Force to be contended with
As readers will know Force Majeure was one of the dance and physical theatre companies that lost its Australia Council funding earlier this year. The company is soldiering on however, to present the premiere of Off the Record in partnership with Dance Integrated Australia. Off the Record is Force Majeure’s first work under new artistic director Danielle Micich. No doubt the company’s spirits have been buoyed by the news that it has received two shortlisted nominations for the 2016 Australian Dance Awards, one for Jump First, Ask Later, created with Powerhouse Youth Theatre, and one for Kate Champion & Ghenoa Gela’s Nothing to Lose.
Off the Record features a diverse cast of professional artists with and without disability, and poses the question, “How much of our ‘true’ selves do we really reveal to the outside world?” The work is made by a creative team led by Micich and Dance Integrated Australia’s Philip Channells.
Off the Record is semi-autobiographical, drawing on the lives of it five performers, Melbourne-based contemporary dancer Jana Castillo, actor and disability advocate Alex Jones from Sydney, Guildford-based film, television and theatre actor Gerard O’Dwyer, Sydney-based contemporary dancer Marnie Palomares and actor and AUSLAN interpreter Neil Phipps, also from Sydney. These artists share their personal “off the record” stories in a performance that melds movement, verbatim storytelling and text by Zoe Commbs Marr.
Off the Record will play Carriageworks, Sydney, 17-20 August. See http://carriageworks.com.au/events/off-the-record/ In addition to the performance season, Force Majeure will lead a masterclass on August 13, in partnership with Dance Integrated Australia to introduce participants to the creative process used to create Off the Record. This is an opportunity for artists interested in learning about creating work with artists with and without a disability. See http://www.forcemajeure.com.au/our-work/current-projects/off-the-record/
Read more about Danielle Micich and Force Majeure in the June/July issue of Dance Australia. Buy it from your favourite magazine retailer or subscribe here, or purchase an online copy via the Dance Australia app.