Brown’s Mart Theatre, Darwin

September 21 - 23, 1990

Presented by Brown’s Mart Community Arts Inc. A ten week project leading to a performance season that highlights the diversity of community dance in Darwin. This work was a development on past community dance events, and groups were encouraged to share their styles of dance with other interested groups.

Workshops were offered in  modern dance, folk, acrobatics, and choreographic skills. The season involved other local groups. With artists working in design and music as well as dance the project sought to integrate the various art forms. The various groups were linked through the use of a narrative “The Legend of the Mirrors”, based on a Chinese legend.

The scenario extended the Mirror World to encompass the spiritual essence of natural environments, suggesting that intrinsic values of life may be hidden behind a silvered surface. As surfaces throwing back images of ourselves, mirrors have teased human perception probably before thought had words. Thru Moves reflects the ambiguities of the ancient legend, entwining old and new dance forms capturing our cultural diversity.

Director's Notes - Debra Batton

Following the success of previous community dance events: Dance on Darwin (1988) and Dancing Tapestries (1989), Thru Moves is the 1990 Community Dance Project facilitated by Sarah Calver, Dancer in Residence, Brown’s Mart.

Through the integration of choreographic elements, visual design and music, Thru Moves brings together an array of dance forms from around Darwin. Thru Moves aims to extend dance to the local community, encouraging people from all walks of life to develop and explore their own movement through contemporary dance techniques.

Putting together the performance of Thru Moves has been a complicated but enjoyable process and I wish to thank all those dancers for their energy and time. It has been a delightful learning experience for everyone involved and we hope that your kinesthetic sense ‘tingles’ as we share dance with you.

Creative Personnel

Facilitator: Sarah Calver
Director: Debra Batton
Artists and Choreographers: Debra Batton, Maggi Phillips, Aku Kadogo
Musicians: Ken Hutton, Olivier Sidore, Sue Thompson, Robert Hoad
Design: Deborah Humphries, David McCrudden

Performers

Darwin Dance Mob
Adults group: Angela Galgoci, Berenice Franklin, Conrad Page, Fanci Hitanaya, Frank Kraus, Gaylene Martin, Ingrid Ulpen, John Etty, Jonathan Kenna, Kim Cartwright, Lesley Agar, Maurice Pitt, Melissa Monaghan, Rachael O’Shea, Rebecca Pitt, Tamsin McGuin, Tania Madigan, Wendy Hanson.
Over Fifties: Audrey Gorring, Glad Morris, Jo Davis, Joy Soullier, Lila Prochazka, Margaret Wight, Marie Porter,

Production Team

Lighting design: David McCrudden
Stage Manager: Liz Abbot
Stage Assistants: Angela Galgoci, Abe Shields, Sarah Calver, Mathew James
Sound Manager: Chris Osborne
Lighting Operator: Tomek Sliwinski
Foyer Design: Barbara Pittman
Administration: Helen Haritos

Scenario

THE LEGEND OF THE MIRROR, inspired by Jorges Borges
Choreographer: Maggi Phillips
Music: Ken Hutton, Olivier Sidore, Robert Hoad
Dancers: Kim Cartwright, Berenice Franklin, Angela Galgoci, Ingrid Ulpen, Fanci Hitanaya, Tania Madigan, Melissa Monaghan

BEACH
Choreographer: Deb Batton and dancers
Music: Olivier Sidore, Robert Hoad
Dancers: Darwin Dance Mob Adult group

BOLTZ THE UNION HARDNUT
Choreographer: Maggi Phillips
Music: Ken Hutton, Olivier Sidore, Robert Hoad, Sue Thomspon
Dancer: Deb Batton

42ND  STREET
Dancers: Darwin School Of Ballet

LAKATEU
Dancers: Timor – Loro Sae Cultural Group

LANCASHIRE CLOG DANCE
Dancer: Jenny Milne

RAINFOREST
Choreographer: Debra Batton with Dancers
Music: Olivier Sidore, Robert Hoad, Kormilda College
Dancers: Darwin Dance Mob Adult Group

HARLEY D. SPEEDSTER
Choreographer: Maggi Phillips
Music: Sunrise Band – Maningrida
Dancer: Berenice Franklin

TAORMINA IN FIESTA
Dancers: Italian Folk group

DOUBLE REEL
Dancers: Ravenscrag Highland Studio

DOLLY MODEL AND HENCHMEN
Choreographer: Maggi Phillips
Music: “Aha”
Dancers: Angela Galgoci, Fanci Hitanaya, Frank Kraus

TZADIK KATAMAR (Israel)

AUSTRALIAN BUSH DANCE MEDLEY
Dancers: The Dance Co-Op

KOLO
(A Yugoslavian folk dance with a Darwin Variation)
Dancers: Darwin Dance Mob Older Adults (Over 50’s)

INTERVAL

HULK X 2
Choreographer: Maggi Phillips
Music: Ken Hutton
Dancers: Frank Klaus, Kim Cartwright

RHUMBA
Dancers: Darwin Dancetime Studio

PICTURES OF PEOPLE
Choreographer: Aku Kadogo
Music: Laurie Anderson
Dancers: Berenice Franklin, Fanci Hitanaya, Angela Galgoci, Maggi Phillips

