Seasons of Skin and Bark (Development)

Seasons of Skin and Bark (Development)

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    Tracks Dance Studio, Harbour View Plaza, Darwin

    2020 July / August - In Development
    2021 August - Performance Season

    The sounds of moisture dripping off the corrugated iron roof - heavy dew time. The long tall grasses on the side of the road are battered to the ground by strong wind - the knock ‘em down season. In dying, a tree gives itself back into the world and its surrounding relatives. In life, it stands sentinel to constant change, cyclical events, biological interactions, and the influence of human populations. Visitors know that Darwin has a Wet and a Dry Season, but locals are aware of the subtle changes over the year.

    The latest scientific studies, conducted around the world, confirm what has long been suspected: Trees are far more alert, social, sophisticated, and even intelligent than we thought.

    The Seasons of Skin and Bark delves into this intelligence and places it beside a human perspective to examine how we co-exist with the natural world; allowing us to think about connections and communication through vast networks and over long time frames.

    How does an ancient 400-year-old tree perceive the world it inhabits? How does the 80-year lifespan of a human determine our capacity to connect with the natural environment and the environments we create? Set against cyclical seasons that are ever-changing, affecting both plant and animal life, we observe that humans are just one part of the Earth’s different time spans.

    Development

    2020 saw a group of dancers and choreographers meet to explore, experiment, improvise and devise new dance coming from themes of the natural world, seasons, and human interactions. A showing of these choreographic ideas was held on 5th August (see photos). This happened alongside the development of the soundtrack, lighting ideas, and costume designs. 

    Creative Team

    Concept and Artistic Directors: Tim Newth and David McMicken
    Choreographers: David McMicken, Kelly Beneforti and Jess Devereux
    Musical Director: James Mangohig
    Costume Designer: Ann Gibb
    Lighting Designer: Chris Kluge
    Production Designer: Tim Newth

    Dancers

    Bryn Wackett, Jenelle Saunders, Maari Grey, Perrine Olandini, Piper Mules, Rebecca Berry, Ruttiya McElroy, Sarah Lacy, and Taylah Anderson.

    Solo

    Also working from ideas within this time, the solo ‘Intertwine’ was created. Choreographed by Jess Devereux in collaboration with Kelly Beneforti. It was performed by Kelly within a season of work for the Darwin Festival called North of Centre.

    Company Partners

    Tracks Inc is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body; and is proudly sponsored by the Northern Territory Government.

    Project Partners

    Darwin International Airport

    Tracks 2020

    Artistic Co-Directors: David McMicken and Tim Newth
    Company Director: Adelaide Wood
    Administrator: Jessica Mellor / Jo Shearn
    Production Manager: Duane Preston
    Dance Animateurs: Kelly Beneforti and Jess Devereux
    Bookkeeper: It Figures

    Committee Members: Venaska Cheliah (Chairperson), Andrea Wicking (Vice Chairperson), Glenn Bernardin (Treasurer), David Taylor, Michael Grant, Ken Conway, Max Dewa Stretton, Rachael Wallis. David McMicken, Tim Newth, Adelaide Wood (Ex-Officio Members)

    Public Fund Trustees: Maari Gray, Will Crawford and Lachlan Peattie

    Patron: Her Honour the Honourable Vicki O’Halloran AM, Administrator of the Northern Territory

     

    (l-r) Bryn Wackett, Rebecca Berry and Maari Grey. Photo: Jess Devereux
    (l-r) Bryn Wackett, Rebecca Berry, Maari Grey, Jenelle Saunders, Perrine Olandini and Taylah Anderson. Photo: Jess Devereux
    (l-r) Bryn Wackett, Maari Grey and Rebecca Berry. Photo: Jess Devereux
    (l-r) Jenelle Saunders, Maari Grey, Rebecca Berry and Bryn Wackett. Photo: Jess Devereux
    (l-r) Bryn Wackett. Photo: Jess Devereux
    (l-r) Bryn Wackett, Rebecca Berry, Maari Grey, Perrine Olandini, Taylah Anderson and Jenelle Saunders. Photo: Jess Devereux
    (l-r) Jess Devereux, Jenelle Saunders, Ruttiya McElroy, Kelly Beneforti and Maari Grey. Photo David McMicken
    (l-r) Jess Devereux, Jenelle Saunders, Piper Mules, Maari Grey, Sarah Lacy, Perrine Olandini and James Mangohig. Photo David McMicken
    (l-r) Jess Devereux, Ruttiya McElroy, Maari Grey, Sarah Lacy, Jenelle Saunders, Perrine Olandini, Kelly Beneforti, Ann Gibb and Adelaide Wood. Photo David McMicken

    Tracks Dance Company Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

    Tracks Inc is proudly sponsored by the Northern Territory Government.

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