Science Oxford and the Manchester Science Festival team would like you to join us in unlocking the secret science of songs, an evening of science and music featuring a discussion with the experts on why we find certain songs catchier than others, including the #HookedonMusic Quiz and a silent disco.

Since developing the online game #HookedonMusic, leading cognition scientist from the University of Amsterdam, Dr Ashley Burgoyne has been analysing the data retrieved from people playing the game to unlock the secret of hooks. Why do we have to live with the fact that Spice Girls ‘Wannabe’ is voted the catchiest song of all time? Play the game and then join Science Oxford, Dr Ashley Burgoyne and Wellcome Trust Fellow Dr Erinma Ochu from the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester for an evening of scientific sing-alongs.

The bar will be open all evening.

7pm: Doors

8 – 8.45pm: Discussion about the #HookedonMusic citizen science project with Dr Ashley Burgoyne and Dr Erinma Ochu

8.45 – 9.15pm: #HookedonMusic Quiz

9.15 – 10pm: Silent Disco with #HookedonMusic’s catchiest tracks

10 – 11pm: Silent Disco D.J set

Wayne McGregor, Resident Choreographer, The Royal Ballet; Director, Random Dance, talks about his choreographic practice with Dr Phil Barnard, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (Cambridge) and Eckhard Thiemann (Arts Producer).
Free but booking essential.

This symposium offers an innovative and exciting ‘coming together’ of language teachers and teachers of the creative arts, asking the questions:
What does creativity mean to me? What do I do about it as a teacher? Why does it matter?
It will offer exciting new ideas for teaching language through dance, poetry, art and play; and will give participants opportunities to share and try out creative teaching ideas that connect language with other ‘intelligences’.
The plenary speakers are world-class creative educators both within and beyond the TESOL profession, including Jean Clark (dance educator), John Daniel (poet), Charlie Hadfield, Jill Hadfield, Chris Lima, Alan Maley, Amos Paran, Rachel Payne (art educator), Rob Pope, Jane Spiro and Nick Swarbrick (specialist in children’s play).

Fees include gourmet Friday evening meal & Saturday tapas lunch for all delegates.

Free, all welcome, no booking required.
After a week long residency choreographing to the ancient Greek text of Odyssey Book XI, Cathy Marston will discuss her approaches to adapting works of literature into dance performances with APGRD Visiting Scholar Tom Sapsford. Cathy will then also show and discuss the material which she has developed throughout the course of the week with performances from professional dancers Charlotte Broom and Aaron Vickers.

‘Slavoj Žižek, Grace, and Contemporary Dance’
Speaker: Renate Braeuninger (Northampton)

In his extensive reflections on German philosophy and German Idealism, particularly in ‘Less than Nothing’ (2012), Žižek alludes to ideas of ‘grace’ on a number of occasions. This talk considers the following questions: What are the concepts and ideas of grace that Žižek is exploring, and to what extent are they useful for research into dance? By looking at German Idealism through the lens of Žižek and by thinking about its relevance to dance we gain a mediated perspective on German Idealism, but one that also reflects contemporary understanding of the term ‘grace’.

Society for Dance Research/DANSOX presents a one-day conference on ‘The Role of the Choreographer in the Stage and Screen Musical’.
With distinguished keynote speeches from Dame Gillian Lynne, acclaimed British dancer, choreographer, and theatre/television director; and Professor Millie Taylor (University of Winchester). Dame Gillian Lynne will speak at 2pm. There will be a drinks reception after the conference.

Workshop with writer and performer Ahmed Masoud.
It follows his reading and performance of Home/Less.You can book tickets for the performance here.

Dabke (Arabic: دبكة‎) is a modern Levantine Arab folk circle dance of possible Canaanite or Phoenician origin. It is a dance performed in the Palestinian Territories, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and north Saudi Arabia . It is a form of both circle dance and line dancing and is widely performed at weddings and joyous occasions. The line forms from right to left. The leader of the dabke heads the line, alternating between facing the audience and the other dancers.

DANSOX presents:

Distinguished Guest Lecture
Alastair Macaulay, Chief Dance Critic, New York Times
‘Frederick Ashton: Steps, Stories, Style’

followed by drinks reception. Free but booking essential.

DANSOX presents:

Distinguished Guest Lecture by Alastair Macaulay, Chief Dance Critic, New York Times
‘Frederick Ashton: Steps, Stories, Style’

Wednesday 2nd March 2016, 5.30pm followed by drinks reception.

