Olivia Lowes Publications
Dancing Through a Socially Distant World
By Olivia Lowes
Public performance 'The Stance' choreographed by Liesel Zink (interviewed). Performers: Samantha Williams, Ting Chen, Joshua Thompson, Rob Flehr. Photograph by Fenlan Chuang
Melbourne contemporary dance artist, Kyall Shanks (interviewed) - in Antony Hamilton's 'Universal Estate', Photo by Pippa Samaya.
The highly kinaesthetic and physically interactive contemporary dance scene in Australia has been hard hit with lockdowns and social distancing measures. The large-scale impact of COVID-19 has had an undeniable effect on the arts, however coverage of these effects is often streamlined as applicable to all art forms and communities. A selection of dance artists from Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland share their unique experiences with dance practice this year, and what contemporary dance looks like for them in our newfound socially distant world. (These artists acknowledge the Aboriginal people as the traditional owners of the land that they dance on today: Wurundjeri Land, Lutruwita, Meanjin and Turrbal Land).
As technology rapidly advances, it may seem appropriate for artists to remodel projects befitting a digital space. However initial intentions aren’t always translatable through these mediums and often have to be tweaked.
Launceston based youth dance company, ‘Stompin’ has rewritten their annual choreographic project within two developments. The first being a selection of live performances streamed via Zoom. Artistic director, Caitlin Comerford made attempts to facilitate core aspects of live performance including “the exchange between the performer and the audience” by allowing viewers to clap and engage. She believes company members were not able to grasp a real sense of this engagement and spontaneity through Zoom, which inevitably takes away a level of responsibility and commitment within the context of live performance. In Stompin’s case, this engagement proved difficult to relocate in a digital environment.
Their second development involved collaboration with a local videographer. Stompin has an existing commitment to community liaison and non-traditional performance. The company filmed ten site specific performances over three weekends and Comerford has given the performers agency over the production and presentation of these short dance films. Some performers have chosen to have their films projected onto buildings in Launceston others are having their films played on loop on a public TV screen in Nipaluna/Hobart. Some performers have also chosen to share their films online. Confronted by new hurdles within the digital world, Stompin has created unique opportunities out of this situation, working with both live streamed performance and dance videography.
​
​
Though dabbling with film indicates a putative response, not all contemporary dance artists have chosen to convert their existing practices in such a way this year. ‘Tasdance’, also located in Launceston, have called off two major works that were planned for 2020. Early on, artistic director Adam Wheeler made a deliberate decision “not to refocus the company to be about film”. Tasdance engages in an interactive creative process, often developing entire works through workshops on site.
“Being in a studio together making work is how we make work. These particular works relied on a process that we know could not be replicated on screen”, says Wheeler.
_JPG.jpg)
Reactor at Mona Foma 2020 - Photo by Gabriel Comerford.
Instead, Tasdance is focusing on their community involvement with online Zoom masterclasses open to the public, as well as tackling some smaller scale projects with their company. Wheeler is pleased with a new project in the works titled ‘Where Do We Start’. Four ensemble dancers are partnered with Launceston musicians to create a duet over a week of Zoom sessions, which they anticipate to perform in March next year. This work is deliberately created to be COVID safe and does not replace what was originally planned for 2020. Wheeler understands that the public may be thinking “where has Tasdance gone this year?” but recognises the unique situation as an opportunity to “sit tight and be patient”, and that artists shouldn’t feel pressured to shift their practice.
​
​
Tasdance company member and Melbourne contemporary dance artist Kyall Shanks has recognised an unrealistic expectation for artists to simply “keep going, adapt and figure it out” to suit our new standards of living. Relating this to a “capitalistic pull” within our society, he notes that art shouldn't have to be this way and that many dancers in particular are motivated by a physical relationship with other people and external space. This therefore results in an imbalance and disadvantage to artists who aren’t so verbally articulate.
Kyall Shanks rehearsing with Tasdance - Photo by Adam Wheeler
Shanks highlights an ignorance within the assumption that all dance artists can immediately adapt to a digital space, when there are artists who specialise in screen dance and have worked really hard in this niche art form. There are indeed many overlooked artists who specialise in working with dance-film and hold skills and knowledge indicative of this medium. A common element of contemporary dance that performance artists and audiences yearn for is the intimacy of live performance. Those newly acquainted with tackling dance-film have found this unique intimacy challenging to replicate on film and believe it takes great expertise.
