FORM Dance Projects respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and dance: the Burramattagal people and clans of the Dharug Nation.
We pay our respects to Dharug Elders past, present and emerging. We celebrate the continuing culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and extend our respect to all first nations people.
WHAT Dancers can’t talk, according to a widespread stereotype. Not well at least, the argument goes. Why don’t they just shut up and let their bodies do the talking? These are curious statements! There is no such thing as a not-talking-well gene. Like everything else, it’s a matter of training . . .
This workshop is aimed at dancers and choreographers interested in the integration of spoken text into choreographic structures. Each day, a short warm up will be followed by a set of improvisational and compositional exercises, allowing participants to look at the following questions: How do dance and spoken text operate differently in the way they communicate with audiences? What are some of the strategies relevant to the integration of the two? What roles do juxtaposition, collision, and overlapping play in that respect?
Drawing on a multi-layered methodology Martin has developed over more than 20 years, Talking Dance takes an investigative approach to dance making and aims to provide choreographic tools and strategies to generate, structure and analyse solo performance material. The focus will be on improvisation within predetermined structures and the interplay between physical and vocal scores.
Across the 5-day workshop, Martin is going to use samples from his own work to explore with the participants how to coax short choreographic pieces into being, utilising both movement and text-based storytelling techniques.
Martin Del Amo is a Sydney-based choreographer and dancer with nearly 30 years of professional experience. He started out as solo artist, acclaimed for his full-length solos fusing idiosyncratic movement and intimate storytelling. Over the last decade, Martin has also built a strong reputation as creator of group works and solos for others. Programmed by all major presenters in NSW, including Sydney Festival, Sydney Opera House and Carriageworks, his work has toured nationally in Australia and internationally to the UK, Japan and Brazil. Martin regularly teaches for a wide range of arts organisations and companies, and has extensively worked as mentor, dramaturg, movement consultant and dance writer. His contributions to the Australian arts sector have been recognised with the prestigious Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship (2015) and the Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance (2018).
*By booking this workshop you acknowledge and agree that:
You are over 18yrs and have the demonstrated skills to satisfy this program. If your skills prove unsuitable FORM Dance Projects will do their best to place you in another workshop program. Gently noting that there will be no refund for this workshop.
All IDEA spaces are safe spaces, and we will not tolerate any inappropriate behaviour on the basis of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity or religion
FORM Dance Projects is neither responsible nor liable for injury to your person nor the loss or damage to personal belongings during your time in this workshop or in the identified venue
The program is made possible by the generous support of Martin Del Amo, Brand X and Create NSW.
