Green Hippo

Colin Dunn's nomination for Laurance Olivier Award

Colin Dunn's nomination for Laurance Olivier Award

Remember one of the quieter, yet jaw-dropping shows that our Hippotizers have been involved in and which we shouted about a couple of years ago? Well it turns out it is the quiet ones you have to watch after all. - We are of course talking about Colin Dunne’s solo performance Out of Time, which was sponsored by Green Hippo, with the Film Design done by our Sean Westgate.

We are extremely excited to announce that Colin Dunne has just been nominated for the acclaimed Laurence Olivier Award 2010 in the category for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. This comes after also receiving a recent nomination for a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award.

Originally commissioned and premiered at the Glór Theatre, Ennis in February 2008 and presented at bite09 by the Barbican Centre, the show provides an incredibly contemporary perspective on traditional Irish dance.

Colin Dunne and Sean were introduced by Director, Sinead Rushe, and Dunne explains: “We were not sure what the Hippotizer was really about and were a bit intimidated by it at first. However, a workshop session with Sean showed us what it could do and gave us a sense of its versatility.”

Using video footage of dancers from 1930's to 1970’s, Dunne wanted to use projection to bring aspects of Irish dance to the stage which, in a solo piece, he could not do alone. The video content and presentation had to show different facets of dance, some playing independently, some incorporating the action on stage in a more interactive way as he danced alongside it.

The challenge for Sean was how to integrate the vital video footage into the dance piece without overpowering Dunne's performance in intimate spaces, such as the Glór. A large screen was ruled out on this basis and because of the difficulty of concealing and transporting it. The answer came in a number of odd sized boxes which were to double as both dance, as well as projection surfaces and could be danced on, opened out and rearranged by Dunne throughout the performance. Sean was able to use a Hippotizer Express to keystone the images and map them precisely onto the boxes in each position. Intensity levels were adapted to fit in with Colin Randall's lighting so the boxes glowed gently, drawing them into a coherent whole with the rest of the lighting.

I don't know how we would have done it without the Hippotizer” says Dunne. “The films look beautiful, and the Hippo is a genius. After our initial reserve we found it was very simple to get to grips with and our very talented sound designer Fionan de Barra, was able to operate it during the show, making small edits and adjustments as we went along. The moveable timelines mean the footage can be brought in on the dancer's cue rather than dictating the flow of movement to the dancer. This gives more flexibility and room for interpretation and the dancer is not restricted in any way by the technology.”

Sean, who prepared the video clips and spent three days programming the time lines, explains: “Part of the beauty of the Hippotizer is how it lends itself to small scale projects as well as the larger shows. The results we achieved were very subtle. The set up is also very economical and practical for touring because of the absence of large screens to transport and the adaptability of the Hippotizer in the different sized venues to which the show will be travelling.”

Colin Dunne’s nomination is joined by Fabulous Beast for Best New Dance Production, which supports the increasing influence of Irish artists in the contemporary dance scene. Eugene Downes, Director of Culture Ireland which provided generous support to Out of Time, says: “These Olivier award nominations are striking evidence of increasing international recognition for the excellence of Irish contemporary dance.”