Aviary a Suite for the Bird World Premiere Presented by Phillip Adams Balletlab in Association with Melbourne Festival
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aviary a suite for the bird world premiere Presented by Phillip adams Balletlab in association with melbourne Festival arts house, north melbourne town hall wed 19 – sun 23 oct 2011 aviary director’s note BioGraPhies a suite for the bird Les oiseaux en cage • Le dandy coq • Paradis Aviary is a romantic, exotic and visual art-based PhilliP adams contemporary dance performance that pays homage artistic director Direction and Choreography: Phillip Adams to the spectacle of the bird. It is a suite of experimental Performed by: Phillip Adams, Luke George, Daniel articulations based on French composer Olivier Having spent a decade performing and working in New Jaber, Rennie McDougall, Brooke Stamp, Joanne Messiaen’s Catalogue d’oiseaux, written in the 1950s. York, Phillip Adams returned to Australia in 1997 and White, Peter A B Wilson These musical scores for the bird are interpreted established BalletLab. He has been commissioned by Costume Design: Toni Maticevski through classical, modern and contemporary idioms, leading national and international dance and theatre Millinery Design: Richard Nylon staged in a flamboyant rethink of paradise. companies including The Australian Ballet, Chunky Composition: J David Franzke and Phillip Adams; Act 3 Move, Back to Back Theatre, Guangdong Modern Percussion by Geoffrey Hales The suite arrangement implies a non-linking narrative Dance Company (China), Dance Works Rotterdam Set Design: Phillip Adams structure. The scores are translated into different social, (Nederlands), City Contemporary Dance Company Nest Design: Matthew Bird, Architect cultural and chronological locations: a contemporary (Hong Kong), Tasdance and One Extra Co. Curtain Design: Gavin Brown experimental dance improvisation, a 1980s erotic disco Most recently Adams was commissioned through Lighting Design: Benjamin Cisterne; Design floor, and a jungle in New Guinea. the Australia Latin America Foundation to work with Assistant: Matthew Adey Mexican dance company, Lux Boreal, creating Lamb, Production Management: Tom Webster for trafficlight Creative development of Aviary commenced in 2009 which premiered at the Festival of Mexico in 2011 and Producer: Amelia Bartak in a unique partnership with The Australian Ballet. I is currently touring the USA and Mexico. explored the dance languages of classical twentieth- Aviary has been assisted by the Australian Government century ballet and contemporary dance, developing luke GeorGe through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts hybrid techniques and common themes with dancers PerFormer funding and advisory body; The Victorian Government from both companies. Rather than playing Messiaen’s through Arts Victoria; The Helen Macpherson Smith Catalogue d’oiseaux, I removed it from the work Luke George is a Melbourne-based dance artist Trust; The Oliver-Affleck Fund and the Norman H Johns altogether. Instead, I placed copies of the scores who grew up in Tasmania. His work as a performer, Trust managed by Perpetual Trustees; and The Besen directly on the floor, thereby encouraging freedom of choreographer, teacher and curator has taken him Family Foundation. interpretation. When fully immersed in the creative throughout Australia, North America, Europe and process, I began to find commonalities between the Asia. He is best known for his work performing PhilliP adams BalletlaB exotic bird, the history of the figure of the English with Phillip Adams BalletLab, Jo Lloyd and Chunky Dandy, and the art, fashion and music world of the Move. George’s own choreographic highlights 2/170 Southbank Boulevard 1980s. I also studied the natural dynamics of flock include LIFESIZE, NOWNOWNOW and HOME, all Southbank behaviours, and the specifics of PNG bower-bird of which were presented by major Australian venues Victoria 3006 nesting patterns. All of this research informs Aviary. and programs, and have received Green Room and Australia Australian Dance Award nominations. The scores remain the lynchpin of Aviary and Office: + 61 3 9645 9937 Messiaen’s own eccentricity is at the heart of the George was artistic director of Tasmanian youth dance Email: [email protected] inspiration. company Stompin from 2002 to 2008. He has received Web: www.balletlab.com several commissions including with Sydney Opera Phillip Adams House and Lucy Guerin Inc.; and has been recipient of Also find us at: a Melbourne Festival Choice Award (1999), an Asialink www.twitter.com/balletlab aBout PhilliP adams BalletlaB Performing Arts Residency to Tokyo (2005) and the www.facebook.com/balletlab Russell Page Fellowship for Contemporary Dance www.vimeo.com/balletlab Established in 1998, Phillip Adams BalletLab creates (2007). He is currently