Written by guest writer Elizabeth Jacobsen
The novels of J.R.R. Tolkien has inspired countless fantasists
to put pen to paper, but how about some ecstatic dancing? The
Green Children defy
expectations. They are probably the first dance group with an
obvious affection for fantasy and science fiction, even utilizing
those influences in their image and lyrics.
Elizabeth Jacobsen: When I first saw the album cover, I
immediately though of a fantasy novel for children. Is the band
into reading that sort of fiction?
The Green Children: Yes, we absolutely love fantasy and science
fiction. We have both grown up with a healthy obsession for films
such as "Labyrinth" and more modern-day offerings like
"Harry Potter" and "The Lord Of The Rings."
EJ: What made the Green Children to go against the stereotypical
look of a dance group?
TGC: It was very natural for us to embrace the image we chose
because we both have such a love for fantasy. We were tired of
the generic and dull appearances of groups and are creating something
that would have appealed to us when we were children. The legend
behind our name also influenced us, funnily enough we didn't
know about the story until after we had chosen it! We later discovered
that the legend was about one boy and one girl and that the parallels
didn't end there.
EJ: How did the group form?
TGC: We met whilst studying at a performing arts school called
LIPA. The school was established by Sir Paul McCartney and provided
a great creative atmosphere. We actually met in our very first
song writing class and haven't looked back since.
EJ: What are your musical influences?
TGC: We have a really wide range of influences from mainstream
artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson and Enya, to more underground
and alternative acts.
EJ: What are the green children like in live performance?
TGC: Our live performances are always a lot of fun. We make
the shows as atmospheric as possible with costumed style clothing
and decoration. Our regular line up includes guitars, synths
and percussion. We almost always have live strings for that extra
magical touch.
EJ: What are the band's plans for music videos - will there
be sword & sorcery imagery?
TGC: Our future music videos will possibly be the strongest
place where we incorporate our image. We plan to have a succession
of stories running throughout them, so that people can watch
the next episode when they listen to new songs. Even on songs
with lyrics that are not 'magical' as such, we plan to put them
into a magical context. So if we have a dance number, we will
be partying in the deep forest or something! We are currently
shooting for the song "Dragons," which as you can tell
by the name will be full of fantasy.
To find out more visit http://www.thegreenchildren.com
