Image: Heidrun Löhr
Are there songs you should never dance to… privately or in public? Sydney choreographer and dancer Martin del Amo joins forces with Lismore-based dance artist Phil Blackman to respond to this unusual proposition… and try. Their chosen songs are either too famous, utterly obscure or extremely cheesy. And yet, by choosing to dance to the seemingly undanceable, the artists playfully entice the audience to witness a series of attempts – against all odds – with as much dignity, resilience and humour as possible.
Martin del Amo Originally from Germany, Martin is a Sydney-based choreographer and dancer. He started out as solo artist, acclaimed for his full-length solos fusing idiosyncratic movement and intimate storytelling. In recent years, Martin has also built a strong reputation as creator of group works and solos for others including Slow Dances For Fast Times (2013), The Little Black Dress Suite (2013) and Mountains Never Meet (2011). His Helpmann Award-nominated Anatomy of an Afternoon, which premiered at the Sydney Opera House in the 2012 Sydney Festival, was recently presented with great success at Southbank Centre in London. Martin’s work has toured nationally in Australia and internationally to the UK, Japan and Brazil.
Phil Blackman Phil is an independent dancer and choreographer who lives and works in Lismore, situated in the NSW Northern Rivers region. He has a BA Dance Major from Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) (2003). His most recent credits as dancer include Railway Wonderland directed by Julian Louis (NORPA, 2012) and Beautiful Bones choreographed by Brian Lucas (NORPA, 2012). Solos include In Search of Fluidity and Landscape of a Memory presented as part of short works programs at NORPA and Advance Australia What? (2013) and Man of Colour (2014) created and performed for The Most KABARET presented by Real Artworks. Phil is the dance facilitator for local disability service provider R.E.D. Inc. and choreographed a segment for Sprung!! Integrated Dance Theatre’s Dwell – A Triple Bill (2013), under the artistic directorship of Philip Channells. Phil also teaches movement and drama at the Northern Rivers Conservatorium of Music and regularly facilitates workshops.
The development of this work has been supported by Campbelltown Arts Centre as part of their 2012 and 2013 Contemporary Dance Program. Supported by Dance Integrated Australia through The Corner Residency Program. MAPS NSW is an initiative of the Australia Council in partnership with Arts NSW.
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