AMPA Presents ‘Between Earth & Sky’
The Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA) is set to present its upcoming dance showcase, Between Earth & Sky, on Friday 1st May at 7:30pm at the NIDA Playhouse Theatre.
This season’s program brings together a dynamic mix of contemporary, jazz, ballet and commercial works, featuring creations by AMPA’s international faculty as well as a powerful new piece by Alvin Rangel. Emerging choreographers will take centre stage with student-led works that offer fresh perspectives, while AMPA alumni return to deliver engaging guest performances.
A highlight of the trimester was renowned performer, choreographer and educator Alvin Rangel’s week-long collaboration with AMPA’s dance students. Inspired by the song “Río Toa (El Dorado borincano)” by Riestra y Los Bohíques, his contemporary work listens to land and water as living carriers of memory.
Every trimester, students present their culminating choreography projects, a process that begins with in-depth investigation of their chosen concept. This is followed by collaborative studio sessions with their cast, before culminating in full production elements including lighting design, costumes, sound integration, marketing and advertising.
Among the student works is Wadjiid, a contemporary piece by Taneisha King that explores the physical, emotional and cultural landscape of the beach. Through four scenes, the work reflects the ocean’s duality as a place of both serenity and strength, connection and healing. It honours the beach not only as a natural environment but as a site of reflection, identity and belonging, capturing moments of stillness, power, vulnerability and renewal.
Kelly Nai’s Forget Me Not is a contemporary dance piece that follows the progression of dementia and its profound impact on the individual and those around them. By depicting the diminishing ability to perform everyday tasks, the erosion of memory, the slipping away from loved ones and the loss of self-identity, the work reveals the emotional toll of the syndrome while also highlighting the patience, compassion and resilience found in caregiving.
In Two Minds, choreographed by Bronte Roman, examines the experience of cognitive dissonance, the strain of holding conflicting thoughts, and its effect on the individual. The piece traces a journey from intense rationalisation to an eventual emotional breakdown.
Kaia Davison’s The Quiet Pull is a contemporary-jazz fusion exploring manipulation within cults. The work reveals the profound impact of influence and allegiance, underscoring the sobering reality that what, and whom, one chooses to follow can shape the course of an entire life.
AMPA is also excited to collaborate with alumna Tianye Kang, who recently opened her own dance studio, Kalirena Pointe, and continues to support the professional growth of AMPA graduates through performance opportunities.
Further enriching the evening is The Art of Freedom, a visceral exploration of the power of performance to transcend the routines and noise of everyday life. Choreographed by Elliot Bourke to the rhythmic complexity of Astor Piazzolla’s ‘Libertango’, the piece mirrors the music’s layered intensity through sharp canon work and expansive unison, as dancers navigate the balance between individual strength and collective unity.
Between Earth & Sky will also feature additional works by Anca Frankenhaeuser and Francesca Gozdek.
Tickets are on sale from $40. Book now.
AMPA project leaders, Taneisha King, Kelly Nai, Bronte Roman, Kaia Davison. Photo by Wenny Tan