For further information contact susan.jones@ell.ox.ac.uk or go to www.torch.ox.ac.uk/dansox.

Interactive workshop with Lausanne-based dance company, Les Marchepieds on ‘Digitizing Ancient Dance’. All are welcome. No experience required.

Workshop participants are also encouraged to attend the accompanying performance by Les Marchepieds of work they have developed for the Ancient Dance in Modern Dancers Network, based on episodes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The performance, 21st May 6.00pm-7.30pm in the Old Fire Station, George Street, Oxford, will be followed by a discussion.

Talks on the poetry of John Milton (Dr Margaret Kean, St Hilda’s College, Oxford); music by George Frideric Handel (Dr Jonathan Williams, St Hilda’s College and Faculty of Music, University of Oxford); and Morris’s dance (Guest Lecturer Professor Stephanie Jordan, University of Roehampton)

Date/Time: Saturday 25 June, 19:00
Venue: Oxford Town Hall, Assembly Room
Admissions: £7/£5(conc.)/£22(fam.)
Suitability: 14+
Book here:
http://www.oxfordshiresciencefestival.com/sat-opening-weekend.html

Come and be part of a unique evening combining scientific talks with inspirational dance. Hear researchers from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics talk about their work as their science is interpreted by FLUX, a dance company specialising in translating scientific principles into theatrical form. A one-off event exploring curiosity and creativity in their many and varied forms.

DANSOX presents Siobhan Davies and Jeremy Millar in a dialogue between choreography and visual arts. In this talk they will discuss the different strategies of collaborating across artforms.The event will include performative moments with collaborator Helka Kaski.

DANSOX welcomes Susie Crow and Yolande Yorke with dancers of Yorke Dance Company who will present ‘Sea of Troubles’: a rehearsal/lecture demonstration on the reconstruction of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1988 work based on Hamlet.

John Cranko (1927-1973) was a South African born ballet dancer and choreographer with the Royal Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet. His most famous “literary” ballets include Romeo and Juliet (1962), with music by Prokofiev; Onegin (1965), an adaptation of the verse novel by Alexander Pushkin, with music by Tchaikovsky; The Taming of the Shrew (1969).
There will be a drinks reception after the event. Booking essential.

Professor Mark Franko (Temple University USA), renowned dance scholar, returns to St Hilda’s to deliver a guest seminar on his new research into French dance and neo-classicism: ‘Serge Lifar and the Interwar Dance Discourses of Neoclassicism (1930-1939): An examination of how neoclassicism was theorized in French ballet during the 1930s’.

Join us for what promises to be an amazing evening filled with passion and opportunity to have fun!

The evening will feature a panel discussion on the experiences of the generation that became known as the Windrush generation.
The experiences from post-Windrush generations in the United Kingdom will be discussed by Professor Patricia Daley, Nigel Carter, Junie James and Hannah Lowe.

This will be followed by an evening of celebration of culture including African dance, Asian drums, poetry from Siana Bangura and spoken word including creative work from Brookes students.

Food and refreshments freely available.

Book here or contact Pam Fortescue pfortescue@brookes.ac.uk to register your interest.

Andy will take you on a journey from the creation of ghetto’s to the rise of Hip-Hop as a critique against social and racial injustice. He will discuss the empowerment that has emerged through this form of art the consequences of its commercialisation. His talk will also question ‘what makes something a piece of art?’ and ‘how can creative wealth arise from financial poverty?’

Andy Ninvalle is a versatile artist, entrepreneur and renowned educator. In addition to leading the Dutch dance company Massive Movement. He has recently collaborated with Curtis Richardson, songwriter for Jeniffer Lopez and Rihanna and wrote and produced for the latest album of Polish Jazz Legend Michał Urbaniak. As a rapper and beatboxer, he breaks down barriers between different art forms through his collaborations with Earth Wind and Fire, the Polish National Philharmonic Orchestra and Jazz musician Candy Dulfer.

Growing up on the streets of Guyana, hip hop was Andy’s first language for self-expression. He is passionate about sharing his love for art, as well as advancing the education of black history and culture. He is a frequent speaker at high-schools throughout the Netherlands. He has given guest lectures and workshops at Penn State University and University of Troyes.

www.andyninvalle.com

Watch the process of creating a new ballet in an interdisciplinary workshop with writer, Marina Warner, choreographer Kim Brandstrup, pianist and composer Joanna MacGregor, and professional dancers. Rawaa comes from Arabic – the root for words meaning ‘to water’ and ‘to relate’ and provides the dominant metaphorical motif of the ballet’s mood and movement.

