Marianne Machin

Choreography, Dancing and Pop

Cancer Research UK

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UK Garage
UK Garage

The Cancer Slam

David Wilson is a dude. He is also a an amazing video director I’ve been lucky enough to work with on a few projects.

In 2013 Cancer Research chose David to direct a video for their Race for Life campaign. The brief was to create a full length pop video featuring a simple and iconic dance routine that participants and their friends and families could learn and perform en masse at the race meets. A fantastic idea for a fantastic charity and I was obviously thrilled to be part of the project.

My job was to invent the dance, which might sound easy, but creating simple yet original and exciting choreography is actually very, very hard. David and I worked together using Michelle Pfeiffer in Grease 2 as our inspiration (slinking across a parking lot looking effortlessly cool) and thus the Cancer Slam began to take shape. I even had to name the moves to make it easier for people to learn (armpits!).

The video shoot itself was an experience never to be forgotten…16 hours outside in a scrap yard on a grey and freezing February day. Brrrrr. But my god, the result is perfect – a fierce, super cool promo with an unforgettable message.

Adam Buxton

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California roll with it
California roll with it

I’m on a Sushi bender

Warning. This is a bit of a sorry tale. Which should not come as a surprise. ‘Cause shit sure does happen in the life and times of a dumbass dance troupe. And one has to be steeled for that. And should I ever choose to write a book about these experiences it will be called ‘embracing failure’ (© Richard DeDomenici) – a concept you need to be fully on board with should you decide to embark upon a life on the peripherals of the business they call show.

I’ll save the tears for later and start with the joy. Adam Buxton. Oh my. Superstar comedian, writer, podcaster, music obsessive and generally amazing entertainer person. And for me,  half of Adam and Joe whose ‘Adam and Joe Show’ was one of maybe two comedy programmes I’ve liked in my entire life (not a fan of comedy. Less so of comedians). Star Wars in their Eyes. Toytanic. The record store sketch where the guy asks where he can find the new album by Fointy Pinger. I mean, stupid and sweet and clever and funny. I was def a bit star struck to be part of this project. Which was a video to accompany The Sushi Song, one of a series of spoof promos Adam was making at the time for BUG TV. With Sparklemotion favourite, David Wilson, at the helm (see also The Cancer Slam).

And my job was to choreograph a dance. For Adam to do. Gulp. Yikes. That’s pretty big. And, of course, I have no clue if Adam is a great dancer…a terrible dancer…a person who hates dancing??? All you can do in these situations is make something really simple and hope for the best. So I went for some pretty goofy moves with a bit of a fishy vibe. And then I crossed my fingers he wouldn’t hate it/me??

So shoot day arrives. It’s long. And by the time we get to the dancing it’s really late in the day and having to learn a dumbass routine is probably pretty low on the list of ways Adam Buxton would like to be spending his time. Oh dear. But he’s a pro. He graciously learns the steps. Practices-practices. And then aces it. You can see a dry run in the clip. And how happy I am that we filmed when we did, ‘cause after 13 hours on set, it was decided there was no time to include the dance. Say what??? Boo. Sob. Sad face. Etc.

Chin up chick. Fact is, I had a nice day out. I taught Adam Buxton a dance. It happened. And that, my friends, is what matters.

Sea Power

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British She Power!
She Power!

It Ended on a Carpeted Stage.

This is another one of those ‘pinch yourself’ moments for me. When Sparklemotion get to work with musicians I love and respect it just feels unreal. I live in Brighton so I’ve always know about BSP ‘happenings’ – club nights filled with sounds, insanity and foliage – I just never imagined my choreography would be part of the madness.

This gig came about through a mutual friend (thank you Ruth) and resulted in Sparklemotion performing at some of the bands Krankenhaus nights. I can’t tell you how terrified I was the first time we danced. I mean, you’re really putting yourself out there because who knows what the fans will make of a disco fancying dance troupe at a super cool club night??? But this is what makes BSP (I guess, SP these days) so special…bands like Savages, Bo Ningen and Parma Violets perform alongside  yodellers, poets and giant bears. And the audience love it…they know to expect the unexpected and they just soak it all up (along with large quantities of beer).

In early 2013 I choreographed a routine to the Machineries of Joy single and Sparklemotion performed it at the album launch party which was held at the legendary 100 Club on Oxford Street. An amazing rock’n’roll experience and one that knocks me sideways with pride. And yes, on that occasion there was no oil, just carpet.

Bryony Kimmings

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Legs & Co...
Legs & Co…

That is so CB!

Here we are rocking out in full mummy regalia with the amazing Catherine Bennett. You don’t know who she is? Well, wise up and check out her amazing website!

But seriously, Bryony Kimmings’ latest project ‘Credible, Likeable, Superstar Role Model’ is beyond brilliant. A pop star as imagined by a nine-year old? What took the world so long! I could go on about this for days but I’ll just say that I am in love with everything about it. Here we have a pop star who wears knee length skirts and great big glasses; who works in a museum and writes songs about polar bears and lazy people (finally, someone not singing about being in a club!!!!). I’m just in awe really. Brave, interesting and wonderful.

Bryony herself is pretty wonderful too and asked me to choreograph a ‘mummy’ dance for the Apathy video (that’s mummy as in Ancient Egypt, kids – don’t make the same mistake I made). Suggested inspiration was Daft Punk’s ‘Around the World’ with a bit of vogueing thrown in for good measure. We had a super fun day in the paleontology department of Manchester museum for the video shoot and now Sparklemotion do a full mummy routine at special CB events, including the Soho Theatre kids show you can see in the picture. That’s us on the floor. ‘Tis a glamourous life!