The Ten Toed Ballet: my final project studying at Loughborough University, made across a 12-week time period.
The Ten Toed Ballet is an avant-garde dance production which will be performed at the Barbican theatre. Aimed to challenge the traditions of ballet, the production uses optical illusions to visually communicate a hyper-surreal, hypnotising and an ambiguous performance for the audience. Featuring sensory stimulating sounds, contrasting set designs and costumes specially designed to optimise the fluidity of illusion. This is an experimental project designed to cross the boundaries of fine art, design and dance.
Watch below, a conceptual film produced to show a glimpse into the real-life performance of The Ten Toed Ballet.
Costumes and the human body
The costumes are designed based on my theory that optical fluidity is dependent to the human bodies movement when restricted. Made from wood, wire and cardboard, these unconventional materials provide a ridged structure for the dancer’s body to be transformed into their new surreal outer-body shape.
Street Posters
Bringing creativity to the streets, the posters will be advertised throughout the social and diverse spaces of London. Maintaining the Barbican’s distinctive style, the posters feature brutalist qualities with an undelying feeling of surreal mystery.
Interactive Street Murals
Brightening up brutalist architecture with these eye-catching street murals. Projected onto the side of urban buildings, the people of London will experience a glimpse into the surreal imagery of The Ten Toed Ballet. An experimental campaign aimed to create authentic interactions with strangers, soon to be familiar faces.
Merchandise sold in the Barbican's gift shop.
The Wondering Eye: An independent project.
A frame by frame animation of an adapted monoprint from the series, "Six Expressions". The animation captures the dangers of the wondering eye. Although innocuous, the consequences of the eye can backfire, in this case it is detrimental!