Open to the public on Tuesday 14 November at 5.30pm to view the workshop in action and at other times by request – contact susan.jones@ell.ox.ac.uk

Renowned actress Lisa Dwan discusses her recent work and invites discussion of her repertoire – especially ‘Not I’ and other stunning dramatisations of Samuel Beckett. She explores how her dance training enabled her to refine the all-encompassing performance technique and control required to engender the challenging physical requirements of Beckett’s plays.

Dr Peter Lovatt (AKA Dr Dance) will talk about the relationship between movement, health, hormones and thinking.

The simple act of dancing can change us in fundamental ways. It can make us more creative, improve our mood, and even alter some of the negative symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. So why would some people rather have their fingernails pulled out than dance?

Peter will explore the surprising and fascinating psychology of dance and dancing – so get your dancing shoes on and be happy!

A screening of the newly reversioned documentary film, ‘New Wave Ballet’, followed by a discussion led by Dame Monica Mason. Featuring interviews and never before seen archival footage, ‘New Wave Ballet’ explores British choreographer Kenneth MacMillan’s early work. Dame Monica danced in Sir Kenneth’s ballets and will talk about her work with him.

Alastair Macaulay (Chief Dance Critic of the New York Times) will deliver a guest lecture on Fred Astaire. The lecture will discuss the legendary Astaire’s life and work, with illustrations and film footage.

Join us at Teddy Hall next week for a fantastic event on the ‘Neuroscience of Dance’ brought to you by the Centre for the Creative Brain!

Science, dance and wine – what more could you want for a Saturday afternoon?

A few (free) tickets are still available, so be quick!

https://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/discover/research/centre-for-the-creative-brain

DANSOX presents a one-day conference on the life and work of the great 20th-century choreographer, Sir Kenneth MacMillan (1929-1992). MacMillan stands among the great innovators of his time in theatre, film, art, and music. The conference will discuss his work, the challenges of preserving the record, explore little known early work, his literary and musical choices, design, and choreographic method.

Guest speakers include: the artist and widow of Sir Kenneth, Lady MacMillan; the former Principal and Director of the Royal Ballet, Dame Monica Mason; the music expert, Natalie Wheen; and choreologist, Anna Trevien. Dancers, artists, and filmmakers who worked with Kenneth will join the conversation. A performance/lecture of the reconstruction of ‘Playground’ with Yorke Dance will be held in the JdP at the end of the conference.

Coriander Theatre presents a new play ‘My Mother Runs in Zig-Zags’ at the North Wall Arts Centre, 30th May – 1st June 2019, 7:30pm, Saturday Matinee 2:30pm.

Sometimes, race and trauma are like leaky old pipes: you can’t even have a friend over for dinner without something spilling out everywhere and flooding your life in the most unexpected way.

A conversation between friends becomes a journey to the Lebanese and Nigerian civil wars. Half-remembered worlds of violent oral history invade the kitchen and layer themselves over everyday life, shining light on the laughter that heals intergenerational traumas, and celebrating the overflowings and excesses of a life shaped by migration.

With an original musical score, a chorus of performance poets and contemporary dancers, and stories passed on from a generation of migrants, My mother runs in zig-zags is a bold new tragicomedy, devised by the best of Oxford University’s BAME actors and performers.

Age Guidance: 12+

My mother runs in zig zags

What can dance tell us about human rights? What can hip hop say about equality and human dignity? Join an evening of dance and discussion to find out.

We’ll watch live dance that explores the theme of human rights, with performances from Blakely White-McGuire, Eliot Smith and Body Politic Dance. We’ll celebrate art’s power to challenge the social and political turmoil we face around the world today.

India is a land full of music and dance. It is woven into the very fabric of the subcontinent, with music and dance unique to each region and community, ranging from folk and classical arts to popular forms. While there are a number of dance and dance-theatre styles that can be classed as classical, there are eight that have been officially recognised as classical Indian dance styles by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Ministry of Culture. Shyam Patel will be talking about these different forms and how, like the languages, cuisines and cultures of different Indian regions, these dance styles are unique and varied in their own right.