BEHAVIOROLOGY
Intersectional performance research by Great Southern Dance 2024-25
Since 2019, the artists of Great Southern Dance have felt compelled to present bodies dancing in historic, contemporary, natural and community contexts, deeply curious about how our bodies feel in these spaces and caring about what our bodies-dancing-in-relation can convey to those who experience our live offerings and films.
‘Behaviorology’: has been our most recent adventure in choreography and topography using film.
In this research phase we worked with an outstanding team of performance and film professionals to engage choreography, site, film, design, drawing, community conversation in 5 public locations. We mapped, storyboarded, choreographed and filmed (drone and ground level) individual trajectories for 4 dancers. Each pathway featured natural locations, layering narrative and intersecting with the others pathways.
We have been continuing research into presentation of ideas about inheritance, power and hierarchy, recognising troubled ground in this age of the Anthropocene, where globalised human dominance brings our beautiful planet to the brink. This R&D adopted a relational approach; negotiating ever-changing encounters between landscape, bodies, constructed artefacts and multiple ‘entities’.
Through topographical spacing of dancing bodies, we have been facing into challenging histories and uncertain futures, asking:
Can we harness films of bodies in different time frames, varying psycho-social states, and on shifting terrain that are made OUTSIDE the theatre-space to live performance that ‘takes place’ now potently?
Can we use mediated theatre-space as a ‘looking machine’ – maybe even a machine that gives community viewers knobs to dial up and down?
Over the past 4 years, through improving our digital engagement, through production of films from a wide array of sites. Through performing in theatre and non-theatre venues, GSD has gradually positioned it’s practice as a small company to take on this important phase of intersectional art form deployment.
This vital research project saw GSD able to continue to invest in our four exceptional dancer-collaborators: Robert Alejandro Tinning, Alya Manzart, Risa Muramatsu Ray; Gabrielle Martin. All are makers in their own right and were and are central to this project. We deeply value their artistry and their commitment to professional dance performance in lutruwita/Tasmania.
We were particularly excited about the opportunity to work on this project with international Producers Gavin Harrison and Mam Dolnvas from The Proto 9.
Based between LA and Dolphin Sands, they generously made this happen with us. Gavin and Mam took our project management next level ensuring access to state-of-the-art film equipment and Josh’s DOP experience, 4-hour CBD traffic holds, and successful partnering with Port Arthur Historic Sites and City of Hobart for the comprehensive permitting process.
The cinematographic talents of Joshua Lamont from
ensured we realised our filmic goals. He and David Ortiz (First AC) appeared superhuman during the shooting. And the innate and prosocial photographic skills of Amy Brown saw our shared adventure on the streets and waterways of Hobart extremely well documented.
We also acknowledge the myriad skills of the Antonio Dicasio (Second AC), the essential and warm support of Sharyn Wilson (catering) and the laser-focus of Brianna Jade Shahin (wardrobe).
3 integral creative components ‘figured’ in this process:
- A City: nipaluna/Hobart city: Its people, plants and animals. It’s topography and design. Its heat, light and wind. It’s pathways, waterways and streets.
- A Narrative: Developed from conflated historical time layers as if drawn from the city’s nervous system. Collapsing past & present places & people, rendered via contemporary interarts techniques.
- 4 Dancers: Simultaneously objects and subjects; inhabitants of the city AND hearts of the narrative. They dance individual and intersecting trajectories across Hobart’s urban spaces using movement behaviours (languages, actions) that push against the gravitational pull of the architectural, topographical and historical languages. Choreography is developed with each dancer-collaborator, showcasing their responsive, creative & physical capacities.
Great Southern Dance acknowledges the support of the Tasmanian Government through Arts Tasmania and City of Hobart through Creative Hobart. We value greatly the sponsorship of Amy Brown Photography and the partnership of Port Arthur Historic Site.
Support
Behind The Scenes
Photography: Amy Brown.
