The House of Bones

From the collection of

Wessex Film and Sound Archive

Wessex Film and Sound Archive is based in Winchester. Providing the opportunity to see and hear history, the archive contains nearly 40,000 film, video and sound recordings relating to Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, ranging from late Victorian times to the present day. It includes both amateur and professional material, local newsreels, military and maritime subjects, as well as footage produced by individuals, businesses and organisations.

The House of Bones

A report on Motionhouse's AIDS-influenced touring dance production 'The House of Bones'.

'The House of Bones' is a dance production that explores plagues from history and social attitudes towards disease. Premiering in 1991, it was strongly influenced by the spread of HIV and AIDS from the early 1980s. This video presents extracts from the production and interviews with its two dancers/choreographers, Kevin Finnan and Louise Richards.

Because men who had unprotected sex with other men were one of the primary groups affected by the AIDS crisis, a lot of erroneous stigma was attached to the disease. Fortunately, treatment and understanding of the disease is increasingly improving.

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From the collection

Performing Arts: Dance

Next up in our Performing Arts series...

Continuing our exploration of the world of performing arts, this collection delves into the universal language of dance. Since the origins of dance are intrinsically linked to self expression, spiritual connection and social interaction, there is a long and fascinating history of movement beyond the stage. This collection invites us to reflect on the multifaceted nature of dance: that which is innate and exists on a fundamental level in each of us, that which is taught and studied as choreography or technique, and all manifestations in between. Each work in this collection is an energetic, vibrant display of dance in its many forms - from show rehearsals and live performances, to traditional festivals and flash mobs. Don't forget your dancing shoes as we journey through the wonders of movement!

25 videos in this collection

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Ella

  • 1986
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A Total Obsession

  • Swindon
  • 1985
A collective dedicated to arts, culture and performance

Steel 'n' Skin

  • Liverpool
  • 1979
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A Dance Fellowship

  • 1980
Dance, music and celebrations at the Folklore Festival

Sri Lankan Kandyan Dance Troop at Sidmouth

  • Sidmouth
  • 1980
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Flash Dancers from LS11 to Millennium Square

  • Beeston
  • 2002
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Movement and Meaning 5: A Lesson in Gender

  • Eastbourne
  • 1985
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The Dancer's Cookbook

  • Yeovil
  • 1988
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Furry Dancing

  • Helston
  • 1986

Morris Dancing in Portrush

  • Portrush
  • 1977
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50th Anniversary AUGB in Bradford

  • Bradford
  • 1996
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Ballrooms and Disco

  • Belfast
  • 1985
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The Yorkshire Disco Dancing Championships

  • Doncaster
  • 1980
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Wheelchair Dancers

  • 1986
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The Arts, Rehearsal to Performance

  • 1990
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The House of Bones

  • Oxford
  • 1991
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Urban Exchange

  • Leeds
  • 1994
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Passing Phase

  • Pelaw
  • 1992
Mademoiselle Valerie is the queen of the ballroom and haute couture.

Valerie Clemson Young

  • Torquay
  • 1980
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Tower Hamlets Arts Project: South Asian Dance

  • Whitechapel
  • 1976

Morris Dancers invade Horsham

  • Horsham
  • 1989
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Sounds Good [28/03/1985]

  • Bradford
  • 1985
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Sounds Good [04/04/1985]

  • Ripon
  • 1985
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Sounds Good [11/04/1985]

  • Barnsley
  • 1985
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Vogue Workshops Final Preparations

  • Liverpool
  • 2008
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