Square Dances
Square Dances was commissioned by Dance Umbrella in association with Rosemary Lee Projects and Artsadmin, supported by the Place and Arts Council England, and sponsored by Bloomberg.
A major outdoor and large scale performance, Square Dances involved over 200 dancers of all ages. Spanning four central London squares, this large-scale cross-generational work was presented over one weekend in October as part of Dance Umbrella 2011.
Created for four squares in central London, the pieces could be viewed in any order by walking from square to square. Each square had its own distinctive cast including both professional and non-professional dancers – one hundred women in Gordon Square, ten children in Woburn, thirty five men in Brunswick and twenty third-year students from London Contemporary Dance School in Queen. Each work was performed six times a day over one weekend.
“One of the most artfully conceived and executed community dance events I’ve seen.”
“Quietly subversive and disarming, Square Dances enacted gentle freedoms; freedom to move, freedom to be still and free to watch.”
“All in all, an unforgettable re-casting of London’s lovely topography.”
“Beautiful – deeply affecting piece – we really loved it and wanted it to go on and on.”
Direction and choreography by Rosemary Lee
Deputy Choreographer: Henrietta Hale
Rehearsal directors: Thomas Goodwin, Fiona Millward, Ruth Pethybridge, Lauren Potter
Music conceived by Rosemary Lee, Woburn Square by Terry Mann
Costume supervision by Louise Belson
Produced by Dance Umbrella
Photos by Hugo Glendinning
A reflective text written about the creative process of Square Dances by Katja Nyqvist:
‘Urban Encounters and Collective Intimacy in Rosemary Lee’s Square Dances’ SDHS online Conference proceedings for ‘Dance and the Social City’, June 2012:
