• Performances

Attractor

Showing on January 18–19, 2019

Playing at Vancouver Playhouse

PHOTO: GREGORY LORENZUTTI

Dancenorth Australia, Lucy Guerin Inc, Gideon Obarzanek & Senyawa

This supremely rousing show begins with two musicians and eight dancers onstage. Indonesian duo Senyawa plays operatic, heavy metal-inflected music spiced with ritual and folk idioms from their native country. Choreographers Lucy Guerin and Gideon Obarzanek work with Dancenorth Australia and the band to create one wild experience: as the music builds in power, the dancers increase their abandon and pre-selected members of the audience join in. By the climax of the show, they’re all moving in an atavistic frenzy.

The artists call their creation a “secular ritual,” and that’s a perfect way to describe the driving rhythms, ecstatic movement and immersion in the moment that characterize it. There’s an infectious power to Attractor—it leads the audience toward commitment and surrender without imposing dogma of any kind. Spanning cultures and fostering unity, the performance offers the gifts of beautiful art and extreme catharsis.

Watching this work is an electric experience… —The Age

PHOTO: GREGORY LORENZUTTI

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Artist Bio

Dancenorth Australia (Australia)

The much-lauded choreographers Lucy Guerin and Gideon Obarzanek hail from Australia, but their innovative work has toured the world. Compatriots Dancenorth Australia have performed in over 35 venues, in and out of Australia. Since 2010, Senyawa has released 12 recordings, and they have moved audiences from Asia to Europe.

Lucy Guerin Inc

An Australian contemporary dance company established in Melbourne in 2002 by Artistic Director Lucy Guerin to create and tour new dance works. Renowned for the skill of its creative team and the originality of its productions, LGI is dedicated to researching, challenging and extending the art of contemporary dance.

Gideon Obarzanek

Chunky Move sits at the frontier of Australian contemporary dance practice, producing ambitious works that challenge the form, facilitate unique artistic collaborations and offer audiences an unparalleled live experience. Founded by Gideon Obarzanekin 1995 as Victoria’s flagship contemporary dance company, Chunky Move, under Obarzanek’s leadership, established itself as one of the country’s most innovative, awarded and internationally recognised performing arts companies. Since its inception, Chunky Move has operated under a model of creative porosity and in the lead up to the 25thanniversary in 2020, is once again entering a bold new era.

Senyawa

Jogjakarta’s Senyawa embodies the aural elements of traditional Indonesian music whilst exploring the framework of experimental music practice, pushing the boundaries of both traditions. Their music strikes a perfect balance between their avant-garde influences and cultural heritage to create truly contemporary Indonesian new music.

Venue

Vancouver Playhouse

600 Hamilton Street, Vancouver

Showtimes

January 18–19
70 minutes, no intermission

8PM

Tickets

Single tickets from $39
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Access

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INTRODUCTION AVAILABLE

Credits

DIRECTORS, CHOREOGRAPHERS Gideon Obarzanek, Lucy Guerin PERFORMERS  Jenni Large, Ashley McLellan, Georgia Rudd, Mason Kelly, Samantha Hines, Jack Ziesing, Josh Mu, Felix Sampson MUSICIANS Senyawa (Rully Shabara & Wukir Suryadi) PRODUCER Dancenorth Australia ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Kyle Page LIGHTING DESIGNER Ben Bosco Shaw LIGHTING TECHNICIAN/OPERATOR Sam Doyle  AUDIO SYSTEM DESIGNER Nick Roux AUDIO ENGINEER Johnathan Duncan REHEARSAL DIRECTOR Amber Haines COSTUME DESIGNER Harriet Oxley DANCENORTH ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Kyle Page COMMISSIONED BY Arts Centre Melbourne for Asia TOPA through the KMATS Endowment Fund, the Playking Foundation and the Australia-ASEAN Council of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ASSISTED BY Australian Government’s Major Festivals Initiative in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals Inc., Brisbane Festival, Arts Centre Melbourne, WOMADelaide, Australian Government through the Department of Communication and the Arts’ Catalyst–Australian Arts and Culture Fund, Australia Council for the Arts DANCENORTH AUSTRALIA SUPPORTED BY Queensland Government through Arts Queensland ASSISTED BY Australian Government through the Australia Council LUCY GUERIN INC SUPPORTED BY Victorian Government through Creative Victoria ASSISTED BY Australian Government through the Arts Council

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