Lindsay Kemp
Lindsay Kemp | |
---|---|
![]() Kemp in 2016 | |
Born | Lindsay Keith Kemp 3 May 1938 Birkenhead,England |
Died | 24 August 2018 Livorno,Italy | (aged 80)
Known for | Dance, actor, mime artist |
Website | lindsaykemp |
Lindsay Keith Kemp(3 May 1938[1]– 24 August 2018)[2][3][4]was a Britishdancer,actor,teacher,mime artist,andchoreographer.[5]
He was probably best known for his 1974 flagship production ofFlowers,a mime and music show based onJean Genet's novelOur Lady of the Flowers,in which he played the lead role of 'Divine'. Owing to its homosexual themes and perceived decadence, reviews were sometimes hostile, but it was widely considered a theatrical and sensory sensation, and it toured globally for many years.[6]He was also a mentor toDavid BowieandKate Bush.[7]
Early life
[edit]Kemp was born inBirkenhead,[8]but grew up inSouth Shields,nearNewcastle upon Tyne.[9]His father, a seaman, was lost at sea in 1940.[10]According to Kemp, he danced from early childhood: "I'd dance on the kitchen table to entertain the neighbours. I mean, it was a novelty in South Shields to see a little boy in full make-up dancing on pointe. Finally it got a bit too much for my mother, and she decided to send me to boarding school at the age of eight, hoping that it would knock some sense into me."[10]Kemp's mother moved away from South Shields, and Kemp attendedBearwood College,nearWokingham,a school for the sons of merchant seamen.[10]He and his mother later moved toBradford,Yorkshire,where Kemp attendedBradford Art Collegebefore studying dance withHilde Holger[11][12][13]and mime withMarcel Marceau.[14]In the 1950s, he didNational Servicein theRAF.In an interview with the BBC, he fondly remembered being shouted at for being unable to march properly due to his desire to dance.[9]
Dance career
[edit]Kemp played the Player Queen in the BBC's ShakespeareQuatercentenaryproductionHamlet at Elsinore(recorded atElsinorecastle) in 1963, which starredChristopher Plummer.[1]He formed his own dance company in the early sixties and first attracted attention with an appearance at theEdinburgh Festivalin 1968 withFlowersbased on Jean Genet'sNotre Dame des Fleurs(Our Lady of the Flowers).[15][16]Its extraordinary dream-like opening scene of prisoners masturbating in their cells, while the silhouette of a beautiful male angel walked slowly across the stage, his wings reaching almost to the top of the proscenium, established the tone.
Kemp's stage performances includePierrot In Turquoise,Salome,[10]Mr Punch's Pantomime,A Midsummer Night's Dream,Duende,Nijinsky,Alice,Cenerentola(Cinderella),[5]Nijinsky il matto(1983) (translation: Nijinsky the fool)Façade,The Big Parade,Alice,Onnagata,Cinderella,Variété,Dream Dances,and, for Ballet Rambert,Parades Gone By(1975) andCruel Garden(1977),[17][18]most of these works in collaboration with composerCarlos Miranda.Variétéwas later produced byYouth Music Theatre UKat the Riverside Studios in 2013 directed by Kinny Gardner.[19]
During the early 1970s, Kemp was a popular and inspirational teacher of dance and mime.[10]David Bowie,[20][21]Kate Bush[22]andVivian Stanshall[23]were students of Kemp. He staged and performed in Bowie'sZiggy Stardustconcerts at London'sRainbow Theatrein August 1972, withJack Birkett,[24]and appears in the promotional video for Bowie's single "John, I'm Only Dancing",directed byMick Rock.[25]Bush later wrote the song "Moving",which appeared on her debut albumThe Kick Inside,as a tribute to Kemp.[22][26]Bush also contributed vocals toZaine Griff's song "Flowers", which is also a tribute to Kemp.[27]
Kemp's film roles include a supporting role in the Kate Bush short filmThe Line, the Cross & the Curve(1994),[22]a dancer and cabaret performer inDerek Jarman'sSebastiane[28](1976) andJubilee(1977)[28]respectively, a pantomime dame in Todd Haynes'Velvet Goldmine(1998)[29]and the pub landlord Alder MacGregor inAnthony Shaffer'sThe Wicker Man(1973).[28][29]
In the field of opera he occasionally produced works in Italy;Il Barbiere di SivigliainMaceratain July 1995,IrisinLivornoin November 1998, andDie ZauberflöteinJesiin November 1999. He returned to Livorno in November 2016 with a new productionDie Zauberflötein which he also designed the sets and costumes, as well as co-lighting the production.[30]His last public performance in the United Kingdom was a collaboration with singer songwriterTim Arnoldat Manchester's Bridgewater Hall in a multimedia live arts installation of Arnold's song "What Love Would Want" in June 2018.[31][32] In the seasons from 2005 to 2012 he plays the role of the fairy Cara Boss e in The Sleeping Beauty of the Italian company Balletto del Sud with the Fredy Franzutti's choreography. The collaboration with the company and with Franzutti also continues with the interpretation of the magician Kašej in The Firebird in the seasons from 2007 to 2010, the shows have been repeated in several Italian tours.
