Mish
Weaver
Movement Director and Designer for Circus, Dance and Physical Theatre.
My professional experience of a wide range of performance in Aerial, Circus, Theatre and Dance as well as study of the Circus arts have led me to explore choreography with scenography.
I design structures and props for performance. My training in sculpture enables me to apply practical and visual skills to invention and problem solving for sets and weight bearing props.
I instruct swinging and static aerial disciplines to professional level and teach exploration of the relationship between movement and objects, circus technique and choreography.
Recent
2008
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
‘Epsilon’, research period for Gandini Juggling Company towards prototype geometric props relating juggling and mathematics.
Previously
Slack Dance (ran the company for three years)
Riding The Storm (Aug’98 to Nov’99)
Conceived, co-devised and designed Dance Theatre production. “…a visual treat that shows just how diverse the dance form can be.” (Eastern Daily Press).
DoorWays (Nov’96 to Oct’98)
Designer, deviser and performer. “Most immediately striking is the set…as versatile and surprising as the human element… The engineering is a thing of beauty in itself.” (The Independent)
Performance and Teaching
Performance/teaching CVs available on request, but briefly I performed, choreographed and consulted for Traditional Circus, Dance Theatre, Cabaret, Film, Adverts, Television, Festivals and Corporate Functions from 1993.
I have taught since 1991 for: Circus Space, Skylight Circus In Education, performing companies and professionals, NMEC Dome Show, schools, prisons, universities and community groups.
Cut Back Community Arts Projects (Feb'92-Jul'93)
Workshops and teaching inside prisons resulted in performance Taking Liberties.
Skills
Devising and Movement choreography, Aerial experimentation and choreography with technical skills. Specialize in interaction with props.
Design of sets/rigs for physical performance/Circus, Aerial and floor based props. Structural and visual designs for physical exploration. Risk assessment. 3d visualization and drawing of designs.
Teaching Cloudswing and Swinging trapeze. Doubles trapeze.
Languages English and French.
Training
Attended Choreography Mentoring course with Jonathon Burrows, Dec 2006.
Completed ‘Art of Coaching’ Neuro-linguistic foundation coaching course with Kaizen Creative Development, Manchester, 2004.
Art Training
Circus Training
Movement Director and Designer for Circus, Dance and Physical Theatre.
My professional experience of a wide range of performance in Aerial, Circus, Theatre and Dance as well as study of the Circus arts have led me to explore choreography with scenography.
I design structures and props for performance. My training in sculpture enables me to apply practical and visual skills to invention and problem solving for sets and weight bearing props.
I instruct swinging and static aerial disciplines to professional level and teach exploration of the relationship between movement and objects, circus technique and choreography.
Recent
- Set design for All Play Dance Company.
- Developing a one-man show for 2010 to build towards a larger scale circus performance towards the end of 2010.
- Choreography for 'Sputnik' for Fittings Multimedia. Touring 2009.
- Residency at Yorkshire Dance, developing Bipolar Ringmaster character and Open workshop with performers based in Yorkshire.
- Residency at DanceHouse Glasgow with Claire Cunningham.
- 'Choreography with props' workshop at DanceBase, Edinburgh, Feb 09
- Collaboration with Eric MacClennan for performance of ‘The Abbott of Unreason’ for Feet First, Edinburgh, January 1st 2009.
- Direction/Mentoring for Bare Toed Company's installation styled performance for 0-6yr olds entitled 'Shhh...', Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
- Aerial Choreography for Claire Cunningham's ME solo at Drill Hall, Edinburgh Festival 2009.
2008
- Shift – Designer for Gravity and Levity toured April/May 2008
- Stumble - An Evening of Instability 5 x performances of cabaret styled circus dance.
- No Fit State Circus – Tabu – Circus Facilitator.
- Launched Stumble danceCircus, a new circus for the North of England. Completed three weeks research towards seven unstable solos, August 2007, including workshop residency at Skylight. Developing educational strategy.
- Lecture at University of Surrey on collaboration with Gravity and Levity.
- Return Journey at Decibel, Birmingham. September 2007.
- Teaching at Salford University, BA(hons) Performance Arts, Media/ Performance.
- Design and aerial consultant for Classworks Theatre, Cambridge.
- Design consultancy for Vicky Amedume’s performance Loved Up.
2006
- Yorkshire Arts funded project ‘MetaCentric’ to design a prop for a specific performer.
- Direction/Choreography/Rework of Tina Carter’s aerial depiction of her journey to Palestine, Return Journey.
- R+D for Matilda Leyser/Lucia Walker’s new project ‘One up, one Down’.
- Artist at Colina 2006 at Dance City, Newcastle. Rui Horta’s International Artists’ Laboratory.