WATERFALL
Choreographer: Deb Batton and Dancers
Music: Olivier Sidore, Robert Hoad, Kormilda College Year 9 students
Dancers: Darwin Dance Mob Adult Group

ACIDELIC RAPPERS
Choreographer: Maggi Phillips
Music: Ken Hutton
Dancers: Berenice Franklin, Angela Galgoci, Fanci Hitanaya

CLASSICAL
Choreographer: Maggi Phillips
Music: Ken Hutton, Olivier Sidore, Robert Hoad, Sue Thompson
Dancers: Jennifer McIntosh, Lisa Nicholson, Karen Hallenstein, Frank Kraus, Fanci Hitanaya, Berenice Franklin

MODERN
Choreographer: Maggi Phillips
Music: Ken Hutton, Olivier Sidore, Robert Hoad, Sue Thompson
Dancers: Fanci Hitanaya, Berenice Franklin, Angela Galgoci, Frank Kraus

PARADE
Choreographer: Maggi Phillips
Music: Olivier Sidore, Robert Hoad
Dancers: Everyone

About the Artists

Thru Moves has provided an exciting opportunity to work with choreographers, Musicians and designers in a unique community environment.

THE CHOREOGRAPHERS

Debra Batton is a freelance dancer from Melbourne. She has choreographed and performed in Spoleto Fringe Festivals, with Storm in a Teacup Dance Theatre, and in many community events throughout Victoria. Debra’s movement experience includes over 10 years of gymnastics training before moving into the more creative realm of contemporary dance. She is committed to exploring dance as a ‘vocabulary’ in itself’ as well as a medium in which to communicate ideas and feelings. Debra has been in the NT for 5 months, after completing a 6-week community dance project in Jabiru she spent 3 weeks exploring Kakadu National Park which provided the starting point for three dance pieces she has directed for Thru Moves.

Maggi Phillips – Choreography fluctuates like its medium, the body and spirit of human kind, between the old and the new. Gathering at times, rejecting at other times, choreography strives to achieve a corporal language which encapsulates the intrinsic vitality of individual or group identity. These notions have influenced my contributions to Thru Moves. In exploring diversity and unity side by side, I hope there is some way to reach through the reflections of ourselves to find laughter, beauty, and invigorating chaos.

Aku Kadogo is an actor, teacher, director and choreographer. Her travels have taken her to Cuba, Brazil, Bali, Papua New Guinea, as well as throughout Australia to study dance, perform, and teach.  She has choreographed and directed for the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre, Dance North, and Sydney Dance Company.

THE MUSICIANS

The music has no score as such. Rather it is devised from a set of moods that relate to the movement. This is workshopped in conjunction with the dancers and developed into the form you hear this evening.

The making of music involves the use of traditional instruments, “Junk” instruments, conventional instruments, computer generated sound sequencing, and multi-track recording technology. Two of the pieces are recorded by the Sunrise Band from Maningrida.

Ken Hutton is a multi-instrumentalist composer and musical director of seven years in the Northern Territory. During this time he has worked extensively in developing educational and community structures for the development of music and other art forms. He is presently Head of Performing Arts at Kormilda College and the Northern Territory’s representative to the Board of the Arts Council of Australia. His work takes him all over the NT providing him with a broad perspective of cultural styles and influences necessary to ensure a relevant development in performing arts expression.

Olivier Sidore – Musician, Actor and Painter. Olivier has just moved to Darwin. Musician for Talking Heads (Corrugated Iron Youth Theatre production.) For this community dance project the music has been composed throughout the rehearsal process and workshopped with years 8 and 9 at Kormilda College. Olivier would like to acknowledge Sue and everybody’s help as well as his influences by Aboriginal music and other cultures.

Sue Thompson – Musician, Composer and Writer. Sue, among many things, has played with orchestra in Sydney, as well as teaching violin, and as a travel journalist in Sydney and overseas. Sue has helped devise music for this project.

Robert Hoad (Rubber Toad), sometimes referred to as the Mad Malleable Muso from the Murray Mouth, has recently bounced into Darwin from Down South in time to help colour Thru Moves with a myriad of sounds. His general philosophy is simple: “Even the profane is sacred.” He demonstrates this by blowin’ blues tunes on Shakuhachi, the sacred Bhuddist bamboo flute. Rob is currently running theatre and music workshops in and around Darwin.

THE DESIGNERS

Deb Humphries - a community artist who has worked on Darwin May Day celebrations as a designer and artsworker over the past 3 years. She was visual co-ordinator in 1990. Deb has recently completed a very successful period as Artist in Residence with the NT Trades and Labour Council which involved making Trade Unions banners and posters in consultation with Union members. Deb remains interested in working on group projects that allow maximum input from diverse sources as well as expanding her skills base and empowering others to expand theirs.

David McCrudden – Lighting Designer. David’s theatre career spans more than 20 years as a Lighting Designer, Stage Manager, Production Manager, Mechanist, and Lecturer in Technical Theatre. David has recently arrived in Darwin to commence work with Darwin Theatre Company. His previous work includes J. C. Williamsons, Queensland Theatre Company, Old Tote Theatre Company, Sydney Opera House, and many others. Most recent lighting has been for Darwin Theatre Company’s As You Like It, and Yerma.

1990

Dance Development Office: Sarah Calver

[Under Brown’s Mart Community Arts – Executive Officer Ken Conway]