Sticks and Bones came out of The Place’s unique international research and development project Choreoroam. A solo for Darren and his drumsticks, this is an exploration of practice and the quest for perfection. Just as a drummer must lock and focus his co-ordination, measuring out a rhythm to entice people to dance, a simple rhythm can inspire armies to move. When the sticks take control that’s when the trouble starts.
DEVISION, CHOREOGRAPHY & PERFORMANCE: DARREN ELLIS
SOUND & MUSIC: DARREN ELLIS and RICK BLAND
LIGHTING DESIGN: LEE CURRAN
COSTUME DESIGN: DARREN ELLIS
PRODUCED BY: DARREN ELLIS DANCE
Company manager: Martin Collins
Running time: 19 min; Number of Performers: 1
Tour Dates
| 10 MARCH | GUILDFORD, PATS DANCE STUDIO |
| 11 MARCH | CHICHESTER, THE SHOWROOM |
| 12 MARCH | CAMBRIDGE, THE JUNCTION |
| 23 MARCH | ABERYSTWYTH, ARTS CENTRE |
| 25 MARCH | LONDON, STRATFORD CIRCUS |
| 14 APRIL | SOUTH SHIELDS, CUSTOMS HOUSE |
| 16 APRIL | KENDAL, BREWERY ARTS CENTRE |
| 17 APRIL | HEXHAM, QUEEN’S HALL |
| 29/30 APRIL | LONDON, THE PLACE |
| 20 MAY | LANCASTER, NUFFIELD THEATRE |
| 21 MAY | DERBY, DEDA |
| 22 MAY | NEWCASTLE, DANCE CITY |
| 28/29 MAY | IPSWICH, DANCEHOUSE |
Biography
Darren Ellis has enjoyed a prolific performance background with David Massingham Dance, Janet Smith and Dancers, Mark Bruce Dance Company, Small Bones Dance Company, Jeremy James Dance Company, Matthew Bourne, Random Dance Company and most recently Richard Alston Dance Company.
The Company
Darren Ellis Dance (DED) was established in 2007 with the staging of their first work ROMEO ERROR at the Robin Howard Dance Theatre. The work was created to play with the bounders of arts forms and included two dancers, an actor, and a musician, something Darren Ellis Dance has strived to do in following work. Following that Darren (Artistic Director) has since made pieces for larger casts, such as GOOD TO GO which use 6 dancers and has been commissioned to create works on established companies and organisations such as Richard Alston Dance Company, Centre for Advanced Training (EXCELLENT GALA at Sadler’s Wells), Suffolk Youth Dance Company and INTOTO dance company. Darren Ellis Dance has also completed commercial projects one of which was for Bloomberg where the company integrated their staff in to the creation period and performance.
Darren Ellis Dance has been apart of a number of invited chorographic platforms such as choreoroam; a research and development program at the Place Theatre where he began working on STICKS and BONES a solo on himself. Following that he was co‐commissioned by the Place and Moving East to develop the work and stage it in the Spring Loaded Festival platform at the Place: April 2009.
The companies’ aims are to work with a variety of collaborators in different artistic fields and to bring this to new audiences through workshops and choreographic education projects. We very much aim to develop a touring programme and develop audiences through education work, with a focus on social inclusion and the promotion of a healthy life. Current we are working towards a project with the Local Primary Care Trusts.
Currently Darren Ellis Dance currently working on a collaboration with the composer Evangelia Rigaki, poet W N Herbert and singer Nicola semilia to develop a new Dance Theatre Opera for the TET A TET Festival showing at the Hammersmith Lyric on 6th and 7th of August. The company has an aim to spring board from this into health education. Following that Darren Ellis Dance is working with Moving East and an Animator, Filipe Alcada, on a Dance film which they are hoping to develop into a new work and installation.
Press Quotes
“The ambition of his ideas is appealing, as is the freshness of his voice”
The Guardian
Online Media
