Dancenorth performs at sculpture festival
Locally-based, award-winning company Dancenorth continues its industry-leading streak with its innovative production Tectonic, which is being presented through August 4 as a part of the Strand Ephemera. Artistic Director Kyle Page has described this work as a world first.
Performed along a beautiful stretch of the Townsville Strand, Tectonic unites sculpture, movement and sound in a unique and captivating site-specific performance. Dancenorth has joined forces with the Urab Dancers from Poruma Island, Torres Strait for the creation of this bold new performance.
Page, who is also serving as choreographer, describes the work as part performance, part installation and part social movement. He says, “Tectonic is a collective journey, a shared responsibility, toward creating a sustainable future. Together we unravel the often-imperceptible shifts that surround us day-by-day, drawing attention to the accumulative effect of these changes on our environment.”
Inspired by the plight of the 180 residents of Poruma Island to deal with the sinking of their small Island, the work seeks to capture the symbolism of elemental forces becoming increasingly erratic and volatile to draw attention to and start conversations about our impact on the environment.
Page explains the goal is to really make people think and talk about how we realign ourselves with the balance of nature in order to leave the earth in a better place than when we found it.
“The installation of 180 partly submerged exercise balls on the beach not only provides the stage for the performance but also represents the 180 residents of Poruma Island and symbolises how the environment is changing, as the weather changes the landscape around them,” he explains.
Underpinning the choreography of this work is 360 letters, to educate, connect cultures and engage audiences, lending even more impact to the work.
“Each of Poruma Island’s 180 residents has written a letter to a stranger in mainland Townsville and 180 residents of Townsville have written a letter in return,” says Page. “The personal stories and images about the weather, climate change, hopes and dreams will be shared on site with copies of these letters presented as part of Tectonic.”
The Poruma Island community, who has nurtured a deep connection with the natural environment for generations, will represent that part of its culture at Tectonic with the Urab dancers performing on site for each nightly performance.
Community and Cultural Development Committee Chair Cr Colleen Doyle said the council was very pleased to have Dancenorth perform as part of this year’s Strand Ephemera program.
“Dancenorth is Townsville’s very own award-winning dance company and to have a performance alongside our static Strand Ephemera artworks this year is very exciting,” Cr Doyle said. “This is a chance for residents and visitors to see Dancenorth perform for free with the Poruma Island dancers, so it’s a rare opportunity not to be missed.”
A QR code linking to a video of Page explaining the works will be onsite for the duration of Strand Ephemera to ensure everyone who visits the installation can capture the full story of the works and find out times for the live performances.
Performances kicked off July 29 and run through August 4 in the evenings on the sand next to the Strand Rock Pool and Arcadian Surf Life Saving Club. For more information, visit whatson.townsville.qld.gov.au or www.dancenorth.com.au.
Photo: Dancenorth’s Tectonic at outdoor gallery Strand Ephemera. Photo courtesy of Dancenorth.