My experiences of working as a performer and choreographer on costume for performance projects has been very inspiring. Creating movement and performance from a costume is an exciting way of working which draws on my dance theatre skills. This process feeds into my collaborative practice, challenging me to work with concepts that do not originate from my own vision, whilst the costume itself can require a lot of practical problem solving, e.g. how to move in complex and restrictive costumes. Choreographing for costume requires a lot of consideration of the narrative and emotional journey of the character, being true to ‘real’ human gestures and reactions to make the performance believable, even if the concept and world of the character is abstract.
I plan to engage in a future collaboration with costume designer Nadia Malik to create an outdoor costume-based performance to continue this practical line of research.
Orlando – Costume Designer: Lisa Duncan Photographer: Alex Traylen
Silversmith Dance Theatre 