I Want to Dance Better at Parties 2004

Jul 23

Early in 2004 Chunky Move Artistic Director Gideon Obarzanek conducted a series of interviews with men about their experiences with dance. The focus of these interviews soon digressed into conversations about other parts of their lives: partners, parenting, loneliness and loss. Intrigued by these strangers’ intimate revelations, Gideon created a dance work that presented the dancing these men do and told something of the story of their lives.

The work began with a mostly factual and informative presentation of these men and their relationship to dance. It gradually evolved into a more subjective and expressive piece about who these men were. As they revealed information of a more personal nature, the dancers on stage created physical, dynamic portraits of each man. In doing so, the work moved from the realm of a documentary into a highly impressionistic dance work, composed of a series of imagined private dances that represented the subjects' inner lives.

FIVE MEN. FIVE STORIES.

Phillip - After the sudden and tragic death of his wife two years ago, Phillip sold the family business to concentrate on the parenting of his two young children. At a dancing party, a woman suggested that he should consider having some dancing lessons. He then called a dance school and said "I want to learn how to dance better at parties".

Jack - When Jack turned 50, his wife finally convinced him to accompany her to her Israeli folk dancing group. As a highly regarded telecommunications engineer specialising in digital coding, Jack could see re-occurring and varying patterns in the dances and realised that if he could invent a code to represent the dance steps this would be a way to remember them. For the last ten years Jack has collected nearly five thousand Israeli folk dances on his online database.

Lindsay - Through dance, Lindsay found his lover and long-term partner of over ten years and through dance Lindsay lost him to another man in his clogging group.

Franc - Describing his attempts to dance as clumsy, awkward and foolish, Franc believes that dance doesn't allow him to present himself the way he really is and pretty much avoids doing it at all costs.

Deon - "Dancing is like an explosion in the body that words cannot describe" says Deon. He is a nineteen-year-old Greek boy from Wheelers Hill who is into traditional Greek folk dancing and clubbing with his friends on Friday and Saturday nights.

Creative Team
Choreography & Direction Gideon Obarzanek
Video Projection Michaela French
Original Music & Sound Design Jason Sweeney & Cailan Burns/PrettyBoy Crossover
Costume Design Paula Levis
Lighting Design Niklas Pajanti/Trafficlight
Design Realisation Donna Aston

Original Performers Kristy Ayre, Antony Hamilton, Timothy Harvey, Jo Lloyd, Lee Serle, Adam Wheeler
Additional Touring Performers Delia Silvan, Martin Hansen

Artistic Director Gideon Obarzanek
Executive Producer