Where is Home?

Where Is Home? is the new touring production from STATE OF EMERGENCY - an international collaboration between SOE and artists from the UK, South Africa and the USA, presenting new music, song and dance, film and spoken word and a re-telling of a 1000 year old tale.

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Back in August, State of Emergency presented an improvised version of Where Is Home? at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Here is Musical Director Steve Marshall performing on the Mercat Stage on the Royal Mile. 

Read more about Where Is Home? production https://www.whereishome.biz/

Photo © 2017 Irven Lewis.

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Dancing in the streets of Edinburgh http://ow.ly/AxgU30eKs1h

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Here we are after show 1 at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017. The performance was exciting and risky all the way. It's the beauty of improvisation. 

Pictured: 

Standing (L-R): Ratshepe “Phresh” Makhene (musician), Michele Montolli (musician), Irven Lewis (dancer), Thapelo Kotlolo (dancer), Steve Marshall (Musical Director), and Georgia Marshall (singer). 

Sitting (L-R): Yusuf Ahmed (musician), Deborah Baddoo (Artistic Director and dancer), Kathryn Brillhart (cinematographer), and Masumi Endo (dancer). 

Photo © State of Emergency 2017

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Next week (from the 21st to the 26th of August), we will perform at Edinburgh Fringe Festival with an experimental version of our latest production Where Is Home? 

Through this show, we are asking the primary questions: Where Do You Come From? Where Are You Heading? Where Is Home? Over the past two years we’ve been doing that on three continents with a wide variety of people – from Latino teenagers in downtown LA, to young adults in Johannesburg, and of course British audiences of all colours and ages. What we’ve found is that the questions resonate with everyone, regardless of background. If asking these questions can help to affirm identity, build a sense of belonging and self-worth, or allow people to re-live powerful emotions in the safety of a theatre or a studio, then we are doing our jobs. It’s also a lot of fun as creating art is a bit like playing, but it can be a very serious kind of game.

For more information about the cast and how to book, please visit https://www.whereishome.biz/at-edinburgh-fringe

Pictured: Deborah Baddoo, State of Emergency's Artistic Director, who will return to the stage especially for the Fringe Festival. Photo © Kathryn Brillhart 2015

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State of Emergency announces a new dance film project in collaboration with LA based cinematographer, Kathryn Brillhart.  She will live stream scenes from SOE’s dance theatre project Where Is Home? performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival  and she will also capture improvisation pieces with the dancers.

Pictured here with State of Emergency’s Musical Director, Steve Marshall, Kathryn Brillhart is a director, cinematographer, and innovator in experimental media. Her body of work explores deeper human issues by pushing the boundaries of visual poetry, movement, and mixed media. Behind the camera as a cinematographer, Kathryn works consistently in feature film, short film, music video, visual effects, VR and documentary. 

She is known for curating public screenings and film festivals including: The Los Angeles New Wave International Film Festival, The Atlanta Film Festival and TTLF Fest. Kathryn is an active volunteer and member of the Board of Directors for the Visual Effects Society. 

For more information about Where Is Home? performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival please visit  https://www.whereishome.biz/at-edinburgh-fringe

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They have dedicated the last 30 years of their lives producing ground breaking work in the fields of dance and music. Don't miss State of Emergency's Founders and Directors Deborah Baddoo and Steve Marshall at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival performing for Where Is Home? alongside other seven talented artists. Together they will deliver a rare insight into the creative process alongside a heady mix of soul, jazz, African and western forms. 

 At ZOO Venues, from the 21st to the 26th of August, at 6:35pm each day. http://ow.ly/Jge330enXrI

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A photo from State of Emergency’s rehearsals of Where Is Home? in London last week, in preparation for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The show will take centre stage at the ZOO Venues from the 21st until the 26th of August and will see nine talented dancers, singers and musicians from the UK, South Africa, Pakistan, Italy and Japan going through the pain and joy of creating a show LIVE on stage. They will deliver a rare insight into the creative process alongside a heady mix of soul, jazz, African and western forms while reflecting on the primary questions: Where Do You Come From? Where Are You Heading? Where Is Home?

https://www.whereishome.biz/at-edinburgh-fringe

Pictured: Dancers Irven Lewis and Masumi Endo.

