James Cousins Company Online

James Cousins Company was set up six years ago as a vehicle for the choreographer’s experimental approach to dance and movement. The winner of the original 2011 New Adventures Choreographer Award, James Cousins has since made his mark on the dance scene, so much so his work is now part of the GCSE dance syllabus.

During lockdown, James Cousins Company is releasing three short films on successive Wednesdays on the company’s Facebook page.

Wednesday 6 May, 10am: Within Her Eyes
This 15-minute piece is a duet, where the woman never touches the ground. It’s based on the stage production, but re-configured for the screen, without losing its hypnotic quality. It’s danced by Lisa Welham and Aaron Vickers to a score by Seymour Milton.

Wednesday 13 May, 10am: The Secret of Having It All
The stage version of this work was originally a double-hander, but in adapting it for the screen, James Cousins has turned it into a very short (two-and-a-half-minute) solo for George Frampton. Set to a specially created score by Torben Lars Sylvest and spoken word by the British-Egyptian writer Sabrina Mahfouz, it follows the dancer as she fights to understand and discover a new way of being.

Last year’s stage performances of Within Her Eyes and The Secret of Having It All at The Place were reviewed by Culture Whisper. Read our reviews here.

Wednesday 20 May, 10am: Clothes to Cover
Dancers Amy Hollingsworth and Meshach Henry entwine and connect through layers of clothing in this two-and-a-half-minute film. Made in response to poetry by Sabrina Mahfouz, the movement is set to an original composition by GAIKA.

NOTE: Each premiere will be launched with an accompanying creative task specifically aimed at GCSE, BTEC and A-level students to link with their scheme of work and home learning.