- Co-devised, choreographed and trained Matilda Leyser for Deadpoint in Point, Line, Plane, commissioned by Royal Opera House, toured Winter 05/06.
- Re-inventing the Wheel appeared at British Dance Edition, 2006.
- Teaching on Circus Space’s, BA(hons) Circus.
2005
- Re-inventing the Wheel: Choreographed dance duet on wheel prop Taking Flight. “(The performers) weave a relationship around – and with – a large wheel. The result is clever, but not only that.” (Donald Hutera, The Times)
- Consulting for Fidget Feet, ‘Remember Her’.
2004
- Circus Development fund (London Arts) R+D towards a visual/physical theatre piece began May 2003.
- Concertina rigging bar design for cloudswing act, funded by Esme Fairburn trust.
2003
- Freestanding rig design for Looks Deceiving, Expressive Feat Productions.
- Head of Aerial at Circus Space, London. October ’00 to July ’03.
2002
‘Epsilon’, research period for Gandini Juggling Company towards prototype geometric props relating juggling and mathematics.
Previously
| Sept/Oct’02 | Trainer/choreographer for Smoke performed at Jackson’s Lane. |
| April’02 | Cloudswing trainer/choreographer for Matilda Leyser’s Several Stories High. |
| Dec’00-Apr’01 | Design/Choreography of Re-inventing the Wheel. Circus Space commission |
| Mar-Apr’01 | Cloudswing Trainer and Choreographer for finale of Generating Co’s Storm. |
| Sept’00 | Stunt work on film The Count of Monte Christo. |
| Aug’00 | RJC Dance Productions, Leeds, aerial exploration of set. |
| Jun'00 | Festival Circus, Shoreditch Festival – cloudswing performance and rig design. |
| Feb-Mar'00 | Archaos Night Club, Glasgow - rig advisor, teacher and designer. |
| Oct’99-Jan’00 | LiberaMe, Flying Splinter Group, Edinburgh – choreographer, rig advisor, performer. |
| Jun-Jul’98 | NMEC Productions – Input as performer, R+D for Millennium Dome Show. |
Slack Dance (ran the company for three years)
Riding The Storm (Aug’98 to Nov’99)
Conceived, co-devised and designed Dance Theatre production. “…a visual treat that shows just how diverse the dance form can be.” (Eastern Daily Press).
DoorWays (Nov’96 to Oct’98)
Designer, deviser and performer. “Most immediately striking is the set…as versatile and surprising as the human element… The engineering is a thing of beauty in itself.” (The Independent)
Performance and Teaching
Performance/teaching CVs available on request, but briefly I performed, choreographed and consulted for Traditional Circus, Dance Theatre, Cabaret, Film, Adverts, Television, Festivals and Corporate Functions from 1993.
I have taught since 1991 for: Circus Space, Skylight Circus In Education, performing companies and professionals, NMEC Dome Show, schools, prisons, universities and community groups.
Cut Back Community Arts Projects (Feb'92-Jul'93)
Workshops and teaching inside prisons resulted in performance Taking Liberties.
Skills
Devising and Movement choreography, Aerial experimentation and choreography with technical skills. Specialize in interaction with props.
Design of sets/rigs for physical performance/Circus, Aerial and floor based props. Structural and visual designs for physical exploration. Risk assessment. 3d visualization and drawing of designs.
Teaching Cloudswing and Swinging trapeze. Doubles trapeze.
Languages English and French.
Training
Attended Choreography Mentoring course with Jonathon Burrows, Dec 2006.
Completed ‘Art of Coaching’ Neuro-linguistic foundation coaching course with Kaizen Creative Development, Manchester, 2004.
Art Training
| ‘04-’06 | MA Performance Studies, Choreography and Scenography. University of Leeds. |
| ‘02 | Completed 3D Studio Max course – computer visualization of designs. |
| 88-91 | Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Polytechnic, BA(hons) Fine Art Sculpture 2:1. |
| 87-88 | Manchester Polytechnic, Foundation in Art and Design (distinction). |
Circus Training
| 2007 | Attended FEDEC Swinging Trapeze convention looking at teaching practice and technique. |
| ’01-‘03 | Teaching Swinging Trapeze with Thierry Suty and shadow teaching at Rosny-sous-Bois. German Wheel with Wolfgang Bientzle, Germany. |
| July’01 | Aerial Dance Festival, Colorado – attended workshops and lectured. |
| Oct-Dec'98 | Lisa Ullmann Dance Travel Bursary – aerial dance research trip to Australia. |
| Jan-Feb'97 | Ecole National du Cirque, France - research on prototype prop for DoorWays. |
| Sept/Oct’94 | Cirque du Docteur Paradi, France - cloudswing with Salvador Bugallo Vales. |
| Oct-Dec'93 | Circus Space, London, Intensive courses. |