resident performance maker www.youtube.com/balletlab unforgettable contemporary performance that defies for a Melbourne gay club night called JOHN, and with phillipadamsballetlab.tumblr.com/ expectation, through the vision of Artistic Director, Brooke Stamp co-facilitates First Run hosted by Lucy Phillip Adams. With over 25 years experience as Guerin Inc. In 2011 he is collaborating on new work Artistic Director: Phillip Adams a dancer and choreographer both nationally and with Phillip Adams BalletLab, Jo Lloyd, and Miguel General Manager/Producer: Amelia Bartak internationally, Adams’s work defies neat and easy Gutierrez and the Powerful People (NYC). Finance Coordinator: Michelle Shergold categorisation, scrutinising behaviour, sexuality and Intern: Ava Pham culture in a way that resonates with current societal daniel jaBer Board: Darien Sticklen (Chair), Professor Gary concerns. PerFormer Anderson and Karen Webster (Vice-Chairs), Andrew Neilson (Treasurer), Andrew Chalet LLB (Secretary), Jeff Phillip Adams BalletLab aims to create groundbreaking Daniel Jaber joined Australian Dance Theatre at the age Busby, Tamara Jungwirth, Brett Phillips, Patrizia Torelli contemporary dance-based works that stimulate of 18, performing in Gary Stewart’s Birdbrain, Age of (Members) and engage audiences, that develop choreographic Unbeauty, Vocabulary, Devolution and HELD; and was practice, that propose new national and international costume designer and dancer in the 2008 Adelaide Play a vital role in presentation models, and that also provide educational Festival production of G. In 2008 he transitioned to PhilliP adams BalletlaB opportunities for the next generation of Australian independent practice and has since worked throughout dance artists. Phillip Adams BalletLab brings significant Australia, Germany, Asia, the Netherlands, France and Join a dynamic network of people who support artistic partners to projects in order to create original Austria with choreographers Frances d’Ath, Joachim the work of BalletLab and the artistic vision of works that are proudly made in Melbourne for a global Schloemer, Clint Lutes, Philip Fabre, Alison Currie, choreographer and performance maker, Phillip Adams. market. Since its inception, BalletLab has toured Gabrielle Nankivell and Ross Ganf. As a choreographer, Our patrons make all the difference to what we can nationally and internationally, performing at festivals he has created works for Australian tertiary institutions achieve across new projects, education and touring, and venues in the USA, China, Denmark, Scotland, and companies such as ADT and Expressions Dance as earned income can never provide all the investment Germany, England, Korea, Mongolia, Romania and Company. needed. Bulgaria. He has presented work at MyDance Festival in Kuala To support what we do and make a fully tax-deductible Lumpur and the Lucky Trimmer Tanz Performance donation, go to www.givenow.com.au/balletlab or call Serie in Berlin. Jaber’s solo work Too far again, not us for a chat on (03) 9645 9937 about how you can far enough... won Best Dance Work and the Adelaide play a pivotal role in Phillip Adams BalletLab and our Festival Centre inSPACE:development Award at the unfolding future. We’d love to hear from you. 2010 Adelaide Fringe Awards. In 2012 Jaber will premiere his new solo, Reassessment; has been commissioned by ADT; and will continue development of Degradation. The Oliver-Affleck Fund and the Norman H Johns Trust managed by Perpetual Trustees rennie mcdouGall Peter a B wilson j david Franzke PerFormer PerFormer comPoser Rennie McDougall began working with Phillip Adams Peter A B Wilson graduated from The Australian Ballet David Franzke is one of Australia’s most experienced BalletLab while studying at the VCA in 2008, and School in 2010. During his time there he performed composers for theatre. His credits include Sydney has since collaborated with the company during lead roles in Jirí Kylián’s Songs of a Wayfarer and Theatre Company (Venus and Adonis, The Wonderful developments and performances of Aviary, Miracle, Petal Ashmole-Miller’s Snow Queen, among others. In World of Dissocia); Malthouse Theatre (Anna Above and Amplification. He has also performed 2010, he toured Western Australia with The Dancers Tregloan’s BLACK, The Odyssey, Drink Pepsi Bitch!, with Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc., Luke George Company, a sub-company of The Australian Ballet. The Proscenium); Melbourne Theatre Company (The and Phantom Limbs, touring both nationally and Wilson began work with Phillip Adams BalletLab shortly Joy of Text, The Grenade, August: Osage County, internationally. before graduating from The Australian Ballet School. Don Juan in Soho, Birthrights, The Recruit); Ranters Theatre (Intimacy, Holiday) and Anna Tregloan’s Skin McDougall is interested in engaging with an evolving