I have returned from a whirlwind, fly-by-night return trip to Dublin for the bi-annual gathering- IETM and let the dust settle. It took a bit of Google sleuthing, but the acronym stands for Informal European Theatrical Meeting. My impressions in hindsight have hopefully taken on a sharper clarity. Dublin really turned on the Irish charm with a four day extravaganza focused on contemporary performance, complete with formal general meetings, forums, and dedicated performances, while also running concurrently with the Dublin Fringe Festival.

If I am crestfallen by the local downfall of dance presentation, it seems it’s nothing compared to Greece who no longer has an official theatrical agenda, ridding the position of national minister for cultural affairs, or Bulgaria which has an odd policy of funding performances based on match funding for bums-on-seats applicable in certain recognised theatres only.

The burning issue at hand is how to reconcile the commodification of art in terms of financial turn over. It is a sad prospect, as a contemporary dance maker, to eschew innovation and honesty for maximum crowds. Until I realise we already do that with growing initiatives in favour of large participatory events in lieu of specialist practices (see recent blog, The Demise Of Dance This Spring).

Many of the local Irish artists featured in the forums and events have recently returned. Times of crisis makes for good artistic fodder. One such performer Emma Fitzgerald, came back to challenge her right to perform naked and the greater female perception as either sex object and/or baby maker in a fiercely religious country. She relayed the statistics of hits after being picked up and tagged by several porn sites running into the thousands in comparison to the handful of views via the original Judson Church (NYC) upload. Finally resulting in the withdrawal of the original video from the site and an ammendment to exclude further inclusion of nudity.

The actual dance performances on offer were universal in theme and dealt with intimate human relations. Fast Portraits choreographed by Liz Roche, was what the title suggested, a series of stop start group gestures and postures around a singular chair as a prop. The floor was lit with a series of quadrangles, some oblong and some squat square which appeared and intersected. There were sporadic slow motion video images to accompany the join the dot montage which was preceded by a solo danced by the choreographer introducing the chair.

This was a precise, if maybe a little didactic, choreographic statement, competent bodies intermingling with deliberate assuredness.

The next piece Body Duet, choreographed by John Scott started with some naff, slightly robotic monosyllabic, one word dialogue and I grew nervous. I had high hopes for Dublin, the brash interaction on the street reminding me of home.

Thankfully the performance did pick up. As the relationship disintegrated, the messy yet masterful movement became more edgy and addictive. The clumsy introduction of an iPad facilitated the all too abrupt and hurtful familiar repartee of the cheating and cheated.

The movement reads like the scripted, every nuance of this narrative recogniseable without being too predictable. Of the two pieces, this was riskier and made more satisfying for it.

Maybe the dance on offer wasn’t cutting edge, lacking the urgent immediacy addressed in the IETM forums, but it lent a strong sense of stability, just the right dose of theatrical medicine. I will have to wait for the Dublin Dance Festival for a more diverse program to really make assumptions. Might’ve been unfair as there was too little to judge in any meaningful comparative fashion.

Again the choreography was hidden amongst  other disciplines. Dublin’s Fare City (visual artist Michelle Brown) a curated taxi cab ride by the cities finest to half finished landmarks which heralded the downfall of the famed ‘Celtic Tiger’ that was the financial/ real estate boom. Samuel Beckett’s  All That Fall presented by Pan Pan Theatre with a magical lighting design including 100′s of light bulbs suspended from the ceiling like a constellation, fierce rain or whirling dust bowl, equipped with individual rocking chairs for 70 and  illustrated children’s carpeting.

For all the tight schedules jammed packed with constructive strategies, the conference was as the title suggests, best at its most informal, one on one over a few drinks in one of the many nooks where tight passionate bonds were forged.

Links to Artists mentioned above:

Company Fitzgerald and Stapleton

http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-10-12/dance/mumblecore-dance/full/

http://www.fitzgeraldandstapleton.blogspot.fr/

Choreographer Liz Roche

http://www.lizrochecompany.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/Lizrochecompany

John Scott Dance

http://www.irishmoderndancetheatre.com/IMDT/Home.html

Stay tuned for a wrap of the week that was- Birrang, a special week long lab dedicated to the growth of NSW indigenous dance, facilitated by Shane Carroll (still underway as I type) and my next foray to the emerald isle for a sneak peak experience of Dublin Dance Festival where I have scored a place in workshops (Ultima Vez) and to see some of the best performances Europe has to offer.