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State of Emergency’s Artistic Director Deborah Baddoo returns to the stage as a performer to delight the Edinburgh Fringe audience. She will perform alongside eight other international renowned artists in an experimental improvised version of SOE's dance theatre show ‘Where Is Home?‘ 

Deborah trained in dance at the University of Surrey and went on to gain an MA in Performance Arts at Middlesex University. In 2006 she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and in 2010 received an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to dance. In addition to her role as Artistic Director of her own company State of Emergency Productions, which she co-founded with musician/producer Steve Marshall back in 1986, she cut her creative teeth as a performer and choreographer working through improvisation with renowned jazz musicians such as Clifford Jarvis and Alan Weekes . ‘Where Is Home?’ at the Edinburgh Fringe, a brand new creation with live music, has enticed her back to the stage. http://ow.ly/ZHuq30dRqTL

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"For Edinburgh we wanted to turn Where Is Home? on its head and have some fun with it." Steve Marshall, Director of Where Is Home? 

Steve Marshall is principally a singer/songwriter who, in 1983, co-founded Pyramid Arts Development, a seminal music and arts centre in Dalston, East London. He set up State of Emergency with Deborah Baddoo in 1986, which was the beginning of a long association with dance theatre. 

Notably, Steve created three albums with Lee “Scratch” Perry. Two of these productions received Grammy nominations. Working with Lee led to recording and mixing projects with Keith Richards and George Clinton. “...Marshall’s excitingly layered, infectious music remains a sensory pleasure.” Donald Hutera, The Times 

http://ow.ly/K3bW30dRkOs

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Where Is Home? is going further. At this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, State of Emergency will present an interactive and experimental dance theatre concept while examining themes of migration, identity and belonging through improvisation.

Seven talented dancers, singers and musicians from the UK, South Africa, Pakistan, Italy and Japan will go through the pain and joy of creating a show live on stage, delivering a rare insight into the creative process alongside a heady mix of soul, jazz, African and western forms.

The cast include Masumi Endo (pictured above), a Japan-born artist who trained from an early age in Hip Hop Dance, and then found the UK Jazz Dance style.  Masumi moved to London to study and dance with UK Jazz Dance pioneers Jerry Barry, Gary Nurse, Wayne James, Perry Louis and Irven Lewis. She has recently performed at Jass Box Norway and she is currently on tour with Robert Mitchell’s Epiphany 3 exploring Jazz improvisation and giving workshops.

All details of Where Is Home? performances at Ed Fringe here: http://ow.ly/PGjV30djeCb 

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Today we are in full rehearsals for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where State of Emergency will present their dance musical project Where Is Home? but this time as an interactive and experimental dance theatre concept. 

 Pictured in the photo is South African dancer Thapelo Kotlolo. He was part of the cast of Where Is Home? UK tours in October 2016 and this Spring 2017. He will be also part of the cast at the Edinburgh Fringe and will be joined by other six talented dancers, singers and musicians from the UK, South Africa, Pakistan, Italy and Japan as they go through the pain and joy of creating a show live on stage. 

You can find more information about Where Is Home? at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival here: http://zoofestival.co.uk/shows/where-is-home 

Photo © 2016 Kevin Clifford

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Artist profile: Michele Montolli - Musician 

Michele studied violin from the age of seven, switching later to electric bass. By the age of seventeen he had taken up classical double bass at Verona’s Conservatory. Following this he moved to Graz in Austria where he graduated in 2009 in Jazz Double Bass with the great Wayne Darling. Michele has worked all over Europe, in New York, Tokyo and in the Balkan Peninsula, fusing Afro-American tradition with years of classical training and experimental form-free music. Credits include Knoel Scott and Marshall Allen (Sun Ra Arkestra), Julie Dexter, Heidi Vogel, Don Menza, Lami Bajram Istrefi, and Amira Kheir. 

