where the heart is - expressions dance...

PRODUCED BY www.expressionsdancecompany.org.au

TOUR PACKAGE

by Nata l ie Weir

WHERE THE HEART IS

Nata l ie Weir ’s

where the heart is Produced by Express ions Dance Company and QPAC

Mus ic by John Rodgers


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CONTENTS THE WORK 3 IN YOUR VENUE 5 WHAT OTHERS THOUGHT 7 BUT DON’T JUST BELIEVE US 8 FOR ADDITIONAL MATERIAL VSIT: http://expressionsdancecompany.org.au/tourable-works/ password: EDCONTOUR FOR THE FULL PERFORMANCE VIDEO VISIT: http://vimeo.com/70760778 password: EDC2014 I h

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THE WORK Time, memory and a sense of place in iconic Queensland dance Whether a place of residence, refuge or comfort, home is where the heart is… a place that allows you to breathe and dream. Enter the emotionally charged memories of a young man’s past as Expressions Dance Company’s six incredible dancers and three gifted musicians perform Natalie Weir’s first full-length work as Artistic Director of the company. With a breathtaking new score by John Rodgers, where the heart is features dynamic, physical and emotionally resonant music and dance. Set against the iconic remnants of an old ‘Queenslander’,with lyrics inspired by David Malouf’s novel 12 Edmondstone Street, this multi-arts performance is deeply imbued with a sense of place and memories of home. This is a subtle work, with great emotional resonance. It creates a story where memory, past, time and place are all one, following a young man returning to his childhood home, now a deserted old Queenslander. The narrative suggests rather than describes, and can remind you of events and memories from our own lives. The work evokes old memories and people from his past, including his younger brother, his mother and father, his grandmother, and his first love, the girl next door. Each person and event forms part of the boys’ growth into an independent young man. Although sad at times, the work is optimistic, giving the young man courage to move forward with his life. In looking back we open the door to the future. The work would not be complete without John Rodgers’ haunting score, three highly talented musicians, the impressive set design by Bruce McKinven and creative lighting by Matt Scott. where the heart is, defined a new era of programming and development for Expressions Dance Company.

Choreography and Concept : Natalie Weir Mus ic : John Rodgers Des ign : Bruce McKinven L ight ing : Matt Scott Per formed by : Expressions Dance Company Mus ic per formed by : Pearly Black (vocals), Erkki Veltheim (strings) and Marc Hannaford (piano)

John Rodger ’s Score The breathtaking new score by John Rodgers ranges from ghostly chamber music to rambunctious bush ballads, and allows for genuine interaction between the dancers and musicians. Pianist Marc Hannaford, multi-instrumentalist Erkki Veltheim and one of the country’s finest singers, Pearly Black bring life to Rodgers’ incredibly beautiful melody and virtuosic instrumentals. The musicians are a trio of ghosts haunting the boarded up old Queenslander. The young man’s home was once full of old folk songs and lullabies that his mother sang to him and his brother. The lyrics of some songs are excerpts from 12 Edmondstone Street by David Malouf. “and it is this whole house I want to go back to and explore, rediscovering, room by room, what it was that I first learned there about how high, how wide the world is, how one space opens into another, and from the objects those rooms contained, and the habits and uses they were caught up in (including the forbidden ones), what kind of reality I had been born into, that body of myths, beliefs, loyalties, anxieties, affections that shapes a life, and whose outline we enter and outgrow.” Excerpt from 12 Edmondstone Street by David Malouf (page 13, Vintage 1999)

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Des ign The set is an abstracted and fragmented version of an old Queenslander, created from raw ply and wood that has been treated to create the silvery tone of old timber left outside for many years. The design concept for the costumes is loosely informed by 1940s and 1950s aesthetics. The dancers and musicians, wearing plain clothes in sombre or muted tones, are all conceived as 'ghosts' or memories that inhabit this abandoned house.

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In Your Venue

where the heart is was co-commissioned and produced by Expressions Dance Company and QPAC. where the heart is premiered in Playhouse Theatre, QPAC in Brisbane May 28, 2010. The season ran for seven performances. It had a return season in 2012 in the same theatre with an even better reception. Rarely has a work by a contemporary dance company received such an overwhelming response from its audience, critics, industry and students. The key to the success, we believe, was the poignancy of the messages, its relevance to all Australians (and humanity) and the skilled curation of the dance, design, lighting and music, creating an exceptional theatre experience. Only 60-minutes in duration with no interval, this work left the audience on the edge of their seats having been completely drawn into the story and the characters. The reviews give a fantastic portrayal of the production but so does the fact that the audience members returned for second and third visits bringing different people with them each time. The work is also great for secondary students as it shows multi-arts theatre at its best … exploring iconic themes such as family alongside incredible design, choreography and music composition. where the heart is is a universal theatre work that will bring audiences in and… back again.

