undisciplined Festival 2023: Dance with a Sharp Edge

Taking place 7-11 March, 2023, undisciplined is presented here at The Dance Space, at Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts and at The Old Market, with almost all tickets being offered on a Pay What You Can basis.

Featuring a programme predominantly by and about women, highlights of undisciplined include:

Wendy Houstoun’s WATCH IT! dubbed ‘quite possibly her last ever show’ combines projection, spoken word and idiosyncratic movement in a personal and irreverent solo work. 

Emilyn Claid’s Untitled is a new solo performance exploring the theme of transformation, that playfully embodies queering and ageing, teasing perceptions of what’s real and what’s imagined. 

Sue MacLaine’s I Maybe Sometime is an ‘expedition’ inspired by the true story of Anna Bagenholm who, due to protective hypothermia, survived being submerged in icy water for 80 minutes after a skiing accident. 

Lea Tirabasso’s Starving Dingoes is a piece for five dancers exploring the phenomenon of apoptosis, in which individual human or animal cells are programmed to die off for the benefit of the whole organism. 

Featuring fast-paced and slick dance routines, The Album by SAY breaks conventions of contemporary dance by bringing the infectious energy of music gigs to the dance world. 

Alongside performances from groundbreaking artists and choreographers is a provocative discussion about how dance companies Thick & Tight and Corali are working together to challenge stigma and elitism within dance and society. 

Artists Jo Fong and Sonia Hughes invite audiences to take time out of daily life and join them for a range of free events providing moments for people to meet, chat and reflect. Sonia also presents her live installation artwork about race, claiming space and belonging I am from Reykjavik.

Cath James, Artistic Director at South East Dance, says: “When money is tight and culture wars rage, it’s tempting for arts organisations to opt for safe programming. undisciplined is about challenging perceptions and definitions of dance, and presenting work that exists at the sharp edge of the artform.”