AUSTI. Dance & Physical Theatre Company will be taking centre stage at the IPAC on 19-21 October with the premiere performance of uNCOILEd eXposed, a dance residency program that offers emerging choreographers a platform to create experimental new work. The Flame sat down with creative director Michelle Maxwell and choreographer Jessica Hewitt to hear all about the upcoming show.
Michelle's lifelong dedication to dance started at a local dance school in Dapto, which led her to studying full-time ballet in Sydney and furthering her contemporary dance skills. While Michelle herself didn't study physical theatre, as the creative director of AUSTI. Dance, she recognises its potential to elevate the skills and versatility of her dancers and prepare them for the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary dance.
“It [physical theatre] gives our dancers extra capacity and gets them audition ready for anything that might come their way,” Michelle says.
Since 2015, AUSTI. Dance has incorporated physical theatre elements such as text into their performances, challenging dancers to step out of their comfort zones and infuse their work with depth and complexity.
And with their residency program, emerging choreographers are given an opportunity to further explore creative possibilities in a supportive space while working with highly committed dancers. Unlike many dance residencies, Michelle’s program is outcome-based, culminating in fully realised performances that allows choreographers to build a portfolio for future applications and residences.
Jessica, a former AUSTI. Dance company dancer and one of three choreographers whose work features in uNCOILEd eXposed, shared her insights into the production and her creative process.
“It was really good having the dancers there and especially the artists in the company. Even though they’re young, they’re so eager to learn… and the feedback that I was getting from them was really awesome. We had a really great relationship.”
When asked about her inspiration, Jessica mentioned the Stanford Prison Experiment, a psychological experiment in a simulated prison that took place in 1971, where individuals took on the role of either prisoners or guards. She became intrigued by how people behave when they are put in positions of power, which influenced her work.
“Each of the dancers move in and out of different portrayals of power, exploring that idea that for a lot of people it does fluctuate in different circumstances and situations how they would react.”
She encourages audiences to be open-minded when they come to see the show, because the choreographers involved are working to push boundaries and challenge perspectives.
“What they’re [the dancers] doing might be challenging for audience members and it might be a bit out of the box,” she said.
uNCOILEd eXposed offers audiences diverse perspectives, including challenging stereotypical norms of gender and beauty.
To support the brilliant emerging artists from the Illawarra, reserve your spot on Merrigong's website.
