And by Charlotte Mclean
And is a tribute to every living creature on this earth.
To everything. Thank you.
And is a sacrifice to every emotion, even those we are yet to feel.
And is a homage to; the earth, the cosmos, the miniscule, the magic, the meaning, the moment, the moments before and all that’s yet to come.
And is to feel, to fail, to experience, to share and to be.
And is then and was. And is here and now.
And is in between and something to believe in. And is hope.
And is the mothers and grandmothers who’ve danced before us, everyone we’ve ever known and the children we’re yet to meet.
And is an auto-biographical performance about growing up as a woman, and explores culture, identity, nationality and politics.
Over the last eight years, And has developed from a text message sent to a friend in 2017 to a full length performance. And began as a short poetic list Charlotte texted to her friend Jay. She felt desperate, discouraged and alone whilst studying in London. The next day, both Charlotte and Jay danced in the park. And began as a therapy, a way to survive, to express, to attempt to understand.
The text message was the original And list, which then transformed into her bachelors dissertation and performance. Charlotte explored the themes of physical and silent comedy in relation and comparison to contemporary dance. Since then, And has been in development from its initial performative iteration as a 10-minute solo for her graduation from The Place in 2017 into a full length production in September 2021, along the way reincarnating as many different forms, including a stand up comedy gig and acoustic concert.
During the lockdown in 2020, Charlotte was able to take some time away from And to reflect. This brought new inspiration for the solo from her lived experiences that year. Although, now with the introduction of darker, more unspoken themes such as miscarriage and abortion, the work is still hopeful and shares reflections on her ancestors, her future children and celebrates our mundane, bizarre, beautiful life on earth. Charlotte claims she will perform And for the rest of her life. It will transform and grow with her and may well be passed down to the next generation.
Supported by: Made in Scotland Showcase, Creative Scotland, The Place, Dance Base, Dampfzentrale Bern, The Work Room and Citymoves
With thanks to: Curious Seed, Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre
Creative Team
Concept, choreographer, performer: Charlotte Mclean
Creative Producer: Helen McIntosh
Lighting Designer: Emma Jones
Movement, Performance and Vocal Collaborators: David Paul Jones, Jack Webb, Pat Kinevane, Solène Weinachter, Rob Evans
Costume Maker: Rosie Whiting
Production Manager: Fi Fraser
Lighting Supervisor: Andrew Gannon
PR and Marketing Manager: Joy Parkinson
Sound engineer: Julius Oppermann
Sound: COSMIC by Laura Lore | I belong by Dara Pacis
Age Recommendation: 14+ (content related to abortion, miscarriage, strong language and nudity)
About the Artist
Charlotte Mclean’s choreographic practice draws from tradition having competed in Scottish Highland Dance throughout her childhood. She seeks to dissect and question its form to foster a more accessible pathway for current and future generations to engage with the tradition.
Charlotte’s artistic ethos is rooted in community values, intersectional feminism and cyclical living. Her practice also amalgamates joy and self-celebration, having co-founded two movement bands: badbodychaoscode and Die Berner Band. The bands have performed internationally at London’s V&A museum, TANZhAUS Bern, Alte Münze Berlin, Pete the Monkey Normandy and Brainchild Festival to name a few.
Charlotte’s first solo show, And, was received to critical acclaim at The Place London after a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It has since toured internationally and across the UK as part of the Rural Touring Dance Initiative as well as to Norway and Switzerland. Her latest work, Futuristic Folktales was co-commissioned by The Place London and Tojo Theatre Bern and toured Tramway Glasgow and The Space Dundee, before joining the Made In Scotland Showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2024. The upcoming work not for glory is a co-creation with Irish / contemporary dancer Jack Anderson and bagpipe player Malin Lewis. This new work will premiere in 2025.
Charlotte performs for independent companies in the UK and internationally, including Barrowland Ballet and Eva Recacha Productions. She also teaches at London Contemporary Dance School, Barbara Bortoli Ballet Schule and worked as an associate centre assistant at the Royal Ballet School.
Reviews
“Exhilarating … jaw droppingly bold and clever.” ★★★★★ The Scotsman
“Fierce and empowering.” ★★★★ All Edinburgh Theatre
“[And] has an edge as sharp as the swords that she [Charlotte Mclean] dances on.” ★★★★ The List
“Incredibly impressive … beautifully judged.” ★★★★ Seeing Dance
“Beautiful, eruptive pockets of dance…Nuanced, moving and joyful.” Dance Art Journal
Image credit: Jonas Carlsen