Even from the other side of the globe sad, very unfortunate, no just plain bad and very disappointing news travels plus vite.

Yes, I am referring to the demise of Spring Dance. Coming off a very successful Dance Massive, it somehow feels like a double blow. This Dance Massive event was very Melbourne-centric, predominately featuring local acts, even though it purports to be a national event. But in a way it should be, they are the hosts.

I will be quick to clarify that Spring Dance was packaged very differently, no forums and a focus on current trends on a global scale, featuring a large international program. Rafael Bonachela as curator had also managed to open the door to national, local established and emerging talent. Supplementing performances with masterclass workshops created a fluidity of engagement across many demographics. This ease of accessibility is what made Spring Dance special. Emerging artists were privy to current best practices, while choreographers of notable renown could spy and maybe purloin the promising.

Not now.

My opening blog in January alluded to the dance hidden amongst other disciplinary spectacles. I mentioned the opportunity for dance in response, dance en masse, as a part of an opening or associated event. But let’s face it, when the 2013 Sydney festival brochure came out I flicked through more than once, fanning back and forth until I realised in disbelief the section was approximately one page in its entirety (not counting advertising). Yes, double sided-whatever, it was a paltry representation in the bigger scheme of things. It wasn’t so bad though, because we had our own festival to really look forward to.

Major venues like the Opera House are status symbols, places where people like to be seen and, it could be argued, the actual performance is incidental to the experience. I believe it just takes one good dance performance, viewed by one of those audience members with ulterior motives, to make a convert.

As a member of our NSW dance community, I am proud of our diversity, confess to feeling envy of the deepest green hue and am tired of dance afforded the leftovers like the poetic poor cousin. As an immediate abstract form I recognise that dance has a harder job attracting a steady audience and that in times of economic hardship it is one of the first to hit the chopping block. I could also argue that in these times of instant gratification and growing sedentery lifestyle habits, we need dance to inspire all of those children who don’t play/follow footy, to know there is a viable alternative. We need to be able to celebrate the human body as a wondrous physically expressive entity.

So, if the Opera House dance fest has gone bust, who is going to champion the movement for movement on a scale that NSW dance really deserves? All the more reason to celebrate and support our still thriving dance bodies of which FORM is one, with a steady 2013 lineup.

Watch this space.

So it’s Good Friday and I’ve already experienced a few Sabbaths so I know virtually everything will be closed Sunday except the tabac and maybe the odd fruit shop. I don’t know about Monday, my French isn’t good enough to decipher the opening hours over the extended period. So I go to the local Monoprix (one price) supermarket and stock up. Next coming days I plan to do nothing except lie about and eat lashings of dark chocolate.

Saturday I do just that, but feel terribly guilty so decide to go out and get some fresh air before the sun sets. Just as I’m about to leave via the last gate I see drums. African drums. Lots of them. On auto-pilot I walk in and immediately enquire if there’s a class- and YES. But it started at 4 and it’s already 4.20. Undeterred I go downstairs. I want a schedule.

A lady participating walks out of the class to inform me she is the company manager and this is a special master class held once every month or so and that it’s not too late for me to join in.

That’s all the encouragement I need so I make like a bullet train back to my joint to change. Watch out, this woman is on a mission and prepared to take out all obstacles. Lucky I’m technically on the same premises, The Cite des Arts complex. Next minute I’m sweating it out in a rare intimate class of 8 led by Fanta Debele from Burkina Faso, a dancer with the company called, WON TAN NARA meaning ‘we are together’ in Guinean.

As a NAISDA student we used to do Afro Jazz classes regularly and as a trained cultural dancer I am familiar with complex rhythmic patterns, but maybe it’s my age, or my eye is keener to detect nuance, maybe I have been doing too much of one thing, because I am a fish out of water and definitely not the sponge able to absorb different styles and techniques with ease as I thought was my strongpoint. For my feet stamp flat and my torso is proud but rigid in comparison to the rubber spines around me and my head flicks of its own free will as if I’m wearing a Dhurri, a Torres Strait Islander head dress.

I am frightened by the busy drums, yet missing the call to change steps consistently, my body the vocalist missing the opening bars of a song. I count, I mimic, I TRY HARD. My weight is different, my relationship to the floor too close. The girl next to me says I have to keep my weight on my toes and stop thinking too much, just enjoy it.

So what joy, I discover there’s another 3 hour workshop the following day- EASTER Sunday and I vow to return.

