Shakespearing Dance: creating dances for Shakespeare

"Shakespearing Dance: Working as a choreographer, movement director and dance consultant to create dances for Shakespeare"
Wednesday August 26th 2020
Speaker: Darren Royston
Description
The first folio of Shakespeare’s plays simply say “they dance.” This is the indication that Shakespeare’s players did dance as part of their performance, but as to the exact authentic historical dances, there is no information or evidence of specific choreographies. Today Shakespeare continues to be performed around the world with many different interpretations, different period settings, and total transformations. Even productions that consider original practice or present a period drama need to consider how an audience today will view early dance in a dramatic context. As a professional choreographer trained in historical dance I am required to consider historical research alongside the aesthetic choices determined by the style of the company, the director’s vision, the audience attending and, dare I say, the skills of the actors employed. Dance is a vital part of Shakespeare’s world, and not only contributes to the aesthetic, but also can assist in the portrayal of character, and dramatic narrative. This lecture will give you an insight into the artistic process that combines research, with creativity, and practical decision made during production, filled with anecdotes and examples of how Darren had to think on his feet (and with his feet), as dance was given his Shakespearean theatrical treatment!
Darren Royston

Darren Royston works internationally in theatre, opera, film and TV as a choreographer, movement director, dance consultant and director. First studying dance in Shakespeare as a student at Cambridge University, then receiving a distinction award in Dance Studies from Trinity Laban, Darren subsequently trained in early dance with many of the leading teachers in the UK, Europe and USA. Having become assistant to Peggy Dixon, he was appointed artistic director of Nonsuch History & Dance in 2005, and continues to teach and mentor students, working for two decades at drama schools and music colleges such as London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). In the UK, Darren has been appointed dance consultant at the National Theatre, the Old Vic, Royal Shakespeare Company, and choreographed for many theatre and opera companies, including The Lord Chamberlain’s Men – who use all-male actors and produce historically-informed productions in venues throughout the UK. His book is published by Bloomsbury Methuen RADA series: Dramatic Dance- An Actor’s Approach to Dance as a Dramatic Art.

Thumb nail at start of video: The Lord Chamberlains Men in Twelfth Night.
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