Claire Barratt

As the daughter of music and literary artists, with a diverse background of visual and performing arts, I bring this wealth of experience into my work as a choreographer. I entered the arena of formal arts training in the good, solid British institutions of Royal Academy of Dance and Associated Board of Music examinations. Later progressing to professional training at the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance, and the London Studio Centre of Performing Arts.

I began a "transatlantic" career in 1990, with summer seasons at "UNTO THESE HILLS" outdoor drama on the Cherokee Indian Reservation in the Smoky mountains and winters working in Europe, before finally moving to the States in 1992 to reside in the scenic Appalachian areas of North Carolina and Tennessee. Over the next ten years, I worked as dance performer, teacher and choreographer. For seven years, I co-directed CIRCLE MODERN DANCE in Knoxville, TN with Mark G Lamb and Kimberly Matibag. (A successful, regional company with a multi-generational and disability focus.) I was also a member of ASHEVILLE CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATRE, NC, performing character roles in the repertory pieces created by directors Susan and Giles Collard. As a choreographer, I created for the KNOXVILLE OPERA COMPANY's productions of: "Madame Butterfly", "La Traviata", "Carmen", "Salome" and "Aida" and for community musical theater such as: "Once on this Island" and "Jesus Christ, Super Star", as well as commercials, music video and collaborations with composers, visual, literary and multi-media artists.

Since moving to New York City in May of 2002, I established CILLA_VEE MOVEMENT PROJECTS, now working from the Bronx based music and dance studio H&H Production, co-founded in January 2003 with percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani. On-going Cilla_Vee projects include: the MOTION SCULPTURE project. A site-specific Movement Installation project with a core of eight performers. We can be seen around the streets, parks, galleries and other, more unusual locations of New York City. Past MOTION SCULPTURE MOVEMENT INSTALLATIONS have occurred in such venues as:PLANET magazine's "Water" issue party, the WAH Center's "Brave Destiny" Grand Opening Ball, the 92nd ST. Y and the fountains of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The SOUND OF MOVEMENT project. Collaborations with live musicians and sound artists. Collaborators include:guitarist Mary Halvorson, saxophonist Matana Roberts, percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani, cellist loren Dempster, turn-table artist Toshio Kajiwara and the multi-instrumental Sabine Arnaud. Previous venues include: Tonic, Evolving Arts Theater, Bronx Museum of Art in NYC, the Sanctuary Series, Ottawa, Canada and café Independents, Kyoto, Japan. The YOU! Project. A solo project in collaboration with the audience, who provides themes and accompaniment to build an improvised piece. Performances at: St. Thomas Hall, Chester, UK, BAAD! Theater, Bronx and the Bronx Council on the Arts "Conversions" series.

My focus is on blurring boundaries. Merging movement with other art forms from classical and traditional to contemporary and cutting-edge experimental.