Amy Voris – CV
b. 1972, Indiana USA
Qualifications
2021: Foundation Course in Gestalt Counselling and Psychotherapy, Manchester Gestalt Centre
2012-2019: PhD, University of Chichester (full scholarship and bursary) under the supervision of professors Jane Bacon and Vida Midgelow. Thesis title: ‘Forming, Returning and Deepening: Dance-making with the processual qualities of Authentic Movement’
2008-2012: Diploma in Integrative Bodywork and Movement Therapy, with Linda Hartley and guests
2002: MA Dance Studies (distinction), Laban. Subject areas: Choreography, Aesthetics, Choreological Studies. Dissertation advisers: Anna Pakes, Rosemary Butcher
1999-2000: Advanced Diploma Professional Studies/Artists in Schools Training Programme, hosted by The Institute of Education/University of London and the London Arts Board
1994-1996: Professional Diploma in Dance Studies (distinction), Laban Centre London. Award for excellence in coursework, work-scholarship for second year of study
1990-1994: Bachelor of Philosophy (cum laude), Miami University, Ohio, USA. Major: Interdisciplinary Studies/Western College Programme, Minor: German. Junior Year Abroad programme at Ludwig Maximillians Universität in Munich, Germany
Selected choreographic projects
2020-2025: the perch adaptation project with dance-artists Katye Coe and Bridget Fiske
2022-2024: to return, a collaboration with dance-maker Marguerite Galizia
2021-2022: Gelbezeit, a collaboration with lighting designer Cath Cullinane, dance-artist Natalie Garrett Brown and photographer Christian Kipp
2021: the perch adaptation project/audio scores commissioned by Amaara Raheem and Preethi Athreya, with support from Critical Path (Sydney, Australia)
2021-2022: collaborator on Anna Macdonald’s Ways of doing things commissioned by The Wellcome Trust
2021: collaborator on mayfield brooks’ and Mary Person’s How to be afraid? with support from Arts Council England and Independent Dance
2021: Curious Playground, a new group commission for Mobius Dance Company (Leeds/Bradford)
2021: perching, a collaboration with dance-artist Natalie Garrett Brown, photographer Christian Kipp and lighting designer Cath Cullinane. Generated with support from Wimbledon Space
2019/2022: collaborator on Anna Macdonald’s This is for you (Manchester)
2014-2019: perch, a solo which explores forming, returning and deepening movement material across an extended period of time
2014-present: Accumulations, a collaborative research and development project for four artists (Dani Abulhawa, Hannah Buckley, Sarah Spies & Amy Voris). Generated with support from The Arts Council, Dance Manchester, Yorkshire Dance and in affiliation with The Whitworth Art Gallery
2014-present: flockOmania, a collaboration with jewellery-maker Zoe Robertson, dance-artist Natalie Garrett and photographer Christian Kipp. Performed at Lanchester Gallery (Coventry), Parkside Gallery (Birmingham), Music Techfest (Berlin), Dance 4/Nottingham Contemporary and The University of Huddersfield
2008-present: enter & inhabit, a site-responsive dance project in collaboration with Natalie Garrett, photographer Christian Kipp, writer Niki Pollard. Performances at Summer Dancing Festival, Living Landscapes conference Aberystwyth, Dance in Devon, Dance and Somatic Practices Conference Coventry. With support from Coventry University and Warwick University as part of the AHRC project ‘Sensing the City’ (2018-2020)
2013: clog, a collaboration with composer James Buchanan. Performed at Emergency, Manchester, Coventry University and University of Chichester
2009-2011: sift, a collaboration with composer James Buchanan, lighting designer Cath Cullinane and photographer Christian Kipp. Presented at Abundance festival Kartstadt, Sweden, Lanchester Gallery Coventry and Dance and Somatic Practices Conference Coventry. Created with support from Clarence Mews, London and Coventry University
2006-2008: overlap, a solo made in collaboration with scenographer Susannah Henry and composer James Buchanan. Developed at Clarence Mews, Laban and at Progr’ in Bern, Switzerland. Performed at the Blue Elephant Theatre, London; Michaelis Theatre, Roehampton University, London; Delia Zapata Theatre, Bogota, Colombia; PROGR’ in Bern, Switzerland; Chisenhale Dance Space, London. Production funding from Migros kulturprozent, Bern Burgergemeinde, Swiss Amt fur Kultur Kanton Bern (Switzerland) and Espacio Ambimental, Republica de Colombia Ministerio de Cultura (Colombia)
