Restless Mind (working titel)

This duet explores themes from The Yellow Wallpaper,
(Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1892) a narrative which examines a woman’s descent into psychosis, partly driven by the restrictive ‘treatment’ imposed on her by her partner.

Short descriptive sections from the text were used as stimulus for developing movement material viewed from the perspective of the female protagonist, without the dancers knowing the wider thematic context.

Both the original text and the duet bring the imaginary into the physical space, and similar themes emerge in both; for example exploring the contrast between the faith in her relationship with her partner, the source of her restriction, and her slowly failing view of reality.  As the piece develops, we experience her encounters with other selves who may or may not be real, abstracted selves who also provide a window of insight into female roles in society at the time.

Nikki Penfold and Joanne Willmott trained at the Laban Centre London, graduating in 2000 with BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre. Both artists founded Influx Dance Company in 2001 which received Arts Council England support over a 10 year period for the creation and touring of their own choreography.  The company worked with a range of choreographers including: Siobhan Davies, Bawren Tavaziva, and Yael Flexer.  A grant in 2010 took both artists to New York City to conduct dance research with Gus Solomon, Keely Garfield and Dan Safer, culminating in a performance presentation at Dance New Amsterdam.  Both artists have taken a leading role in international dance projects in India, Thailand, Portugal, Nigeria, Germany, The Gambia, USA and the UK.