Flow, Shadows, and Filming
Filming dance is about watching carefully; knowing when to move, when to hold back, and how to let the camera serve the choreography by choosing where to position your audience. When I was invited to film Kay Crook’s new work Winged Beast for Mapdance ahead of their touring season, the aim was to create a short teaser that could capture the feeling of the piece: something atmospheric and immersive to draw in audiences through theatre foyers, websites, and beyond.
There was no stage - no set - but that didn’t mean we couldn’t create something with real presence.
The Space (and its limitations)
Chichester University’s Dance Studio 1 was the setting, which is a great space for rehearsal, but less forgiving when it comes to camera angles. Three out of four walls weren’t visually usable (unless you are particularly partial to signposted exits and nomadic fire extinguishers), which meant a lot of rethinking. I leaned into darker backgrounds and shaped sightlines around key moments, always trying to preserve the illusion of depth and atmosphere. This was a recreation of Greek mythology and legend, after all. And I for one don't remember the one about Theseus and the Minotaur and the fire extinguisher...
In the absence of staging, lighting became a pivotal part of that illusion. With the piece still in development and no lighting state set as yet, I stepped in as gaffer alongside Lighting Designer (and local hero) Natalie Rowland. We used side-lighting from the theatre rig to sculpt the dancers and give the piece shape. Natalie, who is particularly well-versed in lighting for Dance, recommended some fantastic coloured gel choices to make the costumes pop. Above all, it was side-lighting that mattered. It’s not a hidden fundamental in technical Dance - if you want to see the detail in the body, the tension, release, and weight shifts, you need light with direction.
The Process
Ahead of the shoot, I spent time in rehearsals with Kay, getting a feel for the structure and the shifting energy of the piece. My workflow is rhythm-based. I look for the cuts you don’t see… twists of the body, rolls or releases… natural, body-led edits and cut-tos; ones that let you feel like you’re still inside or between the moment. So the way I move the camera is just as choreographed as the dancers themselves.
With 14 performers in the room, we had to be aware of each other. Dancers are incredibly spatially tuned in, but having a camera weaving through their midst mid-movement takes trust. I stayed close to the edge of the action, never interrupting, always reacting. We developed a kind of unspoken dance-within-a-dance. My movement mirrored their momentum. If they spun, I turned. If they paused, I let the frame settle. One exciting moment presented itself halfway through the performance when a dancer was thrown towards the camera. They narrowly missed the camera, and the dancers behind were left shocked, thinking she had hurt herself as she fell to the floor. It was so genuine, it became the end of the promo!
Outcome: What the Client Got
Mapdance needed more than documentation. They needed something they could be proud to show and something that reflected the effort going into the work. Importantly, something that caught the essence of Winged Beast and not just a video of 14 dancers in a rehearsal room. The teaser we created gave them a clean, flowing, and intentionally lit representation of Kay’s piece. Something they could take to venues, Producers, Funders, or just hit play in the foyer. (what do you mean?) It was also eye-catching enough to make those Insta warrior doom-scrollers pause mid flow!
The footage captured movement, yes. But more importantly, it gave a sense of energy, scale, and connection. Not just a record, but a reflection.
For me, that’s what makes projects like this so worthwhile, and reminds me that while video can never be the physical Arts, video is a beautiful artform in its own right.
