Emilyn Claid: The Ingenious Journey from Ballet to Live Art
Emilyn Claid’s life is a kaleidoscopic journey that spans over several decades, marked by transformation and profound creativity. Now at the age of 75, Claid has worn many hats: from a struggling ballet dancer in Toronto to a rebellious force in the avant-garde dance scene of 1970s London, and more recently, back to the stage as a vibrant performer. This remarkable evolution is fueled by her relentless quest for self-expression and the idea that art must be alive, evolving, and inextricably linked to the human experience.
Reclaiming Identity in Performance
In her comeback solo show, Untitled (2022), Claid delivers a powerful statement of resilience and self-discovery. At 72, she stepped back into the spotlight, exuding strength, sensuality, and humor while draped in a leather vest and fur cloak. Claid describes this return as a homecoming, one not defined by comfort but rather by an exhilarating familiarity. “It’s not being at home like a comfortable sofa,” she clarifies. “It’s the excitement of knowing a whole world that’s familiar to me and yet is always changing.”
At a recent rehearsal for her latest venture, The Trembling Forest, Claid collaborates with a group of spirited performers. Under her guidance, they dive into a creative process that oscillates between levity and gravity, exploring themes that resonate with the very fabric of existence. As they craft scenes infused with clay and movement, the tension between joy and solemnity becomes a collective meditation on the human condition.
From Ballet Constraints to Choreographic Freedom
Claid’s journey began in Wimbledon, where her love for ballet met the harsh realities of rigid perfectionism. Despite being accepted into the National Ballet of Canada at just 16, she often felt like an outsider, overshadowed by her peers. “It’s a tricky one, ballet, because you become so addicted to the quest for perfection,” she reflects. This stifling environment led her to seek out authenticity in New York’s vibrant art scene of the late ’60s.
By offering to tend to Martha Graham’s garden in exchange for dance classes, Claid stumbled upon a new community that encouraged exploration beyond the confines of traditional ballet. “It was sex, drugs, dance—risky and wonderful,” she recalls, revealing how the experience opened doors to youthful rebellion and artistic camaraderie.
A Radical Shift in Dance and Identity
Returning to London, Claid joined forces with visionaries like Jacky Lansley to forge the New Dance movement, a radical reclamation of artistic narrative that dismissed the hierarchies of traditional ballet. They championed work that was raw and unfiltered, often autobiographical in its exploration of feminism and identity.
Audiences of the time, however, were sometimes unprepared for the shift. Claid recounts a memorable performance in Lyon where “the audience chucked food at us,” a stark reminder that innovation often meets resistance. Yet, this spirit of daring collaboration remained the bedrock of her artistic philosophy. “I just don’t want there to be only one narrative,” she emphasizes, celebrating the ever-changing landscape of queer and feminist art.
The Living Art of The Trembling Forest
With The Trembling Forest, Claid continues her legacy of inquiry, merging live art with structure by having performers embody both the forest and the human experience. “The clay-covered bodies symbolize the forest,” she explains. The performance explores profound themes: death and the rituals of life, embodying hope amid desolation.
Drawing upon her training as a Gestalt psychotherapist, Claid’s choreography emphasizes relational dynamics. “What can we make together?” she asks her dancers, shifting the focus from self-centered performance to a collective consciousness that invites the audience to engage in a shared experience.
A Creative Odyssey Continuing
Claid’s groundbreaking book, Falling Through Dance and Life, intertwines her passions for dance and psychotherapy, reinforcing her belief that “what we do with our bodies impacts our minds.” This returns to the core of her relentless pursuit: transforming shame into creativity and redefining success not through the eyes of critics, but by the freedom of artistic expression.
As Claid reflects on her journey, she’s met with laughter over her past perceived failures. “Emilyn Claid gets Dance Umbrella off to a bad start!” she recalls from a long-ago review. Yet, decades later, she continues to defy expectations and embrace the unknown.
Experience The Trembling Forest
Don’t miss the opportunity to witness The Trembling Forest yourself, as it explores the interconnections of life, art, and performance. Join Claid and her ensemble at Copeland Gallery, London, during the Ceremony Festival on April 23-24 or at Tramway, Glasgow, on May 10 as part of Dance International Glasgow. As Claid constructs new narratives on stage, the question remains: will audiences be ready to embrace her complex tapestry of artistry and emotion?
For a journey through the realms of human existence and creativity, Emilyn Claid’s work promises to be a transcendent experience that will linger in your thoughts long after the last performance.