where the heart is has the potential to attract new non-traditional dance audiences as well as delight those with an understanding of the art form. Our key targeted demographics are:

• dance enthusiasts • general public engaged through themes • theatre lovers • music theatre lovers • music lovers • 19 - 55 age groups • secondary dance students • contemporary dance and contemporary music audiences

To aid in future marketing campaigns, EDC can provide:

• Flyers and posters • Copy and images for a printed program • Media kit including press releases, strong images and broadcast ready footage and music • Collection of very positive reviews from reputable news organisations • Generic PR plan that can be adapted to the local area • Scaffolding material for foyer exhibitions, websites and online social media

Educat ion engagement

Expressions Dance Company is renowned for its dance-in-education program. As such, we recommend working with us to engage the senior secondary dance and music students of your region and offer them a special package which includes tickets to the show and a workshop at their school. Throughout our 30 years of touring, we’ve found this to be a great way to attract young people and their families to shows and also offer skill development.

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Workshops can be offered in the following areas:

• Introduction to contemporary dance and Contemporary technique • Contact duo/Improvisation • Choreography • Repertoire

Scaf fo ld ing and bui ld ing the exper ience

Expressions Dance Company can assist you to build a dynamic social media program around your event. We can provide You Tube clips; interviews with the dancers (both visual and written); interviews with the creative team; background information on the characters and the work; rehearsal footage and images; and notes by the choreographer, composer, musical director and designers.

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What Others Thought … Where the Heart Is was nominated for an extraordinary five Helpmann Awards in 2011

• Best Original Score • Best New Australian Work • Best New Dance or Physical Theatre Work • Best Choreography in a dance or physical theatre work • Best Male Dancer

The work won two awards this year - Best Choreography (Natalie Weir) and Best New Dance or Physical Theatre Work. It also was nominated for several Australian Dance Awards and won Most Outstanding Choreography making it one of the most awarded dance productions in Australian history. Here is what the audience, critics and teachers thought: “Enthralling and powerful, this dance theatre production speaks to the fragilities in everyone’s lives.” ARTSHUB 2012

“It promised much for EDC on its premiere in 2010 and continues to promise as a work of substance and longevity.” DANCE AUSTRALIA 2012 “Expressions Dance Company’s return season of Where the Heart Is well and truly stole my heart. The characters, the concept, the choreography, the staging and the score … I was in awe.” XS ENTERTAINMENT 2012

“I truly believe the piece was so mesmerizing, purely because each aspect complimented the other.” XS ENTERTAINMENT 2012

“The drama…is primarily articulated through the dance and the movement is most expressive, ranging from the finely nuanced to the expansive and athletic, performed with dexterity and ease.” DANCE AUSTRALIA 2012

“where the heart is has successfully indicated a vibrant new creative direction for the company, redefining its future as one of great promise”. THE COURIER MAIL 2010 “If you have a heartbeat, I defy you not to be moved by Where the Heart Is” OURBRISBANE.COM 2010 “Love, loss, sorrow and joy are poignantly evoked in an exquisite synthesis of dance, music and design. …All six dancers are equally superb in combining technical skill with dramatic intent. …all the elements have coalesced in a perfect balance of choreographic innovation, dramatic structure and creative design”. THE COURIER MAIL 2010 “Natalie Weir has shown her talent with this piece, an engaging and powerful contemporary dance work that confidently bonds the ties between theatre and dance. Expressions Dance Company continues to carve its path as leading Australian artists and Where the Heart Is could well be a landmark work for them” AUSTRALIAN STAGE 2010

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But Don’ t Just Be l ieve Us… Are we easy to work with? Do we deliver a high production and performance standard? Are we organised and professional? Ask colleagues who have worked with us before: Ross Cunningham – Director - Presenter Services Queensland Performing Arts Centre P: +61 7 3842 9138 (landline) E: [email protected] Noel Staunton – Artistic Director Brisbane Festival P: +61 7 3833 5400 (landline) E: [email protected] What did the audience think? We have many examples of audience response in our audience analysis and survey. Some comments f rom the formal audience analys is inc luded:- “It was emotive and powerful. I didn't know you could express such depth of emotion without words. Quite extraordinary.” “It was fabulous: it was the first time I've ever attended a dance show, and has made me decide to see live dance on a regular basis. I was thrilled by the idea of non-verbal narrative, the music was excellent, the set was extraordinary and used to great effect.” “A deeply profound, poignant portrayal of family life - one I could relate to with 2 boys of my own. I was captivated from start to finish. The singer's voice was mesmerising and musicians caught so beautifully the mood of the performance. The dancers were beautiful to watch both on a physical and emotional level - expressing emotion through dance when words become inadequate. Well Done Expressions Dance Company “It was the best dance performance I have seen for a long time – “

where the heart is - expressions dance...

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