I am working on a new score for Stopgap Dance Company! They require 3 seperate tracks for 3 dance solos, which are to be filmed, so I am thinking more in terms of a soundtrack than a live score. Chris Pavia will be choreographing the movement. So far I have been experimenting with horse sounds, such as galloping and breaths, to create some interesting rhythm ideas as a foundation to start building the music around.

Domenico Angarano masterminded and produced an album of work to showcase the composing talents of the musicians at The London Contemporary Dance School. Each piece had to reflect the sort of work we produce for daily exercises in ballet and contemporary class. While dance accompaniment requires a large degree of improvisation, this gave us the opportunity to flesh out some of our improvisations into fully realised tracks. My own contribution was a short piano piece, Study in F Sharp Minor.

You can listen to the entire album here.

This project has turned into a enormous task , with many rewrites and late nights as I have to send new tracks to my collaborators in China so they have them for the morning. They wake up when I need to go to bed! But I know it will be worth it. It is a terrific opportunity and choreographer Annarita Mazzilli has created some beautiful movement. Above are some images and sounds from one of the sections. The entire score can be heard here.

I built these acoustic absorption panels (as you do), but have nowhere to put them in my small flat, so musician and friend Ronen Kozokaro has made good use of them. I felt very chuffed when he sent these pics of them mounted to the wall in his newly constructed home studio.

An evening at the Capitol in Horsham of 3 Stopgap works with music by me! I am so grateful to this wonderful dance company for creating so many opportunites for me as a composer. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with them again.

https://www.thecapitolhorsham.com/whats-on/all-shows/stopgap-dance-a-space-in-gravity/15242

Spent a fun and educational day mixing The Journey Between with Chris Marsh. He has vastly improved the overall impact of the track.

I am currently composing a 60 minute score for the Jinan Dance Project, a new choreography which will be touring throughout China. I began my journey with a fun trip to Ray Man’s in Chalk Farm to try out some instruments. I bought a yueqin, de-fu-lo (both related to mandolins), di-zi (small flute), temple blocks and bells.

I feel very privilaged to have been invited to work with Stopgap Dance Company again. I am creating the music and soundscape for a new 20 minute outdoor space-themed piece The Journey Between, choreographed by dancer Chris Pavia, and which will be touring in the early summer. I am also working on a 10 minute curtain raiser Space in Gravity.

Stopgap Dance Company’s 2013 indoor piece Artificial Things was reimagined into a beautiful dance film directed by Sophie Fiennes, and a substantial section of my original score was used. You can watch it here!

I have recently found some time to continue orchestrating my ballet Thumbelina.  As is often the case with personal projects that aren’t written as part of a commission, and without looming deadlines, it is sometimes difficult finding the motivation to get it finished. But I am enjoying working on it while I have the opportunity.