The relationship between dance and surrealism remains a largely unexplored area of study. However, pioneers of contemporary dance, such as Martha Graham, demonstrated the intersections and mutual influences between these two artistic forms. Surrealism and contemporary dance, despite originating from different artistic movements, share common threads in their exploration of the unconscious, dreams and the boundaries of reality and fantasy. During their Research and Development stage in June this year, company dancers Dorna Ashory and Teige Bisnought delved deeper into the connections between dance and surrealism.

Can you describe your research process? 

We started by drawing from art that spoke to us, whether from paintings, films, books, or music. We tried to focus on art that portrayed humanity within the framework of surrealism. These findings provided great inspiration for the work we did.

How did you find expressing your vision with your fellow company dancers? 

A rewarding challenge. We found that what was most valuable was not creating a rigid vision in our heads but something more malleable. This involved input from the bodies and minds of the individuals in the space. The ideas we had connected with our peers and this sparked a dialogue which fueled the further development of our vision.

What personal growth or new understanding have you gained through this project? 

We have gained a lot of insight and new understandings during this Research and Development. For example, we’ve seen how creating a work can feel like problem-solving, especially in creating a cohesive work. We had lots of ideas that we loved and bringing them together was like working on a dance jigsaw puzzle. Seeing certain ideas fit together proved extremely satisfying and beautiful.