DeNada Seeks Dancers for Creation of New Production: Edward II
DeNada Dance Theatre (choreographer Carlos Pons Guerra) seeks dancers for the research and development of its new full length production: a queer dance adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s play, Edward II.
Narrating the tragic story of the real English king who was in love with his male court favourite, Pierce Gaveston, Marlowe’s play is a dramatic, bloody and poetic text that raises questions about queerness in relation to power, ability, class and race. Written in the 1590’s, Edward II resonates with many of the issues the LGBTQIA+ community is facing today.
We would love to hear from dancers of any gender definition with excellent contemporary and good classical techniques, with at least two years of professional experience. As this will mostly be a creative workshop process, we are looking for articulate dancers with personality, physical theatricality, generosity and willingness to play and engage intellectually. We welcome other performance skills such as drag, circus, voguing, heels and more; and are keen to hear from dancers whose lived experience may resonate with the themes we’re exploring.
Dates
Dancers must be available for most of the following dates:
W/c 11th March: rehearsal week, Barnsley
W/c 18th March: rehearsal week, Barnsley (including Saturday)
W/c 29 April: rehearsal week, Doncaster (including Saturday)
Fees
Following current Equity/ITC guidelines. Travel, accommodation and holiday pay included.
All funding is confirmed.
All dancers must be based in the UK and have the right to work in the UK.
To Apply:
We are inviting expressions of interest from dancers and will hold online interviews with selected candidates.
To express interest, please email:
An updated CV with headshot
A clear, current video of your dancing
Availability for rehearsal dates
A brief personal statement, introducing yourself, your interest in the project, plus any relevant experience. This could be sent in writing, video or audio formats.
Expressions of interest should be sent to audition@denada-dance.com by Jan 14 2024.
Online interviews to take place w/c Jan 17 and w/c Jan 24 at mutually agreed dates.
About DeNada Dance Theatre:
DeNada Dance Theatre is an independent LGBTQ+ dance company fully committed to the promotion of diversity and inclusion of non-normative identities. Founded in 2013, our purpose is to voice underrepresented narratives through high quality dance, performing work in a variety of contexts to offer visibility and representation to the LGBTQ+ community. Stemming from our Hispanic and Latinx heritage, the company also promotes transcultural relations and celebrates the cultural diversity of the audiences we perform for, and the artists we work with.
DeNada creates narrative dance works that through highly theatrical, vigorously physical and impactfully poignant productions reflect queer and transcultural experience. We believe in the magic of theatre to create new and exciting worlds; in transporting our audiences to new, absurd and fantastical universes of new possibilities. Our work aims to entertain and transport, to transform and excite, to challenge and question. The dance works we create entice and delight, while opening doors to new ways of thinking about our world.
More information: www.denada-dance.com
About Edward II
Following Mariposa: a Queer Tragedy Inspired by Puccini’s Madame Butterfly (★★★★ FINANCIAL TIMES), DeNada embarks on its new full length production for adults, a queer adaptation of Marlowe’s Edward II. Marlowe’s play narrates the real-life story of King Edward II, a medieval English king who was in love with his male court favourite, Pierce Gaveston. Their love caused scandal at court and was one of the reasons for the civil war that ultimately led to the murdering of both Edward and Gaveston. Marlowe’s play dramatizes these events with his characteristic poetry, ambiguity and elevated sense of tragedy.
Choreographer Carlos Pons Guerra says:
“I’ve been spending a lot of time with Edward II over the last couple of years and for me, it is very clear that what happens in the play between Edward and Gaveston is love: they are a couple deeply in love with each other who have to face a court that opposes them in every way. The play feels very current because although written in the sixteenth century, it raises important questions about queerness in relation to class, race and ability which are important issues the LGBTQIA+ community is grappling with now.
More importantly, what Edward II tell us is that queer people have always existed, and can be found throughout history. The isolation I felt growing up as a young queer person who didn’t know others like him existed, especially in high school, still has effects on how I experience the world today. That’s why I believe it is important to explore these historical cultural works with young people. Not just to celebrate the cultural diversity that is available (and often gets excluded from canons and school curricula), but also to affirm and feel by empowered by the idea that we queers have always been here, are not anomalies, and are capable of achieving great things.”