2005-2008: sentient dogs, a diverse group of performers who share a passion for movement and for play
Selected performance work
2003-2022: Performer/collaborator for choreographers Anna Macdonald, Mary Pearson, Caroline Salem, Katye Coe, Satya Dunning, Neil Paris, Meghan Flanigan, Dog Kennel Hill Project
1996-2003: Performer with and founding member of Rose’s Thoughts Dance Company devising 8 original dance works under the direction of choreographer Ruth Segalis. Rose’s Thoughts received support from The London Arts Board, Arts 4 Everyone, Greenwich Dance Agency, Jackson’s Lane Zone Three, London Borough Arts, Essex Dance, The Place Theatre Commission, The Place Choreodrome, The Video Place, The British Council, Bretton Hall, The Greenhouse Effect Conference, Laban among others. Segalis was a recipient of the Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award and was short-listed for the Jerwood Award for Choreography. The company had over 60 performances in Britain and abroad
Selected education / facilitation work
June 2022: Workshop delivery on the MA in Expanded Dance Practice at London Contemporary Dance School
Summer/Autumn 2022 (tbc): reflect/re-align workshop delivery (online) with Natalie Garrett Brown
Summer/Autumn 2022 (tbc): Workshop delivery and professional development exchange with Suzannah McCreight and Green Light Dance Company (Belfast, Northern Ireland)
2019-2022: Delivery of morning class on the Embodied Practice module and final project supervision on the MA/MFA in Creative Practice hosted by Independent Dance/Trinity Laban (2022 cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances)
2020-2021: Delivery of Experiential Anatomy into Movement (online). Further information and booking here
October 2021: Choreographic workshop delivery (related to the flockOmania project) on the Performance-making module for MA Choreography students at Trinity Laban (London)
August 2021: Professional workshop delivery for Dance North (Findhorn, Scotland)
Summer 2021: Guest teacher, Figueres Es Mou Festival, Spain (canceled due to unforseen circumstances)
2018-2021: Delivery of Experiential Anatomy, Authentic Movement and Somatic Psychology content on Janet Kaylo’s Laban/Barteneiff & Somatic Studies International programme in Toronto, Canada and online
January-August 2019: Dissertation/final project supervision on the MA Dance and Somatic Well-being: Connections to the Living Body at the University of Central Lancashire
January-December 2018: Lecturer in Dance (.2 maternity leave cover) on the BA in Dance Performance and Teaching at the University of Central Lancashire. Subjects: Studio practice and dissertation / final project supervision
January-March 2018: Choreographic supervision on the MA in Contemporary Dance/Developing Artistic Practice Pathway at London Contemporary Dance School
January-August 2017: Senior Lecturer in Dance (.6), Manchester Metropolitan University. Subjects: Choreographic Practice, Contemporary Technique and Improvisation, Dance Performance, Movement Research, dissertation / final project supervision (department closed because of university restructuring)
2012-2019: Guest Lecturer at Independent Dance London, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Plymouth University, Coventry University, University of Chichester, Manchester Metropolitan University, Lithuania Dance Summer School
2007-2012: Associate Senior Lecturer in Dance (.6), Coventry University. Subjects: Contemporary Dance Technique and Improvisation, Solo-Making, Site-responsive Dance-making, Interdisciplinary Performance Practice, Dance History, Performance Practice (MA level), dissertation / final project supervision
2006-2007: Sessional Lecturer, London Contemporary Dance School and Birkbeck College, London. Subjects: Performance Studies/Repertory, Teaching Studies, Choreological Studies
2006: Guest artist and workshop leader at DanzaCommun in Bogota, Colombia
