Creative Development 2021 – Meanjin (Brisbane)

Supported by an Arts QLD QASP grant, it was very exciting to safely invite two young cultural body dance artists to join our Meanjin creative development at the new Metro Arts Centre and QPAC. It was wonderful to have Katina’s presence supporting choreographer and dancer Robert Alejandro Tinning in an orientation with the SMOKE process. It was comforting to feel the integrity and drive of these beautiful powerful dancer/choreographers, hungry to deepen their craft and extend their art making insights.

Every day we shared our stories, trained together with the morning body practices, researched anatomy and embryology, and scored structured improvisations exploring our circulatory, respiratory, urinary and digestive systems. Ultimately experimenting with choreographic ideas from the sites of knowledge, we created dance materials to document and share with the sound artists. It was thrilling to hear from the dancers that their own dancing felt fresh with a new vigour and aliveness.

Being in Meanjin gave us opportunity to have a studio visit from BlakDance’s Merindah Donnelly and Alinta McGrady. We shared stories about the sites and showed dance materials. Receiving feedback about the ideas and dancing gave momentum and exciting possibilities of connecting with BlakDance initiatives in the coming year. Dance artist Yolande Brown also visited us in the studio and gave generous feedback about her impressions.

At QPAC, it was tremendous bonding with the dancers, visual artist Aris Prabawa and Barambah/Woorabinda/Yarrbah artist and curator Jo-Anne Driessens who came to document our process. Getting excited about science, culture and spirituality sparked many conversations about our collective curiosities for SMOKE in the soon future.