John Ashford discusses his directorship of the contemporary dance and performance center, The Place. He addresses funding, audience attendance, and programming. In addition, he reflects on the nature of international styles and language of contemporary dance, the role of the theatre in contemporary dance in England, and the future of the field, especially considering the emergence of television and dense visual information. He concludes with remarks on the nature of dance as a live medium that crosses international borders. (The interview is cut off by the natural termination of the tape.)

Biographical note:

John Ashford is a British dance producer and current director of the European dance network Aerowaves. He was the director of the London dance and performance center The Place, England's first center for modern dance performance and training, from 1986-2009. Prior to his directorship at The Place, he was theatre editor for Time Out, theatre manager at the Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre, London, and Director of the Theatre at the Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA), London. In 2009, he departed The Place to take on the directorship of Aerowaves, which he also founded in 1997. In 2002, he was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his achievements in the dance world.

Copyright