‘Passage for Par‘ was created specially for and presented on Par Sands beach, conceived and directed by choreographer Rosemary Lee.
Three performances for Friday 22, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 June were commissioned by CAST for the Groundwork programme. At the turn of the tide 30 women rhythmically snake their way across the tidal landscape, tracing meandering pathways through the wet sand, their outlines etched against the sea and sky.
Rosemary Lee visited many of Cornwall’s most beautiful beaches before deciding to work on Par Sands. She chose Par because of its dramatic contrasts – between the industry of Par Docks and the green slopes of Gribbin Head – and because of the exceptional beauty of the tidal expanse, with its glittering deposits of quartz and mica.
Whilst performances of Passage for Par leave no physical trace on the landscape, Rosemary Lee hopes that its presence will linger in the memory and become part of the history of this special place.
Creative team
Conceived and directed by Rosemary Lee.
Choreographed by Rosemary Lee in collaboration with the creative team and performers.
Assistant choreographer: Ruth Pethybridge
Rehearsal directors: Sophie Arstall and Aya Kobayashi
Costumes by Viviane Vaux
Performers
Ana Cristina de Albuquerque, Sarah Alexander, Sophie Arstall, Melissa Bori, Mariana Camiloti, Emily Dobson, Sarah Fairhall, Ayesah Fazal, Kiki Gale, Anna Golding, Katherine Hall, Maroula Iliopoulou, Freya Jenkins, Holly Jones, Aya Kobayashi, Helen Lamb, Sam Lawrence, Laura Malam, Rebecca Moss, XianCui Ng, Belinda Papavasileiou, Jenny Reeves, Fabiola Santana, Caroline Schanche, Julienne Schembri, Tara Silverthorn, Indigo Tarran, Jane Turner, Nicola Visser, Hannah Warren.
Rosemary Lee
Rosemary Lee is an acclaimed choreographer who has created a range of work over the last thirty years, from large-scale site-specific works and solo works to video installations and short films. Regardless of their scale, these projects have an intimate quality and often explore our relationship with our environment.
Passage for Par was produced in partnership with Dance Republic 2 and Artsadmin with support from Falmouth University’s Academy of Music and Theatre Arts (AMATA) and including eight selected students from the BA Hons Dance and Choreography course.
Rosemary Lee and the producers of Passage for Par would particularly like to thank Karen Brown, Carolyn Boyce, Kerry Fletcher, Philip Gadd, Richard Parks, Cathy Trodd and the Friends of Par Beach.
Moving image footage recorded by Graham Gaunt.