MAGPIE
I spearheaded Magpie Amsterdam in 1995. I had a an extensive background collaborating with improvisation musicians in Europe beginning in the 1970’s while based in Amsterdam. Was the director of the Italian company Groupo in the 80’s, while based in Italy. Was a senior lecturer at Dartington College of Arts in Devon England, mid 80’s to 1991, and was now returning to Amsterdam, where I was offered a contract with the University of Amsterdam, department SNDO.
When I settled in Amsterdam I initiated an improvisation, multidisciplinary festival, held once a year in the Frascati Theatre in Amsterdam, in collaboration with Robert Stijn (1995 until 1999). This yearly festival inspired dancers and musicians to gather in studios to research improvisation.
Under the title ‘Magpie” I created a performance series, held on the last Sunday of each month, in the Fijnhout theater, the Melkweg, and later the OT301 cultural centre. Prior to each Sunday event, dancers and musicians gathered in a studio to do a tight rehearsal that would lead to a loose performance. These studio sessions eventually formed the base of what “Magpie” would become. “It looked as if it was a set music, dance, text performance, yet it was indeed improvised”. The original artists who created the rehearsal process were Katie Duck, Vincent Cacialono, Martin Sonderkamp, Sharon Smith, Masako Naguchi, and Eileen Stanley.
An important contribution to how Magpie evolved, was meeting light designer, Ellen Knops. i met her 1995 in a small theatre in Amsterdam. Doing the monthly performances with Magpie, she evolved into a real-time light designer, an essential element for how the performances appeared to be set as her lights followed not only the dancers choices, but rather the music shifts and tension. Later Michael Schumacher, Sylvain Meret, Justin Morrison, and Makiko Ito were added. Many guests were invited to the monthly sessions. Magpie became a monthly event that dancers, and musicians hoped to be invited, and publics packed in to witness the events.
Magpie toured internationally to festivals alongside their monthly series. This success led the project towards pursuing funding. That lasted for three years. Eventually that blew the fire out of the brewing creativity the project represented. The title changed to Magpie Music Dance Company (MMDC). the multidisciplinary vision was now narrowed to Music and dance, both of which became more formally intropduced.
I stepped out in 2005. It folded by 2006.
A great experiment. A great lab for artists to gather, research, perform, go back to the research, and perform again.