TBI Q&A: Daniel Belton

Daniel Belton and Good Company have an international reputation for their unique multi-disciplinary approach to dance theatre involving commissions of visual art, haute couture design, new music, animation and film.

Belton says physical human movement captured on film is like a kinetic map which follows the spirit.

"It seems to me that printed celluloid carries a choreography of the human spirit - most pointedly in Black and White." Belton describes how the dance film, Matchbox, has links to silent cinema. "The story telling is kinetic, the speaking body, the physical gestures. It draws on a mime background which has its roots in very early theatre - Commedia dell'arte".

Good Company presents a collection of dance film work, Choreographing the Screen, at the Film Archive in Wellington on September 19-20 and 26-27.

During what hours of the day do you feel most inspired?

Very early in the morning, very late at night, or sometimes in the afternoon. I don't have a formula for time in terms of creativity. The most important thing is to be open, and when inspiration surfaces, to give the ideas the time they need to be put down on paper - I always carry a blank book and a pencil, because recording even fleeting ideas is critical. I have books and books full of scrawling notes and drawings from new camera lens designs to ballets, to lighting plans, to design concepts for dance and opera, and film storyboards.

How would a good friend describe your aesthetic or style?

Bauhaus post modern funkadelic with a twist of red.

What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?

When we begin filming, or when the curtain goes up.

How does your environment affect your work?

Having very private spaces to develop my ideas is essential. If a space is bad architecturally, then I struggle to work well in it, and will go find another option. Lousy architects should be fined. Being able to get out into nature is also important to me - to balance up the intensity of the edit suite, the theatre and the dance studio.

Do you like to look at the big picture or focus on the details?

Both. It depends on where I'm at with a project. Usually it starts with a big picture, and then refines, and refines like a telescope. I am meticulous about details of design for both stage and screen.

Your work has been hugely successful overseas, do you find it harder to get traction here in New Zealand?

There is growing interest in my work here, and it's on a scale that fits with this country. New Zealand is a small place, so it is natural that there are many more opportunities in Europe for example. But, yes it is harder to get traction here - touring live work has its real difficulties. The good thing about film is that we can get our work out there at a fraction of the cost compared to touring live work, and reach audiences in situations that are not limited to more traditional theatre spaces.

How does your teaching feed into your own creative practice?

Teaching is vital to feeding my own creative processes. I love working with students, and sharing my skills with them. I treat students as equals. I am learning too. The act of teaching forces you to turn the mirror on yourself and really think through your work methodology. It makes you constantly question your motives. Why am I doing this? How can I improve the way I deliver that or this? Is it working? The most rewarding teaching comes when we all grow together in a classroom. I teach contemporary dance technique classes, choreographic or composition classes, partnering (which incorporates my unique puppeteering processes), dance for the camera (filming dance and designing dance for film), and improvisation. I also teach for theatre studies departments.

You collaborate with a huge range of people - actors, dancers, artists - how does it all fit together?

I choose my collaborators very carefully. Many of these wonderful gifted people return to work with me time and again. There is mutual respect, and at the end of the day I am bringing them together to manifest a new creation. Our common goal unites us in new ways with each project. As director I pull all the strings together, keep the project on task, and my team trusts me to make it work. I try to honour each individual's work and input. This establishes a real sense of belonging to the project and the team. Then the best results can come from intuitive, intelligent responding and playfulness within the overall vision.

I think Dance Film is where the Dance artform is truly developing. Physical human movement captured on film is like a kinetic map which follows the spirit. It seems to me that printed celluloid carries a choreography of the human spirit - most pointedly in Black and White. It's like we can see the spirit more easily here, than in real life. I think it's to do with the light, and it's very special - like exposing a secret.

What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in the creative industries?

Don't undersell yourself because you are working in Dance. Set goals and make mental pictures to attract what you want in life. Like a sort of virtual fisherman. Set your nets, cast your lines and be patient. In the same breath keep working at various possibilities for work options even if you think some are not important. So, keep your options open and be prepared to run with what comes back to you, even if it's second fiddle. Working with technology is just that. What really counts is ideas. Don't be afraid to put a decent price tag on your ideas.

Which of your projects to date has given you the most satisfaction?

Matchbox has been a delight to work on. I loved making Whai on the Black Grace men in 2002, they were wonderful to work with. Insideout, Leaf, Concertina, Soundings, Henge, Soma Songs (big tick). After Durer, Punch for NZSD and of course Stitchbirds.

Who or what has inspired you recently?

The French film "Welcome to the Sticks" A 1915 No.1 Autographic Kodak JR. Camera My kids, Pepa and Josef, and my wife, Donnine. The French painter Antoine Watteau My father, Peter, and my grandfather, Geoff. Andreas Staier on Harpsichord Vina Albali Gran Reserva 1998, Tempranillo (the closest I get to going back to Spain these days - it's a red wine)

If you could go back and choose a completely different career path to the one you've chosen, what would it be?

Painter. I'm on my way back there anyway.

What place is always with you, wherever you go?

The lands of NZ, England, and the lands of Spain.

What's the best way to listen to music, and why? Vinyl 78s on a good system. Its gutsy, percussive, the needle translates the data in a physical way - Analogue rocks.

You are given a piece of string, a stick and some fabric. What do you make?

I would make a kite - a delta kite, and go to one of those vast wild beaches and fly it up high with my family.

What's the best stress relief advice you've ever been given?

Rescue Remedy, or a Brandy. Allow your breathing to calm your mind and body. It will pass.

What's great about today? I taught a movement workshop to drama students and tutors at Massey University. They loved it and I loved it too.

What's your big idea for 2008/2009?

A digital feature.

PROGRAMME 1 Choreographing the Screen - Programme 1: Athletes of the Imagination Friday 19 September, Friday 26 September 7pm, 60 mins The Film Archive, cnr Taranaki and Ghuznee Sts, Wellington $ 8 / $6

PROGRAMME 2 Choreographing the Screen - Programme 2: Matchbox Saturday 20 September, Saturday 27 September 7pm, 60 mins The Film Archive, cnr Ghuznee and Taranaki Sts, Wellington $ 8 / $6