Personal life
[edit]Kemp wasgay.[33][34]He was also rumoured to have had an affair with David Bowie,[35]and their friendship was highly important in Bowie's artistic development. He left England in 1979 for Spain and then Italy. By 2002 he had homes inRomeandTodi.[10]
Death
[edit]Kemp died inLivorno,Italy, on 24 August 2018, aged 80.[36]David Haughton, his closest friend and collaborator for 45 years, said Kemp had remained busy and active right until the end, saying "he suddenly said he felt ill, and a minute and a half later he was gone."[9]
Bibliography
[edit]- Lindsay Kemp- di David Haughton e Guido Harari - Editoriale Domus (1982)
- Sogni di luce. Lindsay Kemp- Giovanna Talà - Bandecchi & Vivaldi Editore (2012)
- Lindsay Kemp. Wednesday drawings- Peccolo Editore (2014)
- Lindsay Kemp Claudio Barontini. Disegni e fotografie- Vittorio Sgarbi - CAMeC - Centro Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (2018)
Filmography
[edit]- The Vampire Lovers(1970),[37]as Jester
- Savage Messiah(1972),[29][38]as Angus Corky
- The Wicker Man(1973),[29]as Alder MacGregor
- The Stud(1974), as Topstar[1]
- Sebastiane(1976),[29]as Dancer
- Valentino(1977),[39]as Mortician
- Jubilee(1978), as Cabaret performer[29]
- A Midsummer Night's Dreamfor TV (1985),[39]as Puck
- Cartoline italiane(Italian Postcards) (1987)[40]
- The Line, the Cross & the Curve(1993),[22]as Guide
- Velvet Goldmine(1998), as Pantomime Dame[29]
- Guest appearances in Spanish TV showLa Mandrágorain 2005 and 2006[15]
- Battle of Soho(2017),[41][42][43]his last film performance
- David Bowie: Finding Fame(2019) as himself
- Lindsay Kemp Claudio Barontini. Drawings and photographsregia di[2]Cristiana Cerrini - Art documentary (2020)
Choreography
[edit]- Le Train Blue- in coöperation with Ben Holder, for Introdance, Netherlands
- "The Parades Gone By" - for Ballet Rambert, London, 1975 with music by Carlos Miranda
- "Cruel Garden" - for Ballet Rambert, London, 1977 with Christopher Bruce, Music by Carlos Miranda
References
[edit]- ^abcBritish Film Institute entry for Lindsay KempArchived4 February 2014 at theWayback Machine.Retrieved 21 January 2014.
- ^Daniel Kreps (25 August 2018)."Lindsay Kemp, Dancer and David Bowie Collaborator, Dead at 80".Rolling Stone.Retrieved25 August2018.
- ^Mark Armstrong (25 August 2018)."British dancer Lindsay Kemp dies".Euronews.Retrieved26 August2018.
- ^David Rankin (25 August 2018)."Lindsay Kemp, choreographer and Bowie mentor, dies aged 80".The Times.Retrieved26 August2018.
- ^ab"L'uccello di fuoco".Nonsolocinema(in Italian). 2 March 2009.Retrieved29 April2012.
- ^Church, Michael: The fabulous, fabulous world of Kemp,Independent,31 August 1996[1]
- ^Lindsay Kemp obituary,The Guardian,27 August 2018
- ^Nadine Meisner, "Lindsay Kemp: How the lost boy of dance found his feet",The Independent,28 January 2002.Retrieved 25 August 2018
- ^abc"Lindsay Kemp, performer and Bowie mentor, dies at 80".BBC News.24 August 2018.
- ^abcdefSmith, Rupert (30 January 2002)."Lindsay Kemp talks to Rupert Smith about his outrageous career".The Guardian.Retrieved29 April2012.
'I first danced Salome in school, naked but for some toilet paper'... influenced David Bowie, and thus influenced every pop musician with the possible exception of... respect for this 63-year-old dancer-mime-actor-choreographer-director has reached critical mass
- ^"Lindsay Kemp obituary".The Guardian.2018.Retrieved9 September2018.
- ^"British choreographer and mime Lindsay Kemp dies".The Guardian.2018.Retrieved9 September2018.
- ^"Lindsay Kemp, choreographer and Bowie mentor, dies at 80".UsaPostClick. 2018.Retrieved9 September2018.
- ^David Whetstone (17 September 2016)."He worked with Bowie and taught Kate Bush – and now Lindsay Kemp is coming home".Chronicle Live.Retrieved2 July2017.
- ^abSalas, Roger (25 August 2018)."Muere el coreógrafo y mimo británico Lindsay Kemp".El País(in Spanish).ISSN1134-6582.Retrieved28 August2018.
