Directed and choreographed by Liz Aggiss and Billy Cowie, this 7 minute screen dance is a commission by Arts Council Capture 2.
Directors : Billy Cowie and Liz Aggiss. Music Billy Cowie.
Costume Holly Murray

'Can you fit a spiky, redhaired woman into a plain white cube? Only if you are prepared to distort space, compress time and suspend belief. In six brutally white, glaringly brief episodes, Aggiss battles for survival and compassion against the relentless dissonance of Cowie’s virtuosic piano variations.'

Anarchic Variations aims to confound and disorientate the spectators reality of space, scale and sound based on the choreographic and music idea of theme and variations. The underlying physical concept centres on dislocation and the splitting of the body into independent and separate units. Working with optical illusion, the audience will pro actively engage in the film, problem solving, asking the question who is doing what to whom and how? who is in control?

World premiere10th December 2002 IMZ Monaco, UK premiere17th December 2002 The Place London.

National and International touring includes: MediaWaves Hungary 25 April-3 May 2003, Brighton Festival Corn Exchange 17-18th May 2003, Chichester Film Fest Sept 1st 2003, Conversations at the Edge Performance Festival, Chicago School of Art Gene Siskal Film Centre Oct 23rd, Invideo Milan Nov 5-9 2003, 20th Kasseler Dokumentarfilm und Videofest 11-16 Nov 2003, Toronto Moving Pictures Oct 23-26 03, Alter-Native 11th International Film festival Madisz Romania 6-9 Nov 03, 23 and 24/1/04, SK Stiftung Kultur Cologne, Inport Estonia 2004, IMZ Dec 2004, Tanzmedial Koln May 2004, Dancebase Edinburgh August 04, 17th Instants video Numerique et Poetique Festival Marseilles Nov 20-27 2004.

Capture 2 UK Tour organised by South East Dance included: Alsager Arts Centre 9/10/03, Dukes Cinema Lancaster 19/10/03, The Showroom Cinema/Danceworks Sheffield 19/11/03, University of Bath 22/11/03, University of Surrey 28/1/04, Pavilion Theatre Brighton Dome Brighton 21/2/04, Frensham Heights School 26/2/04, Lighthouse Poole 1/4/04, Elektra Cinema Dancecity Newcastle 1/5/04, Cramphorn Theatre Chelmsford 27/5/04

Awards
The Prize of the Romanian National Office of Cinematography 2003
Special Mention Napoli Film Festival Independents 2004

References for Anarchic Variations
Aggiss, L. Cowie,B. Bramley, I. (2006) Anarchic Dance Routledge
Le Quesne, L (Autumn 2005) Liz Aggiss 3D Queen of Brighton Das Jahrbuch von Ballettanz – tanzfilm

Anarchic Variations can be seen on the DVDROM included within the book 'Anarchic Dance' by Liz Aggiss and Billy Cowie, with Ian Bamley. Routledge