New Breed 2009

Who will be the next generation of choreographers making a difference to our dance landscape?

New Breed as part of Spring Dance Festival in 2009 at the Sydney Opera House featured three short works performed by Sydney Dance Company and choreographed by Craig Bary and Connor Dowling. Australian Dance Theatre presented one work choreographed by Larissa McGowan. New Breed gives you a sneak preview into the future of Australian dance.

New Breed springs out of Australian Dance Theatre’s annual choreographic season, ignition and Sydney Dance Company’s successful Overture Series, an initiative made possible through the support of the Harold Mitchell Foundation. These initiatives have provided young choreographers with tools necessary for their craft – tools that are often the hardest to obtain – a group of dancers, a studio space, a designer, a stage, lights, sound and importantly, an audience.

Dreamt I Was A Real Boy by Connor Dowling is ‘essentially a journey taken by six characters in a fantasy world who fall into a dream-like state, and the relationships and situations that follow are left for the audience to decide whether they are real or imaginary.’

“They say in a one night stand there is no past, no future and a limited present. Pictures of a One-Night Stand looks at the chance of catching the elusive moment of now, and forgetting all consequences.” – Craig Bary

“Bending the map focuses on human survival in extreme environments. it contrasts the intrinsic qualities of human connection with the implacability of nature, mirroring many experiences of shared survival under extreme duress.” – Emily Amisano

Larissa McGowan’s Slack asks “if we are a victim of our own patterns, does the same thing keep happening to you – different people, different place, same product, same consequence? Are you suspended in time, waiting and preparing for something to happen, even though everything is beyond your control?”

The Playhouse, Sydney Opera House
Spring Dance Festival
9 – 12 September, 2009

Dreamt I Was A Real Boy
Choreography: Connor Dowling
Cast: Adam Blanch, Alexa Heckmann, Chen Wen, Janessa Dufty, Johanna lee, Kalman Warhaft
Music: IOTA and J.S.Harvey
Design: James Brown
Lighting: Toby Sewell

Pictures of a One Night Stand
Choreography: Craig Bary
Cast: Emily Amisano, Juliette Barton, Janessa Dufty, Annabel Knight, Adam Blanch, Richard Chilli, Kynan Hughes
Music: Adam Synnott
Design: David Fleischer
Lighting: Toby Sewell

Bending the Map
Choreography: Emily Amisano
Cast: Janessa Dufty, Annabel Knight, Juliette Barton
Music: Phonophani to Black Lung
Design: Lucilla Smith
Lighting: Toby Sewell

Slack
Choreography: Larissa McGowan
Cast: Xiao-Xuan Yang, Troy Honeysett, Tara Soh, Chris Aubrey, Kialea-Nadine Williams, Kimball Wong, Lauren Langlois
Music An original composition by Jethro Woodward
Design Lucilla Smith

“Slack is visually exciting. More than that, McGowan has a good eye for detail, the flow of the action, theatrical dynamics and unusual ways a dancer can move.” – Sydney Morning Herald 

“Without these kinds of performances the dancers would not have an outlet to explore their choreographic skills at this level. Such programs give the dancers a great opportunity…New Breed was a wonderful showcase of Australian contemporary dance talent. The dancers were magnificent and the choreography was interesting and engaging.” – Dance Informa 

“Emily Amisano, with her well-constructed trio for women, Bending the Map, stood out. It’s an abstract work but one that allowed the wonderful dancers room for individual expression.” – News.com.au