2000-2005: Lecturer in Dance (.8), Laban. Subjects: Contemporary Dance Technique, Choreography, Choreological Studies, Teaching Dance Technique, Repertory, Collaborative Practices, dissertation/final project supervision
2000-2001: Artist in Residence at Haggerston School, Hackney; St. Paul’s Way Community School, Tower Hamlets; Park High School, Stanmore; Langdon School, East Ham. All residencies culminated in a performance of student work
1994-2000: Creative Dance and Contemporary Dance Technique Teacher (secondary level), Tasis England, Surrey
1994: Creative Dance Teacher (primary level), McGuffey Foundation School, Ohio, USA
Publications
Garrett Brown, N. and Meehan, E. (with Kipp, C. and Voris, A.) (2020) ‘Moving and Mapping: Exploring Embodied Approaches to Urban Design and Planning’ In Whybrow, N. (ed) Urban Sensographies, London: Routledge, pp. 100-123
Voris, A. (2019), ‘Forming and Returning: Dance-making with Authentic Movement’ [online] available from <https://nivel.teak.fi/adie/forming-and-returning/>
Kramer, P. and Meehan, E. (with Martin, S. and Voris, A.) (2019) ‘About Adequacy: Making Body-based Artistic Research Public’ [online] available from <https://nivel.teak.fi/adie/about-adequacy/>
Bannon, F., Garrett Brown, N. and Voris, A. (2018) ‘Editorial – Pedagogy and Process, Somatic informed Education in a Postmodern Era’, Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices, Volume 10.1, pp. 3-7
Garrett Brown, N. and Voris, A. (2016), ‘flock0mania 2: Women at Work’ [exhibition catalogue] Birmingham: Birmingham City University
Cullinane, Garrett Brown, Kipp and Voris (2015), ‘At dusk, the collaborative spills and cycles of L219′ in Attending to Movement: Somatic Perspectives on Living in this World. Edited by Alexander, Garret Brown and Whatley. Devon: Triarchy Press, pp. 135-144
Garrett Brown, N., Kipp, C. and Voris, A. (2015), ‘Dancing with dirt and wires: Reconciling the embodied and the digital in site responsive collaborative practice’ In Causey, M., Meehan, E., O’Dwyer, N. (ed) Through the Virtual Toward the Real: The Performing Subject in the Spaces of Technology, UK: Palgrave Publishers, pp. 174-186
Garrett Brown, Kipp, Pollard and Voris (2011), ‘everything is at once: Reflections on embodied photography and collaborative process’, Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices, Volume 3.1 & 3.2, pp. 74 – 84
Garrett, Lee, Pollard, and Voris (2010), ‘A gift of writing? Choreographer and writer collaborations in the university’, Research in Dance Education, Volume 11.2, pp. 143 – 160
by Hetty Blades about the perch adaptation project
Blades, H. (2021) ‘Coming Together by Moving Apart – Contemporary Dance Scores and Communities During the Covid 19 Pandemic‘, The International Journal of Screen Dance, Volume 12, pp. 50-71
PhD thesis
Voris, A. (2018) Forming, Returning and Deepening: Dance-making with the processual qualities of Authentic Movement. Unpublished PhD thesis. Chichester: University of Chichester (view PhD)
Selected professional development
2011-2022: Editorial board Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices
2019-2021: External examiner for the BA in Dance and MA in Choreography at Leeds Beckett University
2020: Participant in the Creative Articulations Process training group with Jane Bacon and Vida Midgelow
2017/2020-2021: Assistant on IBMT workshops with Jane Okondo and Linda Hartley
2012-2015, 2017-2020: Participant in Authentic Movement Ongoing Study and Practice Group with Linda Hartley
2017-2018: Participant in the Artistic Doctorates in Europe project with gatherings in Nottingham, Venice, Stockholm and Chichester
May 2017: Dialogues with Dancers (Resonance FM), in conversation with Mary Prestige
May 2017: Erasmus funded teaching exchange between Manchester Metropolitan University and Turku Academy of the Arts, Finland (with Anna Macdonald)
November 2015: Guest artist at Inquiring Bodies 3 curated by Cheshire Dance
2013-2015: Editorial assistant Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices
2008-2015: Founding member of Decoda, a curatorial project for experimental dance in Coventry, UK
Summer 2006: Deborah Hay Solo Commissioning Project in Findhorn, Scotland
Summer 2005: Skinner Releasing Intensive Summer School in Seattle, Washington