Janis Claxton Dance to Perform POP-UP DUETS (FRAGMENTS OF LOVE)

Janis Claxton Dance today announces the return of POP-UP Duets (fragments of love) to Hong Kong, the place where Janis began the creation of it 5 years ago.

Conceived as a series of five-minute, multi-site-specific contemporary dance works for public spaces, POP-UP Duets (fragments of love) brings together the talents of award-winning UK choreographer Janis Claxton and four world-class dancers.

Drawing on the theme of love, the eight dynamic stand-alone duets evolve from simple everyday interactions.

The dances are accompanied by original music by Pippa Murphy with vocals by Kathryn Joseph, 2015 winner of Scottish Album of the Year.

POP-UP Duets (fragments of love) has toured major venues and festivals around the world including Tanzmesse in Germany and the Lincoln Center Out of Door's Festival in New York.

On Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th December the work will play in the courtyard at Tai Kwun, the Centre for Heritage and Arts in Hong Kong twice daily. These performances are co-presented by West Kowloon Cultural District.

https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/pop-up-duets-fragments-of-love/537

The POP-UP Duets (fragments of love) international tour is sponsored by Creative Scotland.

The four dancers lined-up for POP-UP Duets (fragments of love) in Hong Kong are Joanne Pirrie, James Southward, Amy Hollinshead and Valerio Di Giovanni.

Janis Claxton died in September 2018 aged 53 after a short illness. Today, in a statement from the Board of Janis Claxton Dance the closure of the company in early 2020 was also announced.

The Board of Janis Claxton Dance said: "A little over a year after Janis's passing we find Janis Claxton Dance about to perform Pop-Up Duets in Hong Kong. Janis began to create this work there in 2014 and so it will be a moment of full circle and celebration of Janis's vision when we finish the Tour there, with the final performance of Pop-Up Duets. We have decided, with great sadness, to close Janis Claxton Dance. We would like to thank all those who have worked with the company over the last 15 years and who supported Janis's wonderful talent as a choreographer. Janis will always be much missed but the memories of her extraordinary work live long."

POP-UP Duets Film

The work is made up of 8 stand-alone duets drawing on the theme of love through elegant and dynamic contemporary dance that evolves from simple everyday interactions. Each duet is accompanied by a track of original music specifically composed for the choreography by Pippa Murphy with vocals by Scottish Album of the Year Award winner, Kathryn Joseph.