This time the class is packed, seems we all want to stave off the brown oval good-stuff. Instead we run, stomp, skip, ripple, clap and swing our arms with the relentless vigour of triathletes. I go through several sweats soaking from exertion. The participants are all ages and come from all backgrounds. Not all are dancers but the challenge is uniform. The energy is infectious as the smiles on our fatigued faces. I watch the girl from the day before, who is going out with the teacher’s brother. I try to copy her subtle knowledge. All too soon the class is over.

Verdict – best Easter ever.

(Micadanse studios are much bigger than I originally thought with approximately 5 studios extending across 3 buildings within the Cite des Arts complex. Micadanse website is http://www.micadanses.com/)

The studio is average. No, maybe a bit on the small side, and I stretch on a piece of polished wooden flooring that diminishes by the second, as it slowly fills to capacity. There will be 40 of us, crammed in like freckles on a triangle of fairy-bread, before the teacher announces the class is to begin

The two studios I have danced in, contemporary at Micadanse and African at Danse du Marais aren’t covered in tarkett and unfortunately my visit to the prestigious CND (Centre National de la Dance) in Pantin, on the outskirts of the inner city, didn’t include a class or rehearsal there – yet. I secretly love this fact as it brings back memories of the old NAISDA building and current Ausdance classes held in the basketball court under the Broadway shopping mall in Glebe. It gives the impression that dance could happen anywhere there is enough space.

Contemporary dance is the same the world over, right? Wrong.

In New York all those years ago (1990-96 at least) I remember the same space issues, but the New Yorkers had a different temperament. Bold. That’s how 90’s New York felt. Bold, as if bodies had written in very large font, cutting the space with decisive strokes using indelible markers.

Here, I realise, as down on the street, I stand out and maybe not for the right reasons. I have no hope of deciphering the language, spoken at break neck speed with my rudimentary skills, so I say ça va and oui with everyone else, all the while smiling playing every bit the village idiot.

 I also have a tendency to take people out. By now (my third week in) people tend to allow me added space because I have a reputation for clearing a non-discriminate pathway, clipping backs of heads, backsides, shoulders and feet at every turn. I can’t help myself. A cheer or squeal escapes my mouth, before I have time to check it, in congratulations of a moment that has duly inspired us all, when the rest merely nod. I feel every bit the colonial convict; rowdy and misbehaved.

As I contemplate the Parisian contemporary dance archetype from first impressions, what I initially mistook for caution, is the carefully considered. In turn, I am learning the importance of restraint and that bigger is not always more. Effectively I am considering how to imbue more meaning into other aspects of dance; my relationship to the ongoing composition of space as the part of a fluid group in comparison to the individual performance.

Like its many galleries, the Parisians have perfected the assembly. I still have much to learn and must now be more perceptive to the nuance.  I am forced to read the dance and the gesture of preparation in lieu of spoken language.

(Stay tuned as I report on performances here and in the upcoming months I will be going to Dublin for the Dublin Dance Festival. Thanks to the World Wide Web I will also be canvassing closer to home)

For once I have to say, ‘I am Bummed’ for I am in the wrong geographical P, because Parramatta (and NOT Paris) is currently where the hottest show will be featured. That show- The Tap Pack, which references the [in]famous Rat Pack from ‘60’s Vegas, which included Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis and Dean Martin.

I’d like to report that this blog was the result of hours of hard labour but I have to be honest, I threw questions at Jordan Pollard and he came back to me with rapid fire honest and articulate responses that needed no editing.

So here goes…

How long have you guys been together?

We have all been together for years. I met Jesse and Tommy about 7 years ago. We all met doing dance class, at auditions or working. For example, Jesse and Tommy just came off tour with Tap Dogs. I used to live with Dion.

Whose idea was it for this show? How did it come about?

The idea was a slow burn, Jesse, Thomas and I put it together. It came about through talking over a few beers and it started to develop. The idea for Tap Pack has been around a year. I guess it was always brewing underneath, the idea of the rat pack was to have friends together, pooling their talents into something they love to do, and we just needed a great way of making that happen.

Do you all have choreographic input?

Jesse and Tommy have been working together and they manage the bulk of the actual tap dance here as I will look from out front and direct the choreography to tweak it. We have all had a hand in the shows creation; we wanted a collaborative effort from the start, so the rehearsal room has had a lively atmosphere. Everybody in the cast has helped with ideas along the way, we want to utilise their talents too because all the guys have fantastic minds.

