Julyen Hamilton is a dancer / choreographer / teacher / musician. He has been making and performing dances for 45 years throughout the world. He has made over 100 solos as well as 25 years of Company pieces and numerous collaborations with dancers and musicians and theatre performers.
Born and brought up in England he trained in London in the 1970’s, a time of radical experimentation, he has been an exponent of innovative performance since that time.
His work is mostly improvised : he composes dance works instantly as well as the texts which often accompany them.
His work with text is unique. It fuses naturally his long-term writing practice with his refined skills in dancing. When working with his company ALLEN’S LINE he directs dancers and lighting designers to make and perform work through this same immediacy. With his company ALLEN’S LINE, he has been performing “GOAT OCEAN” in Rome, Paris, Bruxelles and France during 2023 and their new work “CHILD of DAY” has shown in Paris and Bruxelles during 2024.
Since the 80’s he has performed constantly in close collaboration with many of the highest quality musicians from all over Europe. (Barre Phillips, Fred Frith, Tristan Honsinger, Michael Moore…) It is with some of these musicians that he gives readings of his poetry. He is at present performing the solos ‘INTERVIEW’, ‘HELD DEAR’ and “a KOAN for our Times” performing with bass player Barre Phillips, Nuria Andorra and Jordina Millá amongst many others.
As a pianist he plays regularly with Hamilton Carroll in Berlin and Brussels. Their first cd ‘POINTER’ was released in 2016. His label ‘BLUEDOG PUBLISHING.net’ produces videos of his performances on DVD, CDs and print. His new poetry album ‘Jack Gets Out of Prison’ with bassist Wilbert de Joode was released in 2018 and ‘The Road to Amarillo’ piano/text/bass with Giorgos Kokkinaris released in 2022.
www.julyenhamilton.com
In this episode, Julyen Hamilton, an experienced performance maker with over 40 years in various fields including theatre, dance, and teaching, shares his deep insights on improvisation and instant composition. Julyen discusses his current creative endeavors, including his solo piece 'KOAN for out Times' and his work with his company Allen's Line. He touches upon the principles of his pedagogy, which are rooted in his vast experience and focus on the live moment and the dynamic interplay between the personal and larger environment. Julyen also delves into the timeless elements of birth, life, and death, and the continuity of being that transcends physical form. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the importance of form in performance, objects, and text, and how these elements can house and express deeper spiritual and ephemeral qualities. The episode closes with Julyen reflecting on the vital importance of making and sharing work, especially in challenging times.
00:00 Introduction to Julyen Hamilton
01:49 Julian's Current Projects and Insights
03:53 The Essence of Pedagogy and Performance
07:37 Timeless Themes in Art and Life
27:05 The Tangibility of Text and Speech
38:07 Creating Majestic Worlds in Theatre
53:28 Upcoming Projects and Final Thoughts
