John Kendall in residence

JOHN KENDALL is a Freelance dance artist based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. John graduated from The Place in 2011 where he was a member of The Place postgraduate touring company EDge. Since graduating John has delivered his practise either as a performer, teacher or creative collaborator with a range of independent choreographers and professional companies across the UK and abroad including Lost Dog Dance, BalletLORENT, Joan Cleville Dance, Cafe Fuerte, Logiudice Dance Company, Roa Dans, Red Ladder Theatre Company, Southpaw. 

He will be in residence at Dance Limerick for a week with collaborator ALEX ROWLAND. Alex is a freelance dance artist whose movement practice stems from Breaking (Breakdance) and Contemporary movement vocabularies. Alex Graduated from Northern Contemporary Dance School in 2011. He continued to complete a post – graduate degree with Nothern’s touring company Verve. Since graduating Alex has worked with companies and independent artists including 2faced Dance Company, Surface Area Dance Theatre, TrashDolly’s, Peter Groom, Logiudice Dance Company and Southpaw. 

During this residency, John and Alex will further their research into contemporary traditional folk dancing, approaching it from a surrealist satirical angle. They are intrigued by dances, narratives and myths created in their infancy by early human society worshipping ‘nature’s beings’. This reliance on nature and their environment to survive spawned early religious practice and evidence of humankind attempting to co – exist or connect with the non – human world. As society has grown that focus of worship has changed. Societies have become more hierarchical and a reliance on instrumental technologies has developed. Society’s god’s have become humanised worshipping their own instead of non – human powers.  

They’re intrigued in exploring this change connecting the past and present and the human and non – human worlds through a surreal satirical gaze using two characters: Alex and John. Through meeting Alex and John, we will explore dances and narratives that are created from obscurity, lacking in historical reference or publication. Ones that are passed down through generations and performed by social groups without truly knowing the meaning behind it other than its what they’ve always done.  

Join pro morning class with John Friday 16th at 12pm. More info here.