Can you explain the reference or what you know/have drawn from The Rat Pack?

The Rat Pack evokes a certain style of charm, class and cheek. The three C’s. Slick suits, crooning voices, and an air of ease with an exclusive boy’s club feel. They had a lot of creative licence with how they went about their business, and were famous for being themselves. I think that was the appeal for us.

Do you think you could share some insight into your characters, in life and possibly in relation to the actual Rat Pack? – Sounds naff but I was watching and you guys have different styles. e.g., one guy has this eurythmic opening with a stomp clap combination that has a slightly Hispanic flavour, while some of you are tighter in execution and some looser… remember, try not to give too much away.

So in the show Jesse is the leader of the group- the Frank Sinatra; the chairman of the board. With Jesse’s skill set and ambition in real life, he is a leader among us guys, he is an entrepreneur and has a strong character.

When I was writing the show, I wanted to create really specific characters around the men I already knew. For example: So Smokey is the strong silent lady-killer type, he has a more sensual Latin feel (as u can see on the video) and is strong and brooding.

Then again you could look and see the guy who gets picked on, the young energetic, joker aka a Sammy Davis Junior. I could go on forever but the comparison in that we have a leader, a joker, a mysterious one, the stooge; the guy who gets picked on and the older, worldly man. Every guy has a personality trait that is totally his own and can relate to the Rat Pack.

Is there any dialogue- live or recorded? Will you be referencing the Rat Pack with images?

There is dialogue, interwoven in a mixture of dance and song, the whole show runs for an hour and tells the story of 5 friends and the trials of tour and trust. We don’t have any images of the actual rat pack in the show but, we all have suits and a style that pays homage to the 1960’s in the way we look/dance. We have also added a fresh energy to it to make it our own. Rohan Browne owns a bow tie business and he has styled the guys with his personalised bow ties and pocket chiefs (his handsome self).

Is the sound for this one live or recorded?

There is a 6 piece live band called “The Tap Pack Bandits”. All sound is live and we have a jam where the tap dancers and the band “battle”. It’s completely live and spontaneous.

The brass/live band song was very synonymous with the Rat Pack, they always used live musicians where possible. We wanted to keep this going. There is nothing better than tapping while others make music live with you. We have taken old songs and given them a new energy eg: reworking the charts so they sound different. We have a few popular songs from the present that we have ‘swingified’. A good place to find references for this type of music is via Google. Look up Richard Cheese. He is a lounge singer that reworks popular material in a swing feel.

In the show there is a mixture of old songs, new songs swingified and then there are instrumental tracks that are a big band but have been written in the last 10 years, kind of a new jazz sound.

The music is a mixture of old and new, much alike to us boys.

What’s the age range of you guys?

24-33

Tapping is so aerobic; can you compare it to another sport in intensity?

Tapping is hard. Mostly, it hurts the legs, obviously, but, if I could compare it to a different sport, it’s kind of like skipping, or maybe boxing. It requires such specific movements at such a pace that your leg muscles can cramp and become fatigued pretty quick. It can require a lot of cardio fitness.

Where do you live? Not a stalker enquiry, just, where do you hail from?

We hail from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. But we have all resided in Sydney at one point. Again, we met through touring shows and going where the work was.

Do you all work in musical theatre outside this project?

We all have worked in musical theatre, so performing in a theatre was the obvious choice and it matches the feel of the show. I am currently in The Addams Family musical, Rohan has just finished Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, Dion Bilios has done Jersey Boys. We are all working actors when we aren’t hanging out.

Do you perform/practice any other types of dance, music etc.? How, if at all, has this affected the show? How do you bring those skills to the forefront?

We all do different styles of dance: we grew up with jazz, ballet & tap. Then hip-hop started as we got older. Some have touched on tango, popping, locking and contemporary but, every class or show you do makes you experience something new, and this, you add to your skill bank.

A lot of the guys play music as well, piano, guitar and bass and they write and perform their own material. It is a really talented bunch of guys. It’s so great that we can draw from their talents and create something that will always be unique and targeted towards getting the best out of everybody. Some guys have a gift for comedy, some have a faster style of tap, and some have better voices, so it’s just a matter of tailoring the show to suit the character and performer playing them (everyone gets to show off ha ha).

Who have you pitched the show to? Not many people nowadays would know about the Rat Pack, well the original one you’re referencing. Why the fascination?

