'I love the fact that so many people dance at home, either alone, or with family or friends. I love the fact that movement is a form of social and personal expression, a way to connect, and a way to be in the world. And, I love the idea that everybody’s neighbour is, probably, dancing.
For The Living Room Dances I met with each person at home, or in a place that was special and where they liked to dance. Stories were told, some people danced, others shared what dancing at home means to them, and many spoke of what dancing feels like. There was delight in remembering and joy in the telling, inspiring the making of an audio work that reflects both the personal and the universal.
Dancing in your living room (or kitchen, or bedroom!) is by its very nature, private. In the physical exhibition in Tramway, I created a space in which to listen, to remember, to connect and to dance, alone or together, to your neighbour's favourite music. Here, on the website, The Living Room Dances continues. The stories exist as an audio work, with excerpts as text. There is also a collection of images from each neighbours’ dancing place, and a compilation playlist of their favourite tracks to dance to at home. I hope we connect with our neighbours’ in spirit, and are also inspired to dance. Enjoy.'
Images by Janice Parker
The Living Room Dances Playlist
Good Times
Chic
Voulez Vous
Abba
Reach Out, I'll Be There
Four Tops
Mambo Italiano
Dean Martin
Beyond The Sea
Bobby Darin
Captain Pugwash Theme
Tom Edmundson
Caroline
Status Quo
There's a Break In The Road
Betsy Harris
Where Them Mobs At
Rusplaying
Biology
Girls Aloud
Yeh Jo Halka Saroor Hae
Nusrah Fateh Ali Khan
Kalangkang
Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan
Poe's Pickin' Party
Alison Brown
Crazy
Patsy Cline
Singin' In The Rain
Gene Kelly
Calloway Boogie
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Donald, Where's Your Troosers?
Andy Stewart
Mohammad Rafi & Asha Bosle
Pyar Tera
Kiss You
One Direction
The Living Room Dances Process Images
The Living Room Dances Exhibition
To create The Living Room Dances, Janice collaborated with: Claire Biddles / John Cavanagh / Kevin Low / Roanne Dods / Ruth Clements McQuaid / Jamie McQuaid / Bruce McQuaid / Audrey McQuaid / Michelle Montgomery Masters / Kiri Goss / Paul Connelly / Isabel Irons / Shona Young / Linda Payne / Agatha Dunn / Martin O'Connor / Adam Masters / Michael John McCarthy
Process and exhibition images by Alan Dimmick
The Living Room Dances links
About Janice Parker
Janice Parker blog
www.janiceparker.co.uk