The Poe Saga is a long-term project but you can book the mini Fragments of Poe at any time
The Poe Saga is a long-term exploration of some of the greatest tales by Edgar Allan Poe, framed by the aesthetic of queer artist Aubrey Beardsley. It will be both a film and a spectacular dance theatre work, suitable for traditional and non traditional settings. Fragments of Poe is an intriguing evening of dance, film and discussion to wet the appetite and talk to you the audience. It’s available to tour from summer 2024.
The Poe Saga “quirky and macabre” interrogates inner (bodily, personal) landscape and outer (environmental, both urban and rural) landscape. “mesmerising”.
Enter the world of Poe, Beardsley, Frankel - forbidden, hidden, transgressive, luscious, queer and dark.
R&D supported using public funding by Arts Council England with further support in kind from Creative UK, Dance City, Re Co Co and Dr Martyn Hudson, Programme Lead: Creative and Cultural Industries MA Northumbria University.
This project looks amazing! A project exploring the fantastical, deliciously disturbing and internally eventful work of Poe.
— Claire Webster, Saaremets Artistic Director Skimstone Arts
I found many things valuable during this time.
I found that the range of creative tasks really kept my attention and my curiosity alive, as we would approach the embodiment of Poe's writing from different angles, creating a rich inner world full of vivid images and sensation from which to find authentic movement.
I very much liked how we would frequently pause to look at images and illustrations depicting Poe's world and then discuss these, as I felt this really helped to build a shared rich inner landscape. I felt that this really gave us a strong shared base or 'world' in which to explore, first as individuals and then finding sensitive, unconventional and at times joyously ridiculous ways of weaving together as an ensemble. It was sensitive, wacky, imaginative and great fun to explore within such an open minded and welcoming creative space!
— Olivia Paddison, professional dance artist, former Fertile Ground company member, on a one week placement with us. It was fantastic to have you with us.
Do you wish to be part of the journey, partner with us or book a workshop or performance? Contact Dora at frankeldora@gmail.com
The Poe Saga promo.
Music Roma Yagnik. Costume Kate Collins. Dancers Luca Braccia, Becky Horne, Livia Massarelli, Zara Sands.
Dora Frankel
Choreographer, Performer, Educator, Mentor, Dance Reviewer
Dora Frankel: Exploring a Tapestry of Senses, Places and Memories
Artistic Director Dora Frankel Ensemble, Artistic Director Emeritus Fertile GroundDora Frankel trained at Rambert School of Ballet 1967-71 and later, as choreologist at Benesh International, London. She joined Rambert Company as choreologist, also performing in Cruel Garden chor. Christopher Bruce, among other works. During her 60 year career here and abroad, mainly America and Scandinavia, she has combined choreography and dance and theatre performance with education and outreach work, including most notably, the design and leadership of Angered Gymnasium’s dance programme(s) in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Images George de Haas, Tony Griffiths, Frank Young, Luke Waddington, Bec Hughes.