He was recently on tour in the UK with State of Emergency's latest production 'Where Is Home?' https://www.whereishome.biz/ 

 Photo © 2016 Peter Japal

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Thapelo Kotlolo - Profile of a dancer 

Thapelo studied performing arts and facilitation at The Sibikwa Arts Centre from 2008-2009. In 2010 he joined The Sibikwa Arts Dance Company and performed at different dance festivals in South Africa including the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. In 2011 he joined the internship programme of the Forgotten Angel Theatre Collaborative. 

He toured Europe with Ikusasa in 2012 and upon his return he re-joined Sibikwa as a senior dancer and facilitator. 2014 he presented his first choreography entitled Shades at Spring Loaded Festival. In 2015 he choreographed a dance piece entitled Men Don’t Talk which was presented at the Museum Of African Design as part of the Dance Umbrella Festival. 

He is one of the five extraordinary dancers of State of Emergency’s production Where Is Home?, which has just toured the UK and will perform at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. More information here https://www.whereishome.biz/

Photo © Daniel Spencer 2015

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Where Is Home? Spring tour 2017 has come to an end. It has been a wonderful month, we performed in eleven different locations across the UK and felt the passion and warmth of the British audience. Thank you to all of you who came to see the show. For those who couldn’t make it, don’t worry, we will perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on 21st-26th August (at 18.35pm each day), at ZOO Venues, The Sanctuary. In the meantime, you can find all the information about this production here http://ow.ly/ItdC30b2Q5z 

 Photo © 2016 Daniel Spencer

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He is a choreographer, dance artist, teacher and film maker. Meet Michael Joseph... 

Michael has consistently worked nationally and internationally since completing his training at Rambert School of Ballet & Contemporary Dance 27 years ago. In 2008, he left his position as Assistant Artistic Director with Union Dance after 23 years to establish his career as an Independent Dance Artist. His work has been influenced and inspired by an eclectic mix of various choreographers, and he has had the privilege to work with Bill T Jones, Doug Elkins, Rafael Bonachela, Laurie Booth, B Boys, Axè (Capoeirista), Tom Jobe and Derek Williams. 

His movement language fuses different styles of dance using strong Contemporary Dance training as his base whilst incorporating Martial Arts, Brazilian rooted Capoeira, B Boying and Urban Dance styles. Digital Technology has also been in the core of his work and training and he produces digital imagery/film as a key element for the majority of his choreographic work.

He co-choreographed Where Is Home?, State of Emergency’s acclaimed production that explores themes of identity, migration and belonging http://ow.ly/jZGT30aYtA7 

Photo © 2016 Kevin Clifford

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Meet Bafana Solomon Matea, one of the choreographers of Where Is Home? 

Bafana studied at Pro Arte Alphen Park Art School in South Africa before continuing his training at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, New York on a Judith Jamieson scholarship. He has performed extensively across America, Europe and the United Kingdom with companies including Ballet Hispanico, Dance Anonymous, Juxtapower (South African Song and Dance), Battery Dance Company, and Tavaziva Dance. His work includes a variety of styles and influences including Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Hip-hop, Contemporary, Zulu dance, African, Boot dancing, and Break-dancing. 

Find more information about the Where Is Home? production here: https://www.whereishome.biz/ 

 Photo © 2016 Kevin Clifford

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"Banyatsi gives a tremendous tap-dance solo while Thapelo Kotlolo’s razor-sharp manoeuvres are an exploding break-dance force". From the review of Where Is Home? on London Dance. Yes! http://ow.ly/8SEG30bEUAr 

Pictured (L-R): Tony Banyatsi and Thapelo Kotlolo. 

Photo © 2016 Peter Japal