Configurations

Shobana Jeyasingh has been creating dynamic, fearless and enigmatic dance works for almost 30 years. Born in Chennai, India, she currently lives and works in London. Her acclaimed, highly individual work has been witnessed in all kinds of venues, including theatres, outdoor and indoor sites and on film. Her work taps into both the intellectual and physical power of dance, and is rooted in her particular vision of culture and society.

Shobana’s work is often enriched by specially commissioned music composed by an array of contemporary composers — from Michael Nyman to beat-boxer Shlomo. Her eclectic band of creative collaborators have included filmmakers, mathematicians, digital designers, writers, animators, as well as lighting and set designers.

Lavishly honoured and awarded, Shobana has also made a significant contribution to dance in the UK and internationally through her published writings, papers, panel presentations and broadcast interviews.

Photo by JP Masclet

As one of Britain’s most innovative and celebrated composers, Michael Nyman’s work encompasses operas and string quartets, film soundtracks and orchestral concertos.  Far more than merely a composer, he’s also a performer, conductor, bandleader, pianist, author, musicologist and now a photographer and film-maker. Although he’s far too modest to allow the description ‘Renaissance Man’, his restless creativity and multi-faceted art has made him one of the most fascinating and influential cultural icons of our times.

At this stage of a long and notable career, he might forgivably have been content to rest on his considerable laurels.  Yet instead of looking back on a lifetime of achievement that ranges from his award-winning score for the film The Piano to the acclaimed opera The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, via a string of high-profile collaborations with everyone from Sir Harrison Birtwistle to Damon Albarn, he’s still looking forward – pushing the boundaries of his art with a diverse and prolific burst of creativity as energetic and challenging as any new and iconoclastic young kid on the block.

Ursula Bombshell studied fashion design at St. Martins School of Art, London (BA Hons) before heading off to work in Paris. On her return to London she set up her own fashion label, which led to costume design for contemporary dance. She has worked on several productions with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance.

Lucy Carter has worked on many dance productions with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance, and is a long-term collaborator with choreographer Wayne McGregor. In 2008 she won the Knight of Illumination Award for Dance for her involvement in McGregor’s choreography Chroma.

Kamala Devam is a multi-lingual dance artist, choreographing, performing and teaching in the United Kingdom and United States. Kamala grew up training in Bharata Natyam in California with Katherine and K.P. Kunhiraman and received her degree in contemporary dance at San Francisco State University. In the UK, Kamala has toured internationally for 8 years with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance, performed for the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony with Akram Khan Company and worked with many independent choreographers, including Jose Agudo and Luca Silvestrini. She has collaborated with choreographer/dancer Seeta Patel on their multi award-winning dance film The Art of Defining Me (2013) and toured their duet works and her solo Fretless throughout the UK and US. Kamala is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of East London and an internationally commissioned choreographer for university and youth dance companies. She formed Kamala Devam Company in 2016, supported by the Arts Council England.

kamaladevamcompany.com

benyounesquartet.com

A sonic artist and composer, and member of the People Show theatre, Fred learnt his trade in Paris as a recording engineer, moving to England to become the personal recording engineer of the Eurhythmics.

Through his career he has mixed and recorded albums for the likes of Bob Dylan, The Prodigy, Depeche mode, Tom Petty, David Gray and many more. He has sound designed for theatrical experiences created by Punchdrunk, Burberry, Tods and Philipp Plein fashion shows in Paris, London and Milan. Fred has also composed music for choreographer Garance Marneur, on behalf of Levy Dance in San Francisco, for Alone Together and Pull Me Closer part of the SF International Art Festival 2017.

Touring as a live sound engineer, his broad client base includes choreographer Lee Anderson, Patti Smith, and the KLF Welcome to the Dark Ages. Fred has worked with Shobana Jeyasingh for the past eight years.