I think the appeal of making the show reminiscent of the Rat Pack, was to inject class back into live entertainment. We really want to showcase individual flair, different from a tribute show.

We want the older generation to remember the rat pack era and then discover something new, while the younger generation get to experience something they probably haven’t experienced before. I mean, we are 5 Australian guys, who are still influenced by legends nearly 50 years after they were big. For me that has always seemed like an amazing legacy to leave behind. We use the word inspire a lot. We are not a carbon copy, but are inspired to see that this style of entertaining still has a platform, in a re-invigorated way.

Catch Tap Pack this week at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres.

Image Credit: John Fick

This performance opens with an example of the act at its most mundane and goes on to use this premise to explore the psyche of a broken nation. He links the act to expectation, desire, the urge to thwart disappointment, a defence mechanism to maintain the personal façade and the moment of clarity, of self-awareness, of vulnerability akin to standing on the precipice of ‘shedding that skin’; the armour of artifice.

This is truly a one man epic in little over an hour.

My quandary, how much to give away, while still wanting you to go see the performance for yourself.

The lighting is superb, able to capture Brian from all angles. So intimate is the performative space, that each shaft, spot and wash, leaves each character laid bare, at its most heightened essential. The music is multi- layered with a well-recognised melody hidden amongst a score that makes me feel as if I’m underwater. Well recognised voices barking propaganda give way to crowds in a bar and sounds of an old fashioned speakeasy.

Brian at once plays the anxious character with verbal dexterity, and then accurately dances this impression while also providing an outsider commentary on the situation. This is a very ambitious and complex approach. At first I thought, “Do we need all of this information? Does the doing of the thing and talking about it, stream of consciousness style, make one or the other redundant?

This is not a feel good piece where you are able to sit back and let the experience wash over you like the benign warmth of the sun’s gentle rays. No, but you may feel reassured in the knowledge that we share this common affliction. Brain has all bases covered so there’s at least one analogy in there for everyone.

Physicality ranged from the common gestural, moving fluidly to the highly styalised abstract. Lucas is a mesmerising mover, working all the angles, giving a kaleidoscopic performance. From the twitch of the ill begotten husband urging you to grab a swifty from the bar, to the long legged army officer covering ground reminiscent of the gestapo goosestep. At once a small squatting crouch sharing insight, quickly shifting to the expansive welcome, arms aloft to include us all, the violent upright of the one that was before he became the cowering stoop of the ill begotten.

His characters are at once diverse but at second glance more specifically the proletariat, the working class in its many manifestations, all flawed, generally unloved, overlooked and unlikeable. I can’t guess at Brian’s motives, because on witnessing their vulnerabilities through various foibles, I don’t begin to like them. Egotistically I do begin to recognise them.

Brian gives an insightful, quietly provocative performance. At times I feel as if I have had to work hard to fully appreciate it. Unlike a fast food metaphor where the experience is digested before I’ve left the premises, it continues to resonate.

Sadly the season has just finished here.

Photo Credit: Fiona Cullen

I ask what it’s about and glean vital tid-bits of information as it filters through. Ten lucky young and emerging performers, five men and five women, will get the chance to be a part of the first stage development of a new work Puncture by Legs On The Wall, FORM Dance and Sydney Philharmonia’s youth choir, VOX. Conceived and directed by Patrick Nolan who will work with Kathryn Puie, as choreographer, Puncture’s first stage will run for two weeks and the performers will be mentored by a very impressive line-up of mid-career dance practitioners, Kristina Chan and Josh Thomson who incidently have just spent a week in residence at Bundanon artists retreat workshopping in preparation for this event.

The audition occurred in two stages over three hours (6 hours in total) and was led by three key mentors, Paea Leach, who introduced a theatrical element comprised of physical tasks with a conceptual component honed through her experience with Chunky Move under the direction of Gideon Obarzanek (Dance Like your Old Man comes to mind) and refined with the likes of Sidi larbi Cherkoui (Babel).  Josh Thomson, most renowned for his ongoing work with Gavin Webber (Dance North, Splinter Group, Food Chain Collective), can dish out a pretty gruelling class, challenging upper body skills consisting of lightening fast transitions into and out of the floor, alternating effortlessly between the upright and inverted state, also led a class/workshop, as did Kristina Chan whose body seems to know no bounds, able to twist and contort, extend and execute with unparalleled precision and whose well-deserved reputation as one Australia’s leading female dancers precedes her.