​
​
Naarm/Melbourne video artist Jacob Edmonds has worked closely with choreographers, performers and composers to create short dance films and was doing so prior to 2020. He explains how a dance film can in fact “emulate the intimate feeling of live performance” when done properly. Edmonds’ 2019 film ‘Dissever’ is set in an abandoned warehouse and this location plays a significant role in “telling a story” in the unique ways the the camera captures relationships between dancers, music, and their physical relationships with the space and each other. He notes a key moment within the film where two dancers come into contact for the first time, sharing feelings of solitude and comfort. The camera moves in a specific way, tracking the motion on screen that elevates this sense of touch, engrossing viewers in the physical experience.
“There are ways in which the camera can transform your experience as though you’re dancing with them,” says Edmonds.
Screen Capture from 'Dissever' - Short film by Jacob Edmonds, Marni Green and Sam Gilovitz pictured.
He highlights the many additional effects aligned with film that differ from what the human eye can see including greyscale and slow motion. These techniques require proficiency and should be used sparingly to enhance the story being told. Edmonds agrees that dance on film is a completely different ball game requiring a different set of skills, but is excited by the number of dancers expanding their practice to explore the realm of film. He thinks it is important that we learn to stray from a conventional theatre setting as our world is constantly changing.
​
​
Whether it be in a physical or digital space, these artists share an open mind for exploring new realms of performance and think it is important to evolve their own art, reaching new platforms and audiences aligned with our ever-changing global environment.
​
Queensland Choreographer, Liesel Zink takes a similar stance to Jacob Edmonds on diverging from conventional performance, but demonstrates this in a completely different light. Zink’s practice involves activating public spaces through socially engaged movements. Many of her works involve “engaging new audiences” through performing in pedestrian streets. Zink believes her most meaningful feedback comes from audiences that wouldn’t have otherwise experienced the language of dance. Audiences range from homeless people to those travelling to and from work. Zink is inspired by “a choreography that already exists within our public spaces, and the way people behave and move in it”. Her choreography adds to this pre-existing spectacle that she thinks is already quite “fascinating”.
“As dancers, we have our own language, but there are no limits to an audience’s possibility of engaging with choreography in a public space,” says Zink.
Dance work ‘fifteen’ choreographed by Liesel Zink. Photograph by Fenlan Chuang. Performers: Samantha Williams and Liesel Zink.
There is a hunger within contemporary artists for finding new possibilities within dance.
“Artists are often at the forefront of finding new ways to do things. Dance is unique in that it allows us to have a kinaesthetic awareness of our bodies and feelings, which is an important thing to share with people at this time; we need to reconnect with our bodies. These are strange times but I think there are always new ways of being connected through dance”, says Zink.
​
​‘Drill Performance Company’ in Nipaluna/Hobart has been experimenting with both digital spaces and altered live performances. Artistic director, Isabella Stone has been working with younger dancers as part of an education residency, trying to capture “the playful honesty of being young” within recorded performances. She deliberately didn’t edit out organic mistakes, capturing this spontaneity. She explains the difference between recorded live performances like these, and dance films made specifically for a screen context.
Drill students in Dance Nexus Clarence program 2020 - Photo by Isabella Stone.
​Though Drill was able to capture the energy of live performance, Stone admits that these recordings could never replace “the exchange you get from the live performance context of that setting”.
“When you’re filming purely for a screen context, you set things up differently, use the camera differently and look at the body differently. This can be transformative and beautiful when done well and there is no sense of wishing it was live”, says Stone.
Ayame Ochi is a senior company member of Drill Performance Company and is also on the board of directors. She addresses the additional elements of a live performance context that are hard to engage with digitally, emphasising the social layer of theatrical or site specific live performances.
“It is not only about the intimate experience and feeling the physical energy of a performance, but also having this shared experience with other people; experiencing something together”, says Ochi.
She believes that physical dance spaces often provide an outlet for people coming from many different backgrounds that may not otherwise have “a safe space for themselves to physically engage with”. Though adaptation may be essential in these times, she doesn’t see digital spaces as a completely equitable alternative.
Subsequently within these artists’ new explorations, a notable respect for those who specialise in the digital medium is present. Expertise and artistic integrity is valued by all parties. Though many have found innovative outcomes through the challenge of diverting their practice this year, it is important to understand that switching to a completely different artistic medium may not be the answer. A ‘one size fits all’ approach is not always applicable and this is embodied in the way these artists thoughtfully reflect on their
chosen practices in the pressing circumstances of 2020.
Tasdance production, 'First Floor' - Sofie Burgoyne pictured - Photo by Adam Wheeler 2019.
