#GDLifeinLockdown
Life in Lockdown is a blog series initiated by Greenwich Dance which features community and professional arists close to the organisation sharing how they are staying creative during these isolating times.
The artists have been asked to log their day-to-day activity during lockdown. Heres a look at Jose Agudo’s week!
Jose is Artistic Director of Agudo Dance Company, based in South East London. He has created commissioned works for Phoenix Dance Theatre, ZfinMalta National Dance Company, ACE Dance and Music, Cape Dance Company; Norrdans, and SEAD/Bodhi Project, amongst others. In 2019, he choreographed the opening ceremony of The Davis Cup in Madrid. This year, Jose will be an entry into the new edition of 50 Contemporary Choreographers, an international publication by Routledge.
Since establishing his own company in 2017, he has toured internationally with the inaugural production ‘Silk Road’ and is currently creating a new production of Carmen with his company of 8 dancers. Jose is widely known on the dance circuit for his warm and creative approach to teaching and has been a guest teacher at GDA for many years. www.joseagudo.co.uk
MONDAY
Starting the week with a sunny lockdown breakfast in the garden with my family. My wife Claire was teaching yoga online today so I took over the home-schooling, which is so much fun we are continuing over the half term break! This afternoon, we had a first Zoom ‘meet & greet’ with the 8 company dancers who have just joined Agudo Dance Company for our new production of Carmen”. Trying to figure out a way forwards with the creation.
TUESDAY
Huge digital learning curve during lockdown. Today, I was teaching professional class on Zoom, reaching dancers from London to Brazil, then recording movement phrases from my new production of Carmen so that the company dancers can start learning material remotely. Still up at 10pm doing admin!
WEDNESDAY
Today I was rehearsing my kathak’s piece from Silk Road. We’ve had a lot of cancellations this year but still have 5 shows in Madrid scheduled for November. Fingers crossed this all goes ahead…
THURSDAY
Enjoying my Flamenco training under the guidance of Olga Llorente who lives in Madrid. Just heard that our September tour to France has been cancelled so that was a blow to the day. Holding out for the Madrid dates in November.
FRIDAY
Tried a 4 hour rehearsal on Zoom today with ADC dancers. So nice to dance together but certainly not the way forwards for creation. Went home. Baked a banana cake. Watched Harry Potter 1 with my family. So relieved that the SEISS grant extension was announced today. The arts and cultural industries were affected immediately by Covid 19 and we will be there at the end trying to recover.