- ^Reporters, Telegraph (25 August 2018)."Lindsay Kemp – choreographer and teacher to Bowie and Kate Bush dies aged 80".The Daily Telegraph.ISSN0307-1235.Retrieved28 August2018.
- ^"Lindsay Kemp Company The Big Parade"(PDF).attraversolospettacolo(in Italian). Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 13 June 2013.Retrieved29 April2012.
- ^Lindsay Kemp's oral history interview in the Rambert Archivehttps://vimeo /236578550
- ^Youth Music Theatre UK (8 October 2013)."Variété 2013 – Youth Music Theatre UK (YMT)".YouTube.Archivedfrom the original on 19 December 2021.Retrieved27 August2018.
- ^Dillard, Brian J. (2008)."Kate Bush: Live at Hammersmith Odeon (1979)".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon 14 June 2008.Retrieved29 April2012.
studied with David Bowie mentor Lindsay Kemp
- ^Brown, Mick (September 1974)."Lindsay Kemp: The Man Who Taught Bowie His Moves".Crawdaddy!.Retrieved25 October2011.
- ^abcdNyren, Erin (25 August 2018)."Lindsay Kemp, Choreographer and Bowie Mentor, Dies at 80".Variety.Retrieved28 August2018.
- ^The Illustrated Vivian Stanshall, a Fairytale of Grimm Art
- ^Romano, Nick (25 August 2018)."Lindsay Kemp, David Bowie mentor and Ziggy Stardust influencer, dies at 80".Entertainment Weekly.Retrieved28 August2018.
- ^Buckley, David (24 April 2012).Strange Fascination: David Bowie: The Definitive Story.Random House. pp. 137–44.ISBN978-1-4481-3247-8.
- ^Thomson, Graeme (9 February 2015).Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush.Omnibus Press. pp. 94–95.ISBN978-1-78323-392-2.
- ^Twomey, Seán (25 August 2018)."In Memory of Lindsay Kemp 1938–2018".Kate Bush News.Homeground Magazine.Retrieved28 August2018.
- ^abcGallagher, Paul (10 February 2011)."Lindsay Kemp's Last Dance".Retrieved29 April2012.
Sebastiane and Jubilee; and in Ken Russell's The Devils and Savage Messiah,... original version of The Wicker Man
- ^abcdefgCoveney, Michael (26 August 2018)."Lindsay Kemp obituary".The Guardian.Retrieved28 August2018.
- ^Del Nista, Roberto. Report from Livorno.OperaMarch 2017, Vol 68 No. 3, 338–339.
- ^Bourke, Kevin (3 July 2018)."What Love Would Want: Lindsay Kemp and Tim Arnold chat to Northern Soul".Northern Soul.Retrieved3 July2018.
- ^Cochrane, Robert (19 June 2018)."A Simplicity Sublime".Culture Catch.Retrieved19 June2018.
- ^Thian, Helene M. (11 June 2013)."For David Bowie, Japanese style was more than just fashion".The Japan Times.Retrieved8 June2016.
- ^Spitz, Marc (2009).Bowie: A Biography.New York City: Three Rivers Press. p. 85.ISBN978-0-307-71699-6.Retrieved8 June2016– via Google Books.
- ^Lindsey Kemp Obituary,The Times,28 August 2018
- ^"Lindsay Kemp obituary".theguardian.26 August 2018.Retrieved26 August2018.
- ^"Lindsay Kemp is on the phone: Scenes from his life from Genet to Bowie", Dangerous Minds, 3 May 2012.Retrieved 26 August 2018
- ^"Lindsay Kemp: il carisma e la grazia di un maestro".XL Repubblica.it(in Italian).Retrieved28 August2018.
- ^ab"Lindsay Kemp obituary".The Times.28 August 2018.ISSN0140-0460.Retrieved28 August2018.
- ^"Cartoline Italiane".Festival de Cannes.Retrieved28 August2018.
- ^Anna Harvey."Surprisingly Moving Documentary ★★★★".
- ^Clarisse, Loughrey."BBC Hermode And Mayo's Review".BBC.
- ^Carrier, Dan."BATTLE OF SOHO Review ☆☆☆☆".
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- Lindsay KempatIMDb
- Lindsay Kempat theInternet Broadway Database
- Official Lindsay Kemp website
- Information siterun by Yukihiko Yoshida, with a list of works
- 1938 births
- 2018 deaths
- 20th-century British dancers
- 20th-century English LGBT people
- 20th-century English male actors
- 21st-century British dancers
- 21st-century English LGBT people
- 21st-century English male actors
- British mimes
- British opera directors
- English expatriates in Italy
- English expatriates in Spain
- English gay actors
- English gay artists
- English LGBT dancers
- English male dancers
- Gay dancers
- LGBT choreographers
- Male actors from Birkenhead
- Male actors from South Shields