work-Hardy Animal

Hardy Animal is a delicate solo that looks at chronic pain and human resilience. It is a goodbye letter to a former self and an ode to dance.

Concerned with the human body and its failings, it tells of a dancers journey into immobility. Interweaving text and movement, it retraces a brutal journey of loss, and hope.

Click here for R&D film documentation

Written, created and performed by Laura Dannequin
Creative Advisor: Dan Canham

Hardy Animal was selected as part of The Aerowaves Twenty for 2016 and has thus far performed at:
Arnolfini as part of Mayfest (Bristol) / The Place (London) / Forest Fringe (Edinburgh), Pulse Festival (Ipswich), ‘Dangerous Currents’, The Association for Medical Humanities Annual Conference 2015, Mumford Theatre, BAC, Strike a Light Teh Tabernacl (Machynlleth Comedy Festival), Feel It Festival and Limercik Dance.

An accompanying bookwork was created alongside the performance with Jono Lewarne of City edition Studio

‘A dance with words. A funny dance. A dance without a safety net. A dance that isn’t a dance, a generous dance, a fucking fuck you of a dance. A dance that looks you in the eye and says
‘you can’t fix this’ - James Stenhouse - Action Hero

‘FUCKING INCREDIBLE’ audience

‘Beautifully written and brilliantly performed. It was one of those that I know I will carry with me and that will resonate for a long time still... I am inspired. So thank you. I look forward to seeing it again.’ audience

Created with generous support from The Wellcome Trust, Arts Council England, Theatre Bristol and Bristol Old Vic Ferment:

‘Entirely blown away by it. Hardy Animal is a spoken word and dance piece about a woman dealing with and working through her chronic back pain. I know. I know how it sounds. But it is entirely excellent. Its defiant and angry and sad and funny and beautiful, really beautiful and brave and just so very very good indeed.’

Daniel Kitson