Julie Cunningham reveals the V&A

In early July our Leverhulme Choreography Fellow Julie Cunningham choreographed and performed in a new piece with her company that responded to the V&A’s galleries and collections on display.

Beautiful & spellbinding silent promenade dance by Julie Cunningham & Co with @YokoOno‘s work as inspiration all round @V_and_A #RevealVAM pic.twitter.com/t40lGmyZFU

— Sophie Brendel (@sophiebr) July 3, 2017

Julie created A Line Is, taking inspiration from Yoko Ono’s Dance Pieces from Acorn, her seminal collection of ‘instructional poems’. The dancers took visitors on a journey through the Museum, creating intimate, imaginary situations as they moved through the space, which visitors were able to photograph and film.

The piece was specially commissioned by the V&A for their REVEAL festival, a free, week-long public festival to celebrate the opening of the V&A Exhibition Road Quarter.

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'Making a new work for the V&A was an exciting and challenging experiment in choreography. The various structures of the museum made such a contrast to the theatre spaces I’m used to, and this pushed me to think more deeply about movement and the interaction between performer and spectator. The proximity to the audience brought a strong focus to the piece and it felt different each time we performed it.'

Julie Cunningham

A Line Is was free to all visitors to the Museum and the V&A live streamed the performance.

If you’ve not yet seen the wonderful performance by Julie Cunningham and her dancers at @V_and_A, and can make it today, then do so. pic.twitter.com/Meht5qyJG6

— Jeremy Millar (@jeremy_millar_1) July 3, 2017

Julie is creating a new work presented by Rambert and performed on the roof of the Royal Festival Hall, from 14 – 16 August. Details here.