I ask participant Travis De Vries (recent Bangarra Dance Theatre company member) what he hopes to receive from the experience and he replied he had no particular preconceived expectations. When I ask him what Legs (the company) represents to him, he answers, “Rowan Marchingo”.

“I think of performers like Rowan Marchingo with strong bodies. I think of ropes and harnesses and flying through the air” De Vries adds.

I ask him whether Kathryn Puie led one of the workshops he replied, “No, but she was there, watching.”

He (Travis), told me he didn’t know much of her but that she had a formidable upper body. This writer knows first-hand from working with Kathryn what an understatement this is. As a performer she possesses a physical confidence and daring that enables her to work in many capacities, whether with myself in ridiculously high heels, a boot, a kimono and a three metre pole, negotiating a skinny staircase in the city as part of a performance for  the fabulous Tess De Quincey (No Cold Feet) , stilt walking and harness work with Stalker or body slamming against concrete in a skate park for Branch Nebulla.

I ask Anna Healy, another successful participant, what she hopes to gain and she speaks directly of an experience understudying Kristina Chan for choreographer Anton in Supermodern, performed at Parramatta Riverside Theatres last year. She remembers it as one of the most rewarding experiences, constantly aiming to match the standards set by Chan.

“To be mentored in this way is an amazing opportunity. I plan to make the most of it. I can’t wait. This is what I do it for. I am going to focus on giving 100% of my ability”, Anna shared.

Such enthusiasm is infectious.

Incidentally she shares a bit of her audition experience. Of the moment this giant blonde guy (De Vries) walks up to her and asks to be her partner in a counter-balancing exercise. He tells her he’s been watching her and she looks like she knows what she is doing. Apparently it didn’t seem to matter that he had more than a foot on her diminutive frame.

The project development starts today. Watch this blog space as I do a follow up in a couple of weeks.

Image Credit: Brett Boardman

I was lucky enough to score a ticket to one of the most exciting shows in the 2013 Sydney Festival line-up. It is a dark and racy work mapping the inner machinations of the malevolent mind which also touches (albeit briefly) on the extremity of maternal instinct.  A surprisingly beautiful work, expertly crafted and at times poignant, which wouldn’t normally be associated with so hideous a theme.  I’m talking about local company Erth’s production, Murder and even better- performer Katina Olsen agreed to share some insights onto the working process.

How did you get involved?

It began with an audition for Erth while I was working for Tess De Quincey in No Cold Feet. They were last year with touring and needed back up. They do a lot of children’s shows, working with indigenous themes (I bunyip and Nargun and the Stars), and are well known for their big dinosaur puppets.

When did you realise this wasn’t a regular puppet show, if there is a regular puppet show?

Straight from the start of the first creative development.

How long was the rehearsal process?

First development was 3 weeks where we workshopped the ideas and the final rehearsal was 5 weeks, so 8 weeks all up. Raimondo Cortese, the writer, and Scott Wright had already come in with a script and we started improvising around that. It was continually developing and evolving. It was very collaborative.

How did you start the working day?

We would start with a physical warm-up, each of us taking it turn, sharing the load. Because I am a dancer I would do a more standard, movement based one that started with floor work consisting of yoga poses that focused on core strength. I wanted to make sure everything was grounded, held together, so I don’t get puppeteer shoulders but I suppose that’s inevitable because I’m right handed. (I wanted to ask about the relevance of developing puppeteer shoulders and right handedness, but was pumping questions like a bull-at-a-gate and didn’t give her, or I, the chance to explain. I still have much to learn when it comes to successful interviewing techniques.)

Graeme (Rhodes), the actor, gave a really good warm up based on exercises he did with a theatre group. They were part of the Stanislavsky approach. We would all work in a circle, it involved a lot of breathing exercises and was very repetitive, a bit like MB (Muscle and Bone), but we had to maintain focus with the person standing opposite us in the circle.

Do you think it was necessary to have a choreographer? What was it like working with Kate Champion?

Scott Wright, the director, would set the scene and say, “I want this”, while Kate would suggest how to make the image stronger.

It was good to have an outside eye. Gavin (Clarke, another puppeteer/cast member) and I both have movement backgrounds and would work with Kate to help embody the characters. She would help us with blocking because we had to stay behind the puppets while interacting with Graeme.  It was Kate’s idea that we should manipulate Graeme like one of the puppets at the beginning. It felt more like partnering, more like what I’m familiar with. Kate suggested I handcuff Graeme at one point and had to teach me how to be more butch.

