PhD takes
Charlie in
a whole
new direction

PhD researcher Charlie Ely is on a Zoom call from the Ugandan capital Kampala, where she is on the third of three two-month visits, exploring East African Contemporary Dance.

A visit to Africa brought together two things she is most passionate about. “I have always loved theatre and dance and I’ve always loved to travel. When I was in Kenya four years ago I saw a one-woman dance show. It was daring and avant garde, and made me wonder how she was able to put on this show – and her motivations for doing so.”

Funding from Jason (Management Studies and Sociology 1990) and Kate Gatenby (English and History of Art 1990) allowed Charlie to explore the vibrant dance culture of the region. Her PhD, ‘Contemporary East African dance theatre: choreographing identities in a global landscape’, brings together performance studies and aesthetics, cultural and gender studies, and postcolonial theory to understand the artistic and social influences and inspirations of contemporary artists.

“I was originally looking at Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, but have now extended the work to include Rwanda and Tanzania, to reflect the close cultural links between those countries,” she explains. “In each of them, there's a big focus on dancers using choreography and self-expression to tell East African stories.”

Covid-19 has hit the sector hard: “Artists have struggled with the cancellation of performances, the loss of regular income from teaching and poor local internet access which prevents them performing online. There is little government support, but they are resourceful and there is a sense of hope.”

Charlie is grateful for the support from the Gatenbys: “There's no way I would have been able to do this if I hadn't had a full scholarship. I’ve really enjoyed the work, and my confidence has grown so much.”

Alongside her research, she has taught English Literature undergraduates at Leeds and recorded video lectures for students at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, also in the city.

And now nearing the end of her research, she is hopeful of a future career in academe. “After graduating, I was set on being a theatre director, and spent seven years running a company in London. But there came a point where I wasn't satisfied by it any more.