History of the V-TOL Dance Company

V-TOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) dance company was founded in April 1991 by artistic director Mark Murphy. Out of The World Tour (OOTW) is their best work.

The company made its debut as the sole UK representative in the first European Dance Workshop project, with Murphy’s first production for Crash and Burn. The hallmark of a gravity-defying dance theater brand immediately emerged.

The Company

The company was born and developed very quickly as a result of a strong and unique artistic vision, high quality work in all areas of activity, open management and the high demand from partners for the work of the company and people. The company conducted an extensive one-year art study program, including creating and traveling art productions, an education and outreach program, and film projects. Each year, V-TOL has traveled extensively across the UK, starting with small locations initially and moving on to medium sized tours. He has been invited to perform in many prestigious European festivals and venues such as Klapstuk (Belgium), Eurodance (France), Berner Tanztage (Switzerland), Charleroi Dances (Belgium), Trafo FMK (Hungary), National Palace of Culture (Bulgaria) and the Romanian National Theater.

History

Over its ten-year history, Murphy has created seven full-length productions for V-TOL: Time Spent in the Bad People Company (1991), Headshot (1992), 32 Feet Per Second (1993), In the Privacy of My Own (1995), By Force of Fantasy (1996), … and nothing but the truth … (1998) and Trackless (1999). Go to the V-TOL Productions page

The company has become famous for pushing the boundaries of dance through the dynamic integration of live action films, music, text, choreography and design. Murphy’s artistic influences can be found in contemporary popular culture and are inspired by a wide variety of backgrounds, including film, visual arts, literature, theatre, popular music, and life itself. The study focused on themes that explore human conflict and the pressures of contemporary society. As a result, V-TOL’s work presented a compelling story and had a clear interest in conveying intense human emotion through a powerful language of movement. Murphy’s dedication was to create work that was inspiring, inspiring and relevant to his audience.

Training Academy

V-TOL has received significant recognition for its progressive education and community program, and is also highly acclaimed for its implementation work. Each year, the company has hosted workshops, residencies, lectures and post-performance talks for students, professionals, and the wider community, independently and connected to acting tours. The company provided training to more than 2,500 people in the last round. The culmination of his educational achievements was his innovative model for interdisciplinary educational projects that brought together professional artists and students. Three visions of the walks in specific places he took were: Where Angels Fear To Tread in Islington, Union Chapel (1995), Castle Blanca at Orford Castle in Suffolk (1997) and Running Scared at Trinity Buoy Wharf in Docklands in London (1998).

Work

V-TOL’s film work included: Where Angels Fear To Tread (1996) – an original live-produced dance film for educational purposes; Impact Zone (1994): a pilot for the BBC; and The Snowball Effect (1997), a dance film for the Arts Council / BBC2 Dance for the Camera Series 4, produced in collaboration with director Brett Turnbull. The company also appeared in a series of youth culture documentaries for Scottish television in the spring of 1994 and appeared on the BAFTA nominated Dance TV, a dance school series which aired on BBC2 in March 1998.

After only three years of existence and a series of small project grants, the company was invited to become a temporary client of the UK Arts Council. A Capital Lottery award in 1996 enabled the company to purchase the latest digital film production and editing equipment. This new advanced technology allowed Murphy to expand the range of cinematic elements in his works; he used elements of the story, the subtext, the character and the choreography in the process of directing, recording and editing.

Projects

The culmination of V-TOL’s success in training efforts was field-specific innovative performance projects. After years of short workshops and “one-off” residencies, the company wanted to create an opportunity to work more closely with a group of young people. The goal was to create a richer and deeper experience that would have a lasting impact for visitors. A project concept that combined Compagnia’s artistic performance with educational practice presented a new artistic challenge.

Later, in 1995, V-TOL developed its field-specific performance design model. The company has carried out three such projects in the last five years: Where Angels Fear to Tread to Tread, in 1995 in Castle Blanca, Islington, in a Gothic chapel in a medieval castle in Suffolk in 1997, and the most recent in 1998 on Running Scared. In an urban warehouse in London Docklands. Each project was a transversal artistic collaboration that made interdisciplinary work possible by integrating a number of different media. Initially, the first project was about dance, music, text and visual design, the second continued to include films. The projects were “in place” to reveal an exciting creative process that would use both the architecture of the site and the life experiences of the youth as a driving force for the creative work and the final piece.

The projects were led by artistic director Mark Murphy, with a team of professional V-TOL employees: co-directors Christine Devaney and James Hewison, composer Dominic Murcott, designer Miranda Melville, director Richard Coldman, coach David Grenfell and the dancers from the Emma Cater and Marcia Pook company. Each project recruited A ‘Level and BTEC students from local colleges in university settings and ultimately resulted in public performances with high-quality platforms that reflect the creative process and work practice of a professional company. profile. It was crucial to create works that remain relevant to the lives and experiences of the participants, giving them a sense of belonging to the ultimate creation.