Hot on the heels of Because of You comes Men of Red Earth, the second of three regional WA contemporary dance performances being presented under the Future Landings umbrella. As the name suggests, Men of Red Earth is about men and male energy. Choreographer and director Megan Wood-Hill has taken male physicality and converted it into dance, creating an opportunity for men of the Pilbara to express physically their experiences of living on and working in the red earth of that region of WA.
Wood-Hill grew up in Karratha and has worked as a dance teacher and performer in South Korea, Japan and Australia. “The idea of working with men was unknown and exciting,” reflects Wood-Hill. “I was inspired by the chance to work with male physicality, strength and a higher appetite for risk than I had experienced before. The performance exposes thoughts and feelings that you are unlikely to experience in other contexts. All I can say is, expect the unexpected, and most of all to be moved by the vulnerability and honesty of the language of dance.”
For those readers who are not familiar with Future Landings, the project was piloted in 2011 to bring contemporary dance experiences to regional and remote parts of WA. Local cast members work with regional and metropolitan choreographers and artists to create large-scale performances for their town. Mentoring has been a big part of the project to date and Wood-Hill has been mentored by Perth-based choreographer Jacob Lehrer, who was also a mentor for the 2011 Future Landings project.
Men of Red Earth
18 September, Point Samson
20 September, Karratha
More info here