Katie Duck Extended Biography
Born in Oxnard, California - December 10, 1951
Education: High school diploma USA, Youth theater and stock companies from the age of 12. Fremont Junior College, Theater department. University of Utah, Modern dance department. Private Teachers- Trout Faggioni - Laban and Joose (Italy / formal studio work). Ballet, Comedia del Arte, performance studies - private studios with directors.
Independent Professional work: Founding member Salt Lake City Mime Company (1974-77), Solo performances the Duck play, Matilda’s suicide, Mad woman (1976-80), Collaborations with European Improvisation Music artists (1976-99) Tristan Honsinger, Sean Bergin, Mischa Mengelberg, Derek Bailey, Gunther Christman, Baar Philps and others, Company’s Gruppo (1979-85) and Magpie (1995-current), Solos (based on text - see poems 1993-1999)
Company’s: Groupo (1979-86) 12 international tours, November Production Company (1986-89) tours in Great Britain and Spain, PIA workshop series, Magpie Music Dance Company (from 1995) tours 1996 – England, Belgium, Germany, USA (NY) 1997 – Poland, USA, Belgium, Germany, Brazil, USA (NY and DC), Belgium 1998 – Spain, Austria, Belgium, Germany 1999 - USA (NY), Switzerland, Austria, Spain, 2000 USA (NYC), Austria, Spain, Belgium 2001 – Belgium, Spain, Austria, Germany 2002 – Russia, USA (NYC, Seattle and San Francisco), Canada, France, Spain 2003 – Austria, France, Spain, USA (NYC) 2003-2004 – Sweden, Spain, France, Germany, New Zealand (Auckland and Wellington) 2004-2005 Budapest, Hungary, USA (DC, San Diego, California) 2006 -7 – Slovenia, Korea, China, Spain
Independent teaching: (1973-2000) Composition, Improvisation and technique studies. Private studios, companies, schools and dance centers in Europe, the USA, Japan, Africa, Scandinavia, Korea and Great Britain.
Institution teaching: (1986-91) Dartington College of Arts, senior lecturer for the theater Department, head of choreography studies. Honors degree program for theater and Cultural Studies. School for New Dance Development: (1991- current) Teacher for movement research and improvisation studies. Jr-Sr teaching (improvisation) project - SNDO 2006-7, mentor (third and fourth year) SNDO (2007- current), placement manager SNDO (2007-current)
Independent project work: Initiated the Frascati Improvisation festival Amsterdam (1994-99), initiated improvisation series for the Fijnhout theater Amsterdam, Muiderpoort theater Amsterdam. Melkweg theater, OT301 Cultural center (1992-2001-current). Initiated PIA (Production Company for independent artists 1998-2005).
Published: (articles magazines) Contact Quarterly-interview (USA), Independent dance (GB), New Dance (GB), Dance and theater (GB), Performance (GB), Notes (Ned) (articles books) Nouvelles de Danse la (Belgium), Body, Space, Image (GB), Nouvelles de Dance, on the edge (Belgium).
Awards: From art councils in England, Italy, Germany, USA and the Netherlands for independent touring projects and for project subsidy. Commissions for Choreography: Extemporary Dance Company (GB), Midlands Dance Company (GB), Modern dance Company Plymouth (GB), Dance Umbrella (GB), Improvisation Companies (GB, Italy, France, Spain, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands) Lady Komedie (Ned), Frascati Theater (Ned), Klapstuk (Belg). Magpie - (Ned) Fingers in the Pie 2002-3 Pi Pied – 2003-4 BLINK -2004-5
Independent Choreography: (1997-99) Crisis, Macha, Law, Solo, Betrayal, Hero, In the Strictest Confidence. In Companies: Groupo (1979-85) - Rutles, The Orange Man, Wild Card, Mind the Gap, Brown eye Green eye. Ex-temporary Dance Company (1984)- On the Bread line. Plymoth modern dance company (1985)- Bird Piece. Dance Umbrella- (1984) Reckless. Frascati Theater- (Five year commission - 1994-99) Improvisation Festival. Klapstuk- (1992) Improvisation event.
Independent Research: Dance and Aesthetics (gender) composition (20th century, scores and graphs for music and dance), Dance History, Dance and feminism, Critical languages for dance and its practice, Composition studies / structure and form / improvisation, internet communications, course design for Udner graduate and graduate courses, Alexander Technique (teacher Tom Koch), Brain studies.