Ep.1 Versatility: dance and labour power

Ep.6 Art vs Business We’re back! This time we’re talking art and business and how to separate the two when they seem so inseparable from within the apocalyptic death-train of capitalism that we are currently riding. Also, welcome to the new stripped back version of Two Left Feet. We’ve abandoned the visuals in an attempt to simplify the process of creating these episodes and make it more likely that we’ll actually make them. Enjoy.

Ellie and Lewys talk about their personal experiences of studying contemporary dance, how each of their journeys through training (training? Is this the army?) were different, and what the pros and cons of these pathways were. Good toes, naughty toes... it's a mantra attached to western, classical dance training like barnacles to the hull of a ship. We reflect on how the sentiment behind this common catchphrase runs a bit too deep.

This episode of Two Left Feet is about opportunities in the dance industry. It's a buzz(kill)word that's less about dancing and more about the dance industry. We take a look at one particular example of an ‘opportunity’ which we find both problematic in its own right and emblematic of wider issues that are often faced by professional dancers. The Three E’s: Exploitation, Exclusion and... well mainly just those two.

The second in our series of dance buzz(kill)words. Ellie and Lewys take a word that's thrown around a lot by dance folk and apply some heat. This episode is about talent. Does it stand up to the test? We debunk the 10,000 hours theory, we have a go at Jeff Bezos, we explain the myth of the meritocracy and we ask: what even is talent? Also we have a rant about Akram Khan's latest Netflix manoeuvre... watch until the end for that.

In this video we talk about how dancers are often infantilised. Are they trusted? Are their voices heard? To expand upon the subject we talk to theatre maker, facilitator and academic, Sue Mayo, about her many years of experience leading projects with non professional participants, and how she creates respectful working environments. There is A LOT of ground to cover, so we'll likely be making more videos on this topic in the future! Enjoy!

Ellie and Lewys discuss versatility in dance. It's is a word that's thrown around by dance folk... a lot. We're encouraged to 'do more and do it better!' How does this affect how we work? What would Marx say about it all?