Claire Cunningham
Bio
Claire Cunningham is a choreographer, dancer, and performer based in Glasgow, Scotland. Cunningham is a self-identified disabled artist and many of her works interrogate the use and misuse of her own crutches. Cunningham has choreographed many solo performances as well as larger ensemble numbers including for the Candoco Dance Company. She has achieved recognition both in the UK and worldwide. She has been named as a Factory Artist with Tanzhaus NRW Düsseldorf (Germany), an Affiliate Artist at The Place (London), an Artist-in-Residence at the Women of the World Festival (London), an Artist-in-Residence at Perth International Arts Festival (Australia), and an Associate Artist at Tramway (Germany). Additionally, Cunningham was awarded one of the Unlimited Commissions in 2016 and her resulting collaboration with Jess Curtis, "The Way You Look (at me) Tonight," was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award.
(All information from Claire Cunningham's website)
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Video Description
The music of Bosch plays in the background. A woman with short blond hair bends over at the waist. Her arms rest on forearm crutches. She kneels and brings her crutches down to rest on her thighs as she lays her upper body down on the ground. The shot changes to the woman standing on her hands with her crutches used to support her thighs and keep her legs in the air. Using her legs, she drops the crutches to the ground and lies atop them. The shot again changes and the woman is on her knees using the crutches to mime an attempt to stand up. She repeatedly falls back down. One can hear the woman’s heavy breathing. The woman takes off her shirt and pants, revealing a white tank top underneath. She stands in front of an audience and begins to shake her body. She picks her crutches up from the ground. She uses them to mime jumping. She holds herself suspended in air between the two crutches. The woman begins to sing operatically along with the music.