‘Foot Notes’ – Films from the Covid crisis

Stills from contributions to ‘FOOT NOTES’ (from top left to bottom right): Cecilia Macfarlane, Helen Robertson, Rachel Wise and Anjali Khurana, Jodie Cole, Jacky Lansley, Ingrid Mackinnon, Susan Kempster, Mary Prestidge, Zosia Jo, Sonia York-Price, Manuela Jara, Amy Cartwright and Jessica Loeb.

At the beginning of the Covid Crisis, Dance Research Studio’s Artistic Director Jacky Lansley began making a series of short unedited films which focus on her feet, as a way of staying in touch with everyone. She called this project Foot Notes and invited other practitioners to make their own short foot films and send them to DRS. To date the studio has  received over twenty beautiful foot films from different parts of the world.

The films can be viewed on DRS’ websiteFacebook and Instagram feeds.

Jacky says: “Many of the films explore different environments  and textures through feet – on grass,  sand, stones, sea, wood- and most are bare foot with the soundscapes created as feet make contact with different outdoor and indoor  surfaces.  All are solitary journeys,  but we have now created a web of foot journeys – and looking at these films I certainly feel less isolated. I think too the minimalism of the task has been liberating for many – reminding us that we don’t need much to create something of beauty and interest – and, too, nothing can stop us being creative!”

DRS is continuing to invite practitioners to send in their foot films to become part of the Foot Notes project: you need very little room to make a foot choreography, though make sure it is a safe environment in which to move and film; you  may find it useful to choose an inspiring piece of music or soundscape– and/or  your space maybe your  inspiration; you need a phone camera which you can hold yourself, or someone else can film you.

If you would like to send your foot films to Dance Research Studio we can put them in the gallery below and other platforms alongside Jacky’s films.

Happy foot movie making!