Kohl | Hummingbird | Blush | Cotton
Kohl
Directed by Paea Leach Costume design Holly Boyton
Award Nomination - Most Outstanding Performance by a Female and Most Outstanding Achievement in Design (Costume Designer Holly Boyton)
Award Nomination - Most Outstanding Performance by a Female and Most Outstanding Achievement in Design (Costume Designer Holly Boyton)
"Kohl, was a real blend and most memorable. Performed in a black on black stage with shafts of light along the floor and to predominantly Western music, it was removed from usual Indian flamboyance. With an intense inner concentration that made the performance deeply personal, Kohl fused two dance cultures into a rare gem." Rita Clarke The Australian
"Kohl is an intriguing solo work informed by the cultural metaphors of the Hindi deity Kali, the embodiment of both mother and warrior. Every part of Jackson's body is still, immovable, yet visibly filled with latent activity. Jackson who studied Odissi Indian Classical technique in Orissa, India, exhibits a rare and commanding economy of movement. Striking hard asymmetrical, glyph-shaped poses mediated by hint of balletic movement, she brings the commitment, energy and technique to make Kohl a success." Tim Balfour The West Australian
"Kohl is an intriguing solo work informed by the cultural metaphors of the Hindi deity Kali, the embodiment of both mother and warrior. Every part of Jackson's body is still, immovable, yet visibly filled with latent activity. Jackson who studied Odissi Indian Classical technique in Orissa, India, exhibits a rare and commanding economy of movement. Striking hard asymmetrical, glyph-shaped poses mediated by hint of balletic movement, she brings the commitment, energy and technique to make Kohl a success." Tim Balfour The West Australian
Kohl is the creative outcome from a residency in Orissa, India, with Dr Ileanna Citaristi. Kohl is a signature solo work for Jackson in collaboration with Paea Leach and designer Holly Boyton that presents the interplay of opposing forms, in the single, unified body. The creative development period that led to the work saw Leach and Jackson research the cultural metaphors of the Hindu deity Kali. In Hindu culture she is nurturing mother and fierce warrior embodied as one, from a Western/Christian perspective she appears demonic, even satanic. We explored her themes, Time and Black conceptually, in a western framework to arrive at this acclaimed solo. In Kohl we draw predominantly from Odissi Indian classical dance vocabulary to move through quietly shifting physical textures. We consider an abstraction of a direct story telling inherent in Indian classical dance that also embraces a personal story or journey that Dawn has lived to date. It is black and white. Opposites are not necessarily tangible but exist as an impetus for movement and as a supporting thematic undercurrent. There is thus, a 'beneathness' we were interested in. Concealing and revealing; shedding and pausing.
Hummingbird
Performers Dawn Jackson and Lee WestDirected by Thomas PapathanassiouCostume design Holly Boyton Set design Matt McVeigh
Photography Alma Sarhan
Photography Alma Sarhan
"A bold and thought provoking dive into cultural sharing. The contrast of artistic distance/fusion of western and indigenous performance elements left me wanting more."
Rick Brayford, Head of Aboriginal Theatre, WAAPA
"An inspirational evening of dance and storytelling"
Dickon Oxenburg, General Manager, Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company
Hummingbird explores environment told through the shared stories and histories of the performers.
Hummingbird is an intercultural work combining live music and dance by Aboriginal artist Lee West and Indian classical dancer (Odissi & Kathak) Dawn Jackson.
Based on an original song by Lee West titled Hummingbird, this contemporary performance work draws its inspiration from the fearless hummingbird and the diverse skills and cultural backgrounds of the performers.
Through verbal storytelling, music and dance Hummingbird delights with originality and purpose discovering a new intimacy between Aboriginal and English/Australian cultures.
Hummingbird is an intercultural work combining live music and dance by Aboriginal artist Lee West and Indian classical dancer (Odissi & Kathak) Dawn Jackson.
Based on an original song by Lee West titled Hummingbird, this contemporary performance work draws its inspiration from the fearless hummingbird and the diverse skills and cultural backgrounds of the performers.
