Billed as a snapshot of a decade of British contemporary dance, the Video Place at the Place Theatre, London, aims to promote ground-breaking dance forms by recording performances of national and international work.
But until now copyright agreements have precluded distribution rights, making the video tape collection available for reference only. “It’s great if you live in Camden or Islington and can bring your class down to see work, but it’s impossible for teachers living in Hull or Barrow-in-Furness,” says director Anita Belli.
Now the new “Spring Re-loaded” video collection aims to redress the balance, focusing on The Place’s annual “Spring Loaded” showcase for British artists at the cutting edge of contemporary dance. Video tapes of all eight recordings of performances from the 1994 season can be bought from a subsidised, low-budget series, accompanied by three contextual essays for dance teachers coming from a physical education or drama background.
A direct, two-camera mixed version does not reinterpret the work but does capture the spontaneity of live performance.
“The aim is to bring a broad cross-section of British independent dance to the classroom, so that research in dance studies can be more easily undertaken. We don’t pretend to offer expensive education packs, but provide teachers with the opportunity to see work they might otherwise not be able to, and stimulate young audiences.”
The Video Place also has stage recordings, dance documentaries, “video dance” created for film or TV and an archive library of dance works recreated for BBC TV since the Seventies, from DV8 to the Royal Ballet.
Video Place, 17 Dukes Rd, London WClH 9AB, tel: 0171 383 0516. Reference libraryviewing room (free) Mon-Fri 10.30am-5.30pm; catalogue Pounds 3; Spring Re-loaded collection Pounds 12.50 per video, with concessions for the package; preview tape Pounds 5, refundable against first purchase.
