present their first choreographic collaboration 'Some Other Future' as part of Resolution! 2011 at The Place, London.
Both Toby and Matthew are dancers from Scottish Dance Theatre, based in Dundee and this is the first performance of this new work in London. We caught up with Matthew to talk about this piece, ask how he juggles being a dancer for SDT with creating his own new work, and find out who he recommends seeing on the current dance scene.
Matthew Robinson, age 22 spent his early training in Devon before moving to London Contemporary Dance School at The Place.
MR - I had the most incredible three years of my life there, surrounded by people who have now entered the dance world and are creating big ripples for themselves.
During my training I created five works of my own, and was commissioned as a choreographer, creating work for organisations such as The Centre for Advanced training at The Place, for whom I was also lucky enough to work for and learn from. The Place is such an important place for dance and me, performing as part of Resolution! Is very much a homecoming.
After training I auditioned and became an apprentice for Scottish Dance Theatre, the best opportunity I have been given, and I am now employed as a dancer, currently in my first year.
DG - What's it like being a dancer for Scottish Dance Theatre and an independent creator for your own works?
MR - Dancing for SDT is a dream for me, it is a company with which I hold very similar artistic values, I feel supported, nurtured and very lucky to be part of such a special company. We're not afraid to ask each other and ourselves difficult questions, this creates an environment ripe for developing us all as artists, both in the company environment and our own independent projects. This year we have been lucky to be working with two American choreographers (Kate Weare and Ben Levy), whose work we will premiere next month in Dundee then take out on the road.
First and foremost my work with the company as a performer is my priority, but choreographing my own work has always felt important, all through my time studying at The Place and since. During my first year in Scotland I created work for The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, which they then toured around Scotland, also taking it to Leeds and London.
DG - 'Some other Future' What's the concept and what inspired you to create this piece?
MR - Personally I believe dance should say something, be relevant to today and connect to ordinary people, Art is not just for artists. When some dance doesn't connect with me is when I sit in the audience and think that the choreographer thinks they are being clever, but haven't stopped to consider whether the audience understands or care. Not that dance should be obvious, but art should encourage people to think without requiring that they think they need to 'get' dance.
So when we started on our creative journey we decided on some guiding principles. One was that we wanted the work to say something, but that what it says should be open to multiple interpretations. Two that it should be rich, in terms of depth of research, intention of meaning and clarity of setting. Finally, that it should reflect us and our ideas about art and life.
The result 'Some Other Future' is a work that, from our experience, people interpret in many unique ways. It encourages you to involve yourself without telling you what you should experience. It grew from our common interest in politics and the cycle of change, from in depth discussion and from our commonly held ideals. It places two boys in an uncertain environment, where their dreams slowly emerge through carefully chosen objects. It asks how much we are made of the dreams of our childhood.
DG - Have there been any changes/improvements made for the upcoming performance in London? ..is it ever changing?
MR - At Resolution! We will be presenting the third incarnation of the work. This reflects both that it will never be finished (as most work isn't) and also that both Toby and I can't put it down, its become such a big part of my consciousness since we began it. As with all my previous work, once I begin thinking about it, I find it very hard to stop.
So the third version involves lots of shoes, some jam and a balloon (perhaps). But by the day of the performance who knows what changes will have come along, knowing us we will be tweaking right up until the last minute.
DG - The dance itself involves a lot of contact between the two performers. What draws you to this kind of choreography?
MR - I guess contact between people is very visceral for an audience, two people touching can say so much. The work very much takes the audience on a journey that these two boys are experiencing together, it is a journey which we create for ourselves and also facilitate for the other person. The work treads the fine line between whether we are facilitating the others experience, controlling it, or destroying it. Touch plays a huge part in this.
We have tried to create an environment which shifts between playful, intimidating and dangerous, I guess our degrees of contact reflect these various states. We did however consciously decide that we didn't want generic contact work or contact that is superfluous, it is only there if we think it needs to be.
DG - Have any particular dancers, choreographers, companies inspired you in creating this piece?
MR - Well I'm sure subconsciously I have been inspired by many things I have seen this year, its very hard to pin them down. My job inspires me every day so I guess my greatest influence has been Scottish Dance Theatre, I'm aware this is a very easy answer. Our repertoire is diverse, it certainly keeps us on our toes and open to change. This ethos has permeated our process on many levels.
DG - Who do you rate on the current dance scene?
MR - Well a very positive thing about being based in Scotland is that I feel we get a different view of the London-centric dance scene (however I'm also aware we miss out on some things).
I saw some videos of Thomas Noone from Barcelona, his work looks very interesting to me, I know he was on in London not long ago but I didn't manage to see it.
I think James Wilton has great success ahead of him, he was in my year at LCDS and since leaving has done well for himself very quickly with a very physically intense movement vocabulary. (Both he and Scott Jennings with Lewis Wilkins are at Resolution! And should be given a look).
People should also look out for the Hiru Dance Organisation and The Trumpet Creepers. They are made up of people from my year at LCDS, and although I've seen nothing live they seem to be up to some very interesting and engaging work, plus they are all lovely people.
Liv Lorents work also always touches me in its honesty (I was lucky enough to perform Luxuria, one of her works for SDT), and her latest work Blood, Sweat and Tears has many very beautiful moments.
DG - And what's next for you?
MR - Well my focus is my career at Scottish Dance Theatre as a dancer. Performing is my greatest passion and SDT has already changed me so much and continues to offer me such exciting challenges. In any spare moments I have a few choreographic ideas, one of which is for small-site installations around Dundee. We are very proud to call Dundee our home, it has such a rich history, some beautiful old architecture and an upcoming arts community. I'm hoping to take some dance out into areas of Dundee you wouldn't expect to find it, I'd love this to spark interest among people who don't think dance theatre is for them, or are unaware they have a dance company based in their city. It's just an idea, and requires planning, but I love a challenge.
Also I've been offered the incredible opportunity to (with Joan Cleville, another SDT Dancer) visit Bergen for a meeting of young choreographers working in repertory companies across Europe. Its being organised by RepNet, a network of like minded dance companies of which Scottish Dance Theatre is a member. Before that I plan on doing a few choreographic experiments for myself to get my mind in gear for discussing my ideas about choreography.
But January 15th is the date on my mind right now. It is such an adventure for Toby and I to be taking this work to The Place. We have invested so much into it and hope to see the auditorium full of both familiar and new faces. Please come and chat after the show, I'm always so intrigued by how people perceive this work. I really hope everyone finds something in it for them.
Tickets are available to see 'Some Other Future' on
020 7121 1100
