MurleyDance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2014

[Jan McNulty]

MurleyDance returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with: Object of My Affection   

MurleyDance explore the emotional attachments we form with objects, from technology to trinkets and treasures Choreographed by David Murley, Anthony Kurt-Gabel and Richard Chappell  Greenside, Nicolson Square, Edinburgh  Performances: August 1st-23rd @ 18h25  

MurleyDance return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with three pieces from upcoming and established choreographers in a show that examines the relationships we form with objects, from chairs to iPods to thrones to our most treasured photos.  Which would we hate to lose more, the phone we rely on every day or our grandmother’s ring that never leaves its box? Why does a throne hold so much power? And can you form an attachment to a person you may never meet?  

MurleyDance is a London-based modern ballet dance company fusing classical technique with theatricality, and it is the only professional ballet company appearing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The company will present 21 performances of Object of My Affection at Greenside, Nicolson Square before embarking on an Autumn tour of an entirely new programme, Hail Britannia, that features four pieces that will celebrate multicultural Britain.  MurleyDance debuted in February 2012 in Resolution! at The Place, and have since appeared at Rough and Tumble, Spiral Arts Festival, Resolution! 2013, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013. The company also toured its Triple Bill nationally in Autumn 2013.   

Object of My Affection received its world premiere on 27th April 2014 at London’s Shaw Theatre before touring to Aberdeen, Newtownabbey (Belfast) and Londonderry. The company’s Artistic Director David Murley presents his study of status and sentiment with Seated, considering the power of a monarch’s throne and a matriarch’s armchair, how an American diner’s stool brings people together and whether there’s any romance in a flat pack from Ikea. French choreographer and international soloist Anthony Kurt-Gabel explores the imaginary, intense and emotional journey of two people who catch sight of each other but realise that they may never meet, inspired by Baudelaire’s poem A une passante. Nineteen year old up- and-coming talent Richard Chappell’s piece Into Decay explores the objects that rule our lives: the gadgets and gizmos that we “can’t do without”, the houses we live in, the purely sentimental items; but as they fall apart, what do we strive to repair? Should we rely so much on technology, and are we doing so at the cost of more meaningful attachments?  

David Murley said “We are delighted to be returning to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe following our successful debut in 2013.The Object of My Affection is the first time that MurleyDance has presented a programme with a central thematic concept that is reflected in each of the three pieces.  By exploring how we can all too easily become attached to material possessions that dictate the course of our lives or how human affection can go unfulfilled we will be presenting a performance of classically-inspired dance that will be both entertaining and thought-provoking.

"Our work is rooted in the technical discipline of classical dance but we also want to produce original, narrative-based works that challenge convention whilst also entertaining audiences. I am really excited by the originality of the pieces our choreographers have created and the extraordinary talents of our ten-strong company of dancers. Our aim is to be a classically-based repertory company that brings thought-provoking new works to audiences both in the UK and internationally."  

David Murley has previously performed internationally with companies including The Royal Opera, English National Opera, Grange Park Opera and Glyndebourne Festival and Touring Opera.  David has also performed as a dancer in Filth and Wisdom (2008), written and directed by Madonna, Mammoth Productions, the BBC, ITV, Vertigo Films and director Mike Leigh. His choreographic credits include MurleyDance Autumn UK Tour 2013 Triple Bill Programme, MurleyDance Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013 Double Bill Programme, Spiral Arts Festival 2012, Rough and Tumble, and Resolution! 2012 and 2013.   

Anthony Kurt-Gabel trained at Conservatoire Nationale de Musique et de Danse d'Avignon.  After graduation, Anthony was a soloist at Badisches Staatsballett in Karlsruhe, Germany and has danced with English National Ballet, Tetsuya Kumakawa's K-Ballet company in Japan, Victor Ullate Company in Spain, Henri Oguike Company, The Royal Opera, English National Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Anthony's choreographic credits include Abusing Love and Ellipsis at The Place, London, M4Medusa and I Am Not....performed as part of ArTELIER at the Bridewell Theatre, London. His most recent piece, Frame, performed by his company fiftyfifty was part of Resolution! 2014 at The Place.   
At 19 years old, Richard Chappell has already gained choreographic and artistic direction experience with National Youth Ballet, The Linbury Studio Theatre and formed his own company, Richard Chappell Dance.  Richard will be choreographing for English National Ballet Youth Company, MurleyDance Autumn 2014 and Richard Chappell Dance later this year. 

