Sydney Festival-goers will enjoy an array of dance, physical theatre and circus-based works this January. It’s all about inter-disciplinary fusions and collaborations.
From 8-26 January, Limbo will play the Festival Village in Hyde Park. Described as circus-cabaret, Limbo is a mix of contortion, aerial acrobatics, stunts and illusions all set somewhere between heaven and hell.
In collaboration with composer Nick Wales, Shaun Parker & Company will present Am I from 9-12 January. Exploring the meaning of “I”, Am I incorporates live music, voice and dance with ancient fan and stick weaponry.
Scotch and Soda mixes acrobats and music-makers to make a program of raucous dance and dexterous feats. The show sees the gypsy-infused Crusty Suitcase Band collaborate with four of Australia’s most experienced and respected circus performers, from 10 to 26 January at the Festival Village in Hyde Park.
Renowned German dance-theatre artist Sasha Waltz brings Dido and Aeneas: a choreographic opera. This radical re-telling of the baroque masterpiece is brought to life by sixty dancers, singers and musicans from 16-21 January.
As the name suggests, Kage’s Forklift features a 2.5 tonne operational forklift. It’s a fusion of dance and circus that explores the connection and conflicting relationship between humankind and machinery. Forklift plays Carriageworks 16-19 January.
Chi Udaka is a ground-breaking cross-cultural collaboration that will see the ancient Indian dance forms of bharatha natyam and kuchpudi combined with Japanese wadaiko (drums). The work will be presented by Lingalayam, and Australian arts organization focused on South Indian classical culture, and TaikOz, an Australian performance group dedicated the forms of waidako and a desire to create new music for today’s audiences. Chi Udaka runs from 16 to 18 January.
From WA comes Gudirr Gudirr by Marugeku. This short, solo work is performed by the company’s artistic director Dalisa Pigram. Marrugeku is a physical theatre company creating intercultural dance exploring the contemporary experience of Aboriginal people in northwest Australia. Gudirr Gudirr plays 16-19 January.
Ockham’s Razor brings three contemporary aerial works, Arc, Memento Mori and Every Action, to the Sydney Festival. Using tailor-made aerial equipment, these works bring together circus and story-telling. Ockham’s Razor plays the Seymour Centre, 21-26 January.
For more information about these shows and more, go to sydneyfestival.org.au
Above: Dido & Aeneas. Photo: Bernd Uhlig
Above - Amy Macpherson in Forklift. Photo: Justin Bernhaut.
Above: Dalisa Pigram in Gudirr Gudirr. Photo: Heidrun Lohr.
Above - Ockham's Razor. Photo: Nik Mackey.
Above - Am I. Photo: Michele Aboud.