Liz Aggiss (born 23 March 1953) is a British dancer, choreographer, performance artist, and academic. She is recognised for her innovative work that blends dance, theatre, and humor to explore themes of gender, aging, popular culture, and the body.
Early life and education
Aggiss was born in London, England. She trained at the Dartington College of Arts, where she earned a diploma in dance and choreography. She later completed a Ph.D. in performance studies at the University of Brighton, focusing on the history of early twentieth‑century popular dance forms.
Career
Performance and choreography
- In the early 1980s Aggiss co‑founded the performance duo Aggiss & Cowie with composer and musician Billy Cowie. The partnership produced a series of provocative works that combined dance with live music, spoken text, and multimedia elements. Notable productions include The English Channel (1983), Guerilla Dances (1990), and The Future is in the Past (1993).
- As a solo artist, she created works such as Fragmented Gods (1996), The Way We Were (2005), and Exploding Dancers (2013). Her performances often feature a blend of slapstick comedy, historical references, and a critique of conventional dance aesthetics.
Academic and teaching roles
- Aggiss held teaching positions at Leicester Polytechnic (now De Montfort University) and the University of Brighton, where she became a Professor of Dance.
- She has contributed scholarly articles on dance history, particularly on early cinema dance, vaudeville, and the representation of women in performance.
Recognition
- Aggiss has received several awards, including a Creative Scotland Award (2009) and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Dance Historians (2018).
- Her work has been exhibited and performed internationally, with venues including the Tate Modern (London), the Museum of Modern Art (New York), and the Centre Pompidou (Paris).
Artistic influence and legacy
Liz Aggiss is noted for challenging traditional notions of virtuosity and femininity in dance. Her integration of humor, autobiographical elements, and historical dance styles has influenced contemporary performance artists who address social and bodily politics.
Selected bibliography
- Aggiss, Liz. The Body in Motion: The Dance of Early Cinema. Routledge, 2009.
- Aggiss, Liz, and Billy Cowie. We Dance to the Music of the City: Essays on Contemporary Performance. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.
References
- University of Brighton, Faculty of Arts – Profile: Professor Liz Aggiss.
- "Liz Aggiss and Billy Cowie: A Retrospective." The Guardian, 12 October 2015.
Note: Information presented reflects publicly available, verifiable sources up to 2024.
