BE INSPIRED BY FRESH IDEAS

TOWNSVILLE audiences will be wowed this week by four cutting edge works by the next generation of contemporary dance artists.

Dancenorth’s fourth instalment of Tomorrow Makers debuts on Thursday, featuring four short new works by the company’s ensemble performers.

The series of performances showcases contemporary dance works by Nelson Earl, Felix Sampson, Niharika Senapati and Michael Smith, curated by associate artistic director Amber Haines.

Ms Haines said Tomorrow Makers was an opportunity for the ensemble to pursue their own creative ideas.

“The resulting works showcase the talent and fresh ideas of these versatile and inspiring young creatives,” she said. “We are all very excited to celebrate their achievements with Townsville audiences.”

She said Tomorrow Makers gave artists a unique opportunity because there was not a curatorial premise for the works.

“The artists have the complete autonomy and freedom to make these creative pieces,” Ms Haines said.

She said the experience of Tomorrow Makers gave the artists an amazing learning curve.

“I think the fact that they are short works acts as a kind of leap into the chorographic realm in a safe and contained manner,” she said.

Ms Haines said audiences would experience riveting energy and cutting edge creativity.

Ensemble member Michael Smith is performing his new work, It’s Called Achilles.

Previously his choreographic work has been performed at Ars Electronica (Austria), Tanzziet (Berlin), AGITART Figueres Festival MOU (Spain), Japan Media Arts Festival, Brisbane Festival (Brisbane, Australia), Dance Massive (Melbourne), STRUT Dance (Perth) and Metro Arts (Brisbane).

For his current work he was inspired by Donna Summer’s song I Feel Love and also his experience of queerness in regional places.

“The work is sort of a celebration or liberation of your body in this space,” he said. “It is pretty wild and camp and relentless, and the idea is to continuously saturate the audience in this kind of extreme camp.”

>>Tomorrow Makers 4 runs from Thursday to Saturday at Dancenorth Theatre and for bookings

visit dancenorth.com.au/tomorrow-makers-4