International Festival of Contemporary Theatre
Programme
Deep Soulful Sweats
03.09. 20:00, Festival Centre | Free entry
Deep Soulful Sweats is a collaborative and participatory event led by dance artists Sarah Aiken and Rebecca Jensen. Facilitated by local and international dancers and DJs, the project creates ecstatic, inclusive and unrehearsed participatory performance experiences with no spectators.
A tongue-in-cheek nod to the Zodiac, participants are divided into elements, (Earth, Air, Fire, Water) and led ‘follow the leader’ style through spontaneous choreography, chanting, absurdity and fantasy – an embodied and energetic exchange in dance and choreographic practice. In the thick of an unfolding choreography/ ritual/ rave/ contemporary dance class/ spectacle, DSS incrementally and exponentially encourages participants to let go and exorcise through exercise.
Deep Soulful Sweats has grown a loyal following for its shape-shifting events, encouraging people from all walks of life to step out of their thinking mind and into their bodies.
Participants should wear comfortable clothing that is easy to move in and appropriate footwear for dancing. They might get sweaty so bring a change of clothing if you’re going out afterwards.
About artists
SARAH AIKEN is a Narrm / Melbourne based teacher and choreographer with an extensive body of work presented nationally and internationally. Solo and collaborative projects investigate assemblage, authorship, scale and the self, looking at the roles of audience, performer, subject and object and connecting tangibly with audiences, to consider performance as a site for empathy & exchange.
REBECCA JENSEN is dancer, choreographer and teacher, born in Aotearoa and based in Narrm / Melbourne. Her practice is inspired by the equally speculative and practical forces of dance practice and her work is rooted in choreography, but shape-shifts into many forms.
Together Rebecca and Sarah have a long history of creating experimental choreography and performance in theatres, galleries, community, film, music & site responsive contexts. Their work has been described as formally reckless, working rigorously with considered participation and slipping between codified forms and unbridled invention. Their freeform maximalist style has no rules, amassing multiple images in a torrent of references, satirical, sincere, absurd and unapologetic.
Since 2010 Rebecca and Sarah have produced world-class, experimental choreography, presented in Canada, Italy, France, New Zealand and across Australia at Arts Centre Melbourne, Dance Massive, MPavilion, Keir Choreographic Awards, Melbourne Knowledge Week, Next Wave, Dark MOFO, Brisbane Festival and Castlemaine State Festival.
Credits
Concept/creation: Sarah Aiken, Rebecca Jensen / Deep Soulful Sweats
Leaders: Sarah Aiken (air), Rebecca Jensen (water), (fire) TBC, (earth) TBC
DJ: TBC
Deep Soulful Sweats is part of Festivals’ Path project. The project is co-curated and co-organised with ANTI festival, Finland. The Festivals’ Path project is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland.
3
September
20:00
Free entry
Language
In Latvian and English (Latvian sign language)
Run time
1 h 30 min
Website
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