Carolyn Deby
UK
Carolyn Deby is a London (England) based artist/choreographer whose site-based, performance work examines the lived experience of humans — situating the human body/psyche within landscape. Devised using the company name sirenscrossing, the work combines sensory inputs/restrictions, different sites, contrasts of scale and distance, audience/performer movement, verbal/written text, recorded video/sound scores. Since 1999, the projects have been exclusively site specific. The use of place has often centred on exploring and revealing the psychogeographic topography of specific urban environments. Most recently (2011-12), Carolyn has been Leverhulme Trust Artist-in-Residence at University College London’s Urban Laboratory, with final performances of thecityandthecityandthecity mbOdied presented January 25-27, 2012. Other projects include: rivercities (2010-2013 — England/Sweden/Yukon) imbolc {in the belly} (2008 – Vancouver Cultural Olympiad); palimpsest (2006 – Trinity Laban); city:skinned (2006 – Dancing on the Edge, Vancouver); memory dances (2003 – Vancouver); city:skinned (2002 – The Place, London King’s Cross). During 2007–2009, Carolyn was choreographic mentor on The Harbour project in Göteborg, Sweden — with dance artists Pia Nordin and Victoria Alarik.
Carolyn is also a writer, seminar leader, professional development consultant, researcher, and freelance administrator. She was the founding editor/designer of international dance magazine Juice (The Place, 1997-2002) and has managed four different dance studios in London. Events she has curated/led include: sitebodyspecific (Vancouver, 2006); Talkback for Choreographers (The Place, 2004 + 2005); Making Site Specific Performance (London Arts, 2002); sitebodyspecific (RFH, London 2000). Carolyn is a lecturer/component leader at London Contemporary Dance School, University of East London, and Trinity Laban — and a regular guest lecturer for several English National Dance Agencies and BA Dance degree programs.
Artistic Philosophy
sirenscrossing’s work engages individuals within ordinary places, seeking to implicate the fabric of their everyday lives in the devised experience — and explores through performance practice in different urban settings, what it is to exist as a ‘human’ in relation to ‘nature’, within the ‘urban context’. Our objective is to investigate the interaction of human, natural, and urban ideas/actions/inputs over time/space in order to reveal a new understanding of how our everyday existence unfolds.