Sometimes we would try things with our own bodies first, to work out the mechanics and then make the puppet do it. Altogether, we would embody them. It was subtle. Scott wanted me to be an extension of Candy (female puppet) by wearing a dress and moving in unison with her, for instance when Candy goes to the fridge, I would do the same and add a kick to hips like her.

How did it feel to be a part of the more graphic scenes?

Sometimes it was uncomfortable at first, but that’s acting.

What was the response from your friends and family?

They were generally impressed with my puppeteering skills. Yolande Brown (Bangarra dancer) said she saw a lot of me in the way they moved.

Mum was focussing more on the puppets but said to me afterwards, “I just closed my eyes Kat. I’m all right.” She said it felt too real.

What were your favourite parts?

Stagger Lee was a favourite because we manipulated the puppets to music. It was more choreographed.  I would be thinking “I have to move my head on that count.”

The boy section at the end was good because I worked with Rod Primrose. Gavin and I had less puppeteering skills and Rod would give us basic instruction, encouraging us to add our own personal input. The boy just sees another boy murdered by his mum and when he was questioned I would nod and shake his head like a four year old would, big and energetic. He gets enthusiastic when Graeme mentions fairies but then recoils when he mentions ghosts. This is something I had a big hand in developing.

When I create a work I want to incorporate many skills. I really enjoy what it (this project) has taught me. I have been inspired by different ideas and the people. This project has definitely influenced how I will make work in the future.

 Follow Vicki on FORM’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/formdance

Calling for Submissions!

Fast+Fresh Dance cultivates talent and performance by choreographers and dancers aged 21 and under.  The festival inspires and educates young performers to strive for their own artistic excellence and encourages active participation in dance at all levels and styles including contemporary dance, ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, krumping and cultural dance.

Works must be 5 minutes or less and winning performances are eligible for awards such as Most Outstanding Choreography, Best Male and Female Dancer, Best Solo, Best Duet and Best Group and People’s Choice Award.  Great industry prizes to be won!

Fast+Fresh Dance cultivates talent and performance by choreographers and dancers aged 21 and under.  The festival inspires and educates young performers to strive for their own artistic excellence and encourages active participation in dance at all levels and styles including contemporary dance, ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, krumping and cultural dance.

Works must be 5 minutes or less and winning performances are eligible for awards such as Most Outstanding Choreography, Best Male and Female Dancer, Best Solo, Best Duet and Best Group and People’s Choice Award.  Great industry prizes to be won!

• Registration Opens:  Monday June 3
• Registration Closes: Monday Oct 14
• DVD, VIMEO or YouTube Submissions preferred

Heat 1                       

• Location: Casula Powerhouse
• Date: Tuesday 12 November 7.30PM

Heat 2/3           

• Location: Lennox Theatre, Riverside
• Date: Wednesday 13 November 7.30PM & Thursday 14 November 7.30PM

Final

• Location: Lennox Theatre, Riverside
• Date: Saturday 16 November 7.30PM

Tickets

• Registration for a piece: $12
• Heats: Adult: $15 / Concession $12
• Final: Adult $20 / Concession $15

Ticket booking fees apply

Registration Form

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THE RAT PACK MEETS AUSSIE BRAT PACK!

THE TAP PACK is a youthful high energy, slapstick tap comedy inspired by the infamous “Rat Pack” of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr.  This new, highly entertaining act features 5 of Australia’s finest young Aussie tap dancers tapping up a storm, with credits in over 20 musical theatre productions and motion picture blockbusters. Swinging Tap Dance Comedy!

• Creation and Choreography: Jesse Rasmussen, Jordan Pollard, Thomas J Egan
• Performers: Jesse Rasmussen, Kuki Tipoki, Thomas J Egan, Dion Bilios, Rohan Browne
• Direction: Nigel Turner-Carroll
• Producer: The Tap Pack
• Location: Riverside Theatre
• Date: 22- 23 March 2013 7.30PM
• Learn the repertoire:  Friday 22 March 10AM  See the show: 12.30PM Matinee with Q & A
• Tickets: Adult $30* / Concession $28*
• School Tickets: Workshop & show $25 / Show Only $20
• Seniors Tickets: FREE for Friday 22 March Matinee/ $10* single/ $30* group of x4

*Transaction fees apply

*NEW* WATCH THE TAP PACK PROMO  https://vimeo.com/64439259

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