Wayne McGregor Random Dance Company
Encyclopedia
Wayne McGregor | Random Dance was founded in 1992, then Random Dance, and became the instrument upon which Wayne McGregor
evolved his drastically fast and articulate choreographic style
. It was during his major trilogy The Millennarium (1997), Sulphur 16 (1998) and Aeon (2000) that the company became a byword for its radical approach to new technology – incorporating animation, digital film, 3D architecture, electronic sound and virtual dancers into the live choreography. Collaborations with leading multi-disciplinary artists enriched Random’s futurist aesthetic and dramatically enlarged the possibilities of dance.
One such collaboration was with a group of students from the renowned National Centre for Computer Animation
(NCCA) at Bournemouth University
in 2001. The students spent six months working on an animation sequence for Random Dance's 10th anniversary production Nemesis, which toured through 40 countries internationally. After several other collaborations with the Random Dance, one of the students, Mark Hatchard
, formed his own successful animation and design company, Hotbox Studios and events staffing company Hotbox Events
.
In 2002, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance was invited to become Resident Company at Sadler's Wells Theatre
. The theatre had recently been rebuilt as the UK’s leading dance house and the invitation acknowledged Random’s own status as one of Britain’s most important modern dance companies.
Technology has also been crucial in Wayne McGregor | Random Dance’s project to deliver dance to the public in new ways. Among the company’s groundbreaking projects have been webcast
ing live performances, and exploring broadband (ATM) bi-directional performance where two companies perform simultaneously in different parts of the world. The results are experienced by both live and on-line audiences. It has also incorporated technology into its outreach work, which is high on the creative agenda. The company’s creative learning team engages hundreds of young people each year in school and community projects that focus on the creation of new work.
Regularly supported by the British Council
, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance tour frequently to some of the most prestigious world theatres, Het Musiektheater, Amsterdam
; Lyon Opera
; Tel Aviv
Opera; Lincoln Center, New York
and Dansens Hus, Stockholm
. The company’s European tours have ranged from Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium and Holland to Poland, Hungary, Cyprus and Turkey. Wayne McGregor | Random Dance has also performed in Russia, Israel, Japan, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Colombia, North America and Australia. In 2002 it became the first British dance company ever to tour central Asia and the Caucasus
. The company has also made several television appearances including Nemesis (BBC4
2002), Dice Life (Channel 4
, 2004) and Dyad 1909 (BBC4
2009).
In 2003 McGregor was appointed Research Fellow of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge
. AtaXia (2004), arose from the six months he worked with the department exploring the interface between mind and body. Amu (2005), Entity (2008) and now Dyad 1909 (2009 ), continues the company’s association with art and science collaborations.
Wayne McGregor
Wayne McGregor CBE is a British choreographer of contemporary modern dance. His work is highly distinctive in its vocabulary of movement, for its integration of dance with film and visual art, and for his active interest and incorporation of computer technology and biological science...
evolved his drastically fast and articulate choreographic style
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
. It was during his major trilogy The Millennarium (1997), Sulphur 16 (1998) and Aeon (2000) that the company became a byword for its radical approach to new technology – incorporating animation, digital film, 3D architecture, electronic sound and virtual dancers into the live choreography. Collaborations with leading multi-disciplinary artists enriched Random’s futurist aesthetic and dramatically enlarged the possibilities of dance.
One such collaboration was with a group of students from the renowned National Centre for Computer Animation
National Centre for Computer Animation
The National Centre for Computer Animation is part of the Media School at Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1989, it is often regarded as one of the best UK institutions available for study in the field of computer graphics, offering both undergraduate and postgraduate degree...
(NCCA) at Bournemouth University
Bournemouth University
Bournemouth University is a university in and around the large south coast town of Bournemouth, UK...
in 2001. The students spent six months working on an animation sequence for Random Dance's 10th anniversary production Nemesis, which toured through 40 countries internationally. After several other collaborations with the Random Dance, one of the students, Mark Hatchard
Mark Hatchard
Mark Hatchard is a director of the Hotbox Studios animation and design company and is involved with the contemporary arts and music festival group, Festival Republic, through Hotbox Studios' sister company Hotbox Events...
, formed his own successful animation and design company, Hotbox Studios and events staffing company Hotbox Events
Hotbox Events
Hotbox Events is a company that recruits and manages staff and volunteers for UK festivals such as the Leeds Festival, Reading Festival, Latitude Festival and The Big Chill...
.
In 2002, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance was invited to become Resident Company at Sadler's Wells Theatre
Sadler's Wells Theatre
Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue located in Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington. The present day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500 seat main auditorium and the Lilian Baylis Studio, with extensive...
. The theatre had recently been rebuilt as the UK’s leading dance house and the invitation acknowledged Random’s own status as one of Britain’s most important modern dance companies.
Technology has also been crucial in Wayne McGregor | Random Dance’s project to deliver dance to the public in new ways. Among the company’s groundbreaking projects have been webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
ing live performances, and exploring broadband (ATM) bi-directional performance where two companies perform simultaneously in different parts of the world. The results are experienced by both live and on-line audiences. It has also incorporated technology into its outreach work, which is high on the creative agenda. The company’s creative learning team engages hundreds of young people each year in school and community projects that focus on the creation of new work.
Regularly supported by the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance tour frequently to some of the most prestigious world theatres, Het Musiektheater, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
; Lyon Opera
Opéra National de Lyon
Opéra National de Lyon is an opera company in Lyon, France which performs in the Nouvel Opéra, a modernized version in 1993 of the original 1831 opera house.The inaugural performance of François-Adrien Boïeldieu's La Dame blanche was given on 1 July 1831...
; Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
Opera; Lincoln Center, New York
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
and Dansens Hus, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. The company’s European tours have ranged from Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium and Holland to Poland, Hungary, Cyprus and Turkey. Wayne McGregor | Random Dance has also performed in Russia, Israel, Japan, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Colombia, North America and Australia. In 2002 it became the first British dance company ever to tour central Asia and the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. The company has also made several television appearances including Nemesis (BBC4
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
2002), Dice Life (Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, 2004) and Dyad 1909 (BBC4
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
2009).
In 2003 McGregor was appointed Research Fellow of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. AtaXia (2004), arose from the six months he worked with the department exploring the interface between mind and body. Amu (2005), Entity (2008) and now Dyad 1909 (2009 ), continues the company’s association with art and science collaborations.
Works
- Dyad 1909 (2009)
- Entity (2008)
- Ossein (2005)
- Amu (2005)
- AtaXia (2004)
- Polar Sequences (2003)
- Alpha (2003)
- Nemesis (2002)
- digit01 (2001)
- Aeon (2000)
- Sulphur 16 (1998)
- The Millennarium (1997)
- 8 Legs of the Devil (1996)
- Cyborg (1995)
- Jacob’s Membrane (1995)
- For Bruising Archangel (1995)
- AnArkos (1995)
- Sever (1995)
- Xeno 1 2 3 (1993)