Brown's Mart Theatre, Darwin City

October 21-25, 1992

A season of 6 new dance works, choreographed by local Darwin dance artists. 5 evening performances, 3 schools performances with lecture demonstrations. 780 audience.

A grant from the Aboriginal Arts Unit of the Australia Council for the Arts enabled us to employ Dorethea Randall as an Indigenous Artist in Residence. The other dancers were part of a group called Local troupe which was made up of professionally trained dancers living locally in Darwin.

The aims of this project were to allow the project officers (Sarah Calver and David McMicken) to choreograph at a higher level, to give other Darwin choreographers an opportunity to utilize their skills, to give Darwin audience a chance to see dance other than Community based work, and to provide a short term “company structure” for the dancers.

Notes

When we come to the edge of a cliff, we can either stay away through fear, or throw ourselves to our deaths: or we can jump off in full confidence and know that we will fly. As a group of professional artists, we believe in flying; FLYING OFF THE EDGE.

We have, for your entertainment and pleasure, a ponderance of a varied evening of dance. Many of the works in this program use text; some prewritten, some written especially for the show, some written by the choreographers themselves. We also incorporate the use of slides in much of the work. When the use of dance, music, visual effects, text, and theatre technology all come together, the end result is this many layered performance, dance theatre.

You may have the question in your mind: “what does it all mean?" This question will remain unanswered unless you speak it out loud.

Creative Personnel

Choreographers: Sarah Calver, David McMicken, Lisa Campbell, Berenice Franklin, Maggi Phillips, Dorethea Randall
Design and Graphics: Tim Newth
Lighting Design and Operation: Matthew James
Text: Maggi Phillips, David McMicken
Poets: Steve Holliday, Richard Walley
Photography/Slides: Berenice Franklin, Tim Newth
Voice: Kestral, Rachel O’Shea
Sound Operation: Helen Haritos

Performers

Sarah Calver, David McMicken, Lisa Campbell, Berenice Franklin, Maggi Phillips, Dorethea Randall

Scenario

FLYING OFF THE EDGE
“Who asked for it? Where might it lead”
Choreography: Maggi Phillips, Berenice Franklin and Dancers
Dancers: Berenice Franklin with Sarah Calver, Lisa Campbell and Dorethea Randall
Music: Excerpt from Mark Isham’s FILM music

IN THE CORNERS OF THE MIND
Choreography: Maggi Phillips, and Dancers
“Imagination, like shadows of light, flees across and shelters in the hidden places of the mind."
Dancers: Full company
Music: Richard Robins – QUARTET
Text: Maggi Phillips

KING OF BIRDS
“A pure dance piece showing the clarity of lines with a strong feeling of hovering in the moment.”
Choreography: Lisa Campbell
Dancers: Sarah Calver, David McMicken, Lisa Campbell, Maggi Phillips, Dorethea Randall
Music: R.E.M.

DIFFERENT FROM EVERY ANGLE
This was inspired by a poem written by Steve Holliday and the times I have shared with my daughter Tessa. Through the integration of images, sign language and modern dance, this piece takes us on a journey exploring life and people.
Each person is a jewel
Multifaceted
Flaws can be fascinating
Hold them up to the light
Turn them in your hand
Different from every angle (Steve Hollliday)
Choreography: Sarah Calver
Dancers: Full Company
Music: Zakir Hussain
Text for song: Steve Holliday
Voice: Rachel O’Shea
Slides: Berenice Franklin

DROWNING LIKE AN ANGEL
“There was a time, a time in my life when I fell in love. There was a time in my life when I thought that I really could fly, where I believed (for a moment) that I was an Angel. There was a time in my life where I very much doubted the Angelic position I had put myself in. There was a time when this Angel lost the feeling of his wings.”
Choreography: David McMicken
Solo Dancer: David McMicken       
Gesturing Women: Sarah Calver, Lisa Campbell, Berenice Franklin, Maggi Phillips, Dorethea Randall
Music: Peter Gabriel, Toni Childs
Text: David McMicken
Voice: Kestral
Slides: Tim Newth

DANCING IMAGES FROM THE DREAMING
Dance speaks in a very special language, both to the dancer and to the watcher. It speaks of things “read between the lines”, things that are impossible to put into words. It speaks of past, present and future in a traditional contemporary style: to express the complicated emotions and ideas involved in growing up in my culture.
Harmony, Fear, Anger, Guilt, Sadness.
It lifts the spirit from the Dreamtime
Choreography: Dorethea Randall
Dancers: Dorethea Randall with Sarah Calver, David McMicken, Lisa Campbell, Berenice Franklin, Maggi Phillips
Music: Alan Dargin with Michael Atherton, Richard Walley, Prince
Poems: Richard Walley

1992

Dance Development Office: David McMicken

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