www.murleydance.com | @MurleyDance | #objectofmyaffection Videos: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlgALpA57Q8  

Running Time: 60 minutes  | Suitable for all ages

 

Company Information  Choreographed by David Murley, Richard Chappell and Anthony Kurt-Gabel 

Dancers Alexandra Cameron-Martin, Georgina Connolley, Eloïse Hymas, Simona Marsibilio, Monica Tapiador, Joshua Royal, Gabrele Santoni, Ashley Selfe, Naomi Shimon, Dylan Waddell 

 

MurleyDance’s company trained as schools including Royal Ballet School, Northern School of Ballet, Central School of Ballet, Teatro alla Scala - Milan, Rosella Hightower School – Cannes. 

[Jan McNulty]

Here's a gallery from the Company website

[Jan McNulty]

PRESS RELEASE

30/07/2014

A PLIÉ FOR REPRESENTATION

 

‘A scarcity of ballet at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is preventing career advancement for many upcoming dancers’ says Artistic Director, David Murley.

 

Hosting more than 3000 shows, and labelled as the ‘World’s Largest Arts Festival’, you would expect more than just two ballet performances.

 

David Murley, Artistic Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s only professional ballet company believes that there is an audience for ballet at the Fringe: “I am amazed just how underrepresented ballet is. When most people think of the Fringe, they think comedy, and for good reason. But there is undoubtedly demand for original and thought-provoking ballet presented to the highest level of technical discipline. This is our second year in Edinburgh and we have had to move to a venue with more than double the capacity we had last year simply because of high audience demand and lack of direct competition!”.

 

This year MurleyDance are presenting ‘Object of My Affection’, three new pieces which explore the deep and unbreakable relationships we form with objects, such as technology, people and our homes. As a company founded by former professional dancer, David Murley, the piece will feature a high standard of technical dance movement, coupled with original and creative storytelling laced with deeper meaning throughout.

 

 “The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a platform that has spring-boarded so many careers, yet upcoming classical-based companies and dancers are just not taking advantage of it. More specifically, they are not being given the opportunity to take advantage of it!” David continues.

 

“There’s an accepted wisdom that to be a success you have to get into the Royal Ballet or English National Ballet, but the reality is very different. There are hundreds of talented dancers but only limited spaces at the established companies. At MurleyDance, we are like ‘ballet-entrepreneurs’. Instead of presenting the over-competitive classical repertoire, we are focusing on presenting new works that showcase the extraordinary talents of dancers, choreographers, designers and composers. Through this approach we provide opportunities for upcoming talent to perform to new audiences”.

 

Amongst MurleyDance’ s upcoming stars is 19-year old choreographer, Richard Chappell whose piece, Into Decay, is the final piece in MurleyDance’ s ‘Object of My Affection’.  

 

Richard says “My ambition was to be both a contemporary and classical choreographer, but in most classical ballet companies there are extremely limited opportunities for young choreographers. MurleyDance have given me the first step, and now I am excited to have my work showcased in front of an international audience at such an exciting event!”.

 

MurleyDance are performing Object of My Affection at Greenside Venue, Nicholson Square between the 1^st and 23^rd of August. For more information visit www.murleydance.com.

 

Notes to Editor:

MurleyDance is a London based modern ballet dance company, fusing classical technique with theatricality. Founded in 2011 by former National Ballet and Glyndebourne Festival Dancer, David Murley, the company is the only professional ballet company attending the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

 

MurleyDance debuted in February 2012 in Resolution! at The Place, and have since appeared at Rough and Tumble, Spiral Arts Festival, Resolution! 2013, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013. The company also toured its Triple Bill nationally in Autumn 2013. Further information can be found at www.MurleyDance.com

[LupusMelis]

Thanks for posting these, Janet. Would you mind if I shared the link to my DanceMuse interview with David Murley here? Seems relevant: http://dancemuse.org/2014/08/20/a-quick-chat-with-murley-dance/

[Sim]

I remember seeing Miami City Ballet perform Nutcracker at the Edinburgh Festival in 1995. A lovely performance, but weird walking out of the theatre into sunny, 80 degree heat!

 

I agree with David Burley's comments above.