The Fugitive Gaze
The Fugitive Gaze was a dance performance that took place in October 2014 within the external and internal space at the Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre, under the direction of choreographer Alex Howard.
The dance performance was created from experience gathered in situ over as much as a year to reflect the wide ranging aspects of these visits – the wetlands environment, the birds themselves, their migration patterns, the weather, the wind, the stars, the temperature variations and more. Wider implications of migration are still being explored including the impact of our use on the air space that the wildfowl inhabit.
As well as the dance, our visits involved a programme of research. This information, in the form of notes, photographs and a variety of visual media, was the basis of an exhibition to complement the dance performance. In addition, two dancer/researchers created an independent work ‘Way Pieces’ to accompany the main work.
The months of research and preparation resulted in the creation of a full public dance performance at Slimbridge. This marked and celebrated the 50 year anniversary of the beginning of Sir Peter Scott’s Bewick Swan study in February 1964 – one of the longest running research projects of a single species in the world. It developed and built on the familiar link with Swan Lake and created a totally new work for the 21st century.
Choreographer: Alex Howard
Dancers: Luke Antysz, Aifric ní Chaoimh, Timothy Clark, Fiona Millward, Daniel Persson, Petra Söör.
Way Pieces
Two dancers, Katye Coe and Laila Diallo were commissioned to research and produce a complementary work – Way Pieces – which paved the way for the performance of Without Measure and formed a visual introduction.
WWT Slimbridge Wetlands Centre
Since 1946, WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre has been conserving wetland wildlife and educating the public in the Gloucestershire area. The first Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre to be opened, WWT Slimbridge has been the focus of the Bewick’s Swan Study, one of the longest running studies of a single species in the world, and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2014.
Working closely with the Without Measure team, they are hoping to bring in new audiences, and encourage visitors to consider how human interaction in the natural environment affects wildlife.