Through verbal storytelling, music and dance Hummingbird delights with originality and purpose discovering a new intimacy between Aboriginal and English/Australian cultures.
Blush
Performers - Dawn Jackson and Premala SangaranandaPercussionist/composer - Arun Satgunasingam
Direction by Paea Leach (2006-08) Thomas Papathanassiou (2008-09)
Costume & set design - Holly BoytonLighting design - Joseph MercurioMoving Image design - Jon Green
The work played off different techniques, embodiments and styles as a kind of physical conversation about difference, rather than the more common and often problematic idea of fusion between various forms. The work-in-progress was particularly striking, playing off various aesthetic forms within a Spartan, minimalist mise en scene, while also producing forceful and dramatic gestures and moments throughout. The use of the single tabla and other music to give the dance a sense of Indian cultural specificity, whilst also allowing for the material to be seen outside of this in a more formalistic fashion was particularly effective. Jonathan Marshall PhD, MA Research Fellow WAAPA
The creative development period has at it's point of interest, the rich cultural history of the North Indian temple dancers, Maharis. Their devotional practice and status as preservers of culture was revered until the British Raj, where the nature of their sexuality was questioned. The sculptural forms of the Maharis are replete with both sexual and sensual imagery, so the precise nature of their sexuality has been an interesting topic to explore. As we reference the journey of the Maharis, we challenge and define our contemporary identity as dancers and women.
Direction by Paea Leach (2006-08) Thomas Papathanassiou (2008-09)
Costume & set design - Holly BoytonLighting design - Joseph MercurioMoving Image design - Jon Green
The work played off different techniques, embodiments and styles as a kind of physical conversation about difference, rather than the more common and often problematic idea of fusion between various forms. The work-in-progress was particularly striking, playing off various aesthetic forms within a Spartan, minimalist mise en scene, while also producing forceful and dramatic gestures and moments throughout. The use of the single tabla and other music to give the dance a sense of Indian cultural specificity, whilst also allowing for the material to be seen outside of this in a more formalistic fashion was particularly effective. Jonathan Marshall PhD, MA Research Fellow WAAPA
The creative development period has at it's point of interest, the rich cultural history of the North Indian temple dancers, Maharis. Their devotional practice and status as preservers of culture was revered until the British Raj, where the nature of their sexuality was questioned. The sculptural forms of the Maharis are replete with both sexual and sensual imagery, so the precise nature of their sexuality has been an interesting topic to explore. As we reference the journey of the Maharis, we challenge and define our contemporary identity as dancers and women.
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Cotton
Stunning visuals, a masterpiece in the making Simon Richardson, Photographer
Refreshing work, wonderful ideas at play Sonia Sabri, Sonia Sabri Company
Very interesting ideas and striking visuals, brilliant performers Harry Hughes, Birmingham resident
Refreshing work, wonderful ideas at play Sonia Sabri, Sonia Sabri Company
Very interesting ideas and striking visuals, brilliant performers Harry Hughes, Birmingham resident
The first development of Cotton had as it's point of interest the cotton mills in the North of England that gave rise to the Industrial revolution. It took place through an international choreolab at the invitation of Piali Ray OBE Founder and Director of Sampad and was hosted by MAC (Midlands Arts Centre), Birmingham, England. UK based artist and recipient of Choreographic Development Award (2009) from Arts Council England and Akademi in London Kali Chandrasegaram joined forces with Dawn Jackson to develop an exciting new dance work.
Using the classical Indian dance form Odissi as a base they explored the theme Cotton, a subject that historically bound India and Britain together during the colonial period. The two strands were explored in parallel as the research took us to the mills and mill workers of North England and Mahatma Gandhi's activism against the British mills.
Using the classical Indian dance form Odissi as a base they explored the theme Cotton, a subject that historically bound India and Britain together during the colonial period. The two strands were explored in parallel as the research took us to the mills and mill workers of North England and Mahatma Gandhi's activism against the British mills.