DAVID GREEVES
MOVEMENT AND FIGHT DIRECTOR
Movement And Fight Director
DAVID GREEVES:
Movement director , Combat and Aerial choreographer working internationally across Opera, Bollywood and Circus productions for over 24 years.
Director of Yskynna Vertical Dance CIO, specializing in site-specific aerial performance in non traditional spaces for cultural and artistic endeavour.
Background :
Born in Redruth, Cornwall, working worldwide in Opera, Bollywood, large scale events, and local productions, as Movement Director, Martial Arts and Aerial choreographer, creative rigger, and actor.
Ba Hons in Psychology of Human behaviour, PGCE, cert LCDS , IRATA level 1/2 and currently studying a PhD at Falmouth university.
Aerial training and performing started with Angels of Disorder,{Jean-Paul Zacharini}, Stilt performance with Scarabeus Theatre, and has been involved with Glastonbury Festival Circus and Theatre for over 18 years as a lead rigger for Circus and Theatre.
In 1998 he began work as solo aerialist {corde lisse} and dancer for David McVicar’s production of Idomeneo at Vlaamse Opera in Antwerpen Belgium, this work progressed and now works on David McVicar’s creative team for productions such as Aida ROH 2010/2011, Gotterdammerung and Wagners Ring Cycle, Opera National du Rhin, Strasbourg 2011, L:e Clemency de Tito, Festival of Opera, Aix en Provence 2011, Le Capitole Toulouse 2012/2018, Chicago Opera 2014, Aida Le Palau des Artes Valencia 2012/2017, San Fransisco Opera Les Troyens 2016, The Liceu Barcelona 2020 and Mid Summer Nights Dream Tokyo 2020.
Building a substantial portfolio of work as Artistic Director of Yskynna Vertical dance CIO and as Movement Director.
MARTIAL ARTS CHOREOGRAPHER
Drawing upon Martial Training for over 20 years and developing choreography for stage and film, I utilize different martial arts to create spectacular sequences and unique training methods for actors to develop body awareness, skill acquisition and transformation. Having studied in China and Thailand I use Wushu Qong Fu, Tai Chi Quan, Muay Thai and Battodo Fudokan
I am grateful to have worked with Sir David McVicar OBE, Rae Smith, Paule Constable and Leah Hausmann, bringing specialist choreography to many International Opera productions, working at the Royal opera House, London, La Monnaie de Munt, Brussels, Le Capitole Toulouse, and Lyric Opera Chicago among many others.
I have worked on Bollywood productions, Zangoora and Jhumroo in New Delhi and Jaan and Jigar in Dubai, with Wizcraft Productions alongside directors Vikrant Pawar and Viraf Sakari
Samurai Sword Fight Choreography
L’Opera Du Rhin Strasbourg Bo Staff fight sequences
La Marcha
Samurai Sword Fight Choreography
Trained in corde lisse, sling, bungee and harness work on wires and rope, I draw upon these skill sets when developing aerial performance and vertical dance choreography. Training actors to fly, to develop harness , aerial awareness and build the strength and skills to maintain a strong core whilst delivering the performance is at the heart of this practice.
Having worked with the Generating Company Osaka 2006-2007, Kirbys AFX New Delhi 2010 and 2012 and at Bollywood Parks Dubai 2016 creating flying duets for actors and puppetry for flying dragons and snakes.
Using counterweight systems for specific flying work for our site specific performances.
Yskynna home page: www.yskynna.co.uk
Yskynna on Vimeo : https://vimeo.com/yskynna
AERIAL CHOREOGRAPHER
Starring as Dharma solo aerialist, actor and dancer in David McVicar’s production of Idomeneo at Vlaamse Opera 1998, being involved in many productions as aerialist or movement specialist, performing as Puck in Brittens Midsummers Nights Dream at La Monnnaie Brussels Belgium 2004, and from then working with the creative team and developing specialist choreographic content based on Martial Art skills and fight choreography, culminating the last 2 years with McVicar’s productions of Aida at the Royal Opera House, Palais des Artes, Valencia, and La Clemenza de Tito, International Festival of Opera Aix en Provence. Both productions used specialist sword, and sword and dagger technique.
OPERA
The Royal Opera
Puck in Mid Summer Nights Dream , La Monnaie de Munt , Belgium
Idomeneo Dharma - Aerial and Dance
The production of Aida utlised the Japanese sword form of Battodo Fudokan, taught by John ‘Maki’ Evans, this source gave the choreographic work a solid base in sword technique, which was developed within the choreography and the direction of each scene.. The training process consisted of demanding physical exercises similar to Shaolin training, and in the Valencia production we were honoured to have Zhu a 32nd generation Shaolin working with the production and in the rerun of Aida at the ROH.
Le Clemency de Tito demanded research into Roman sword and dagger technique. There was little recorded of this style of fighting, much was determined about the way of fighting by the nature and design of the swords from that era. Using replica swords and daggers and the way of fighting as 1 on 1 as well as a unit, the movement, technique and style was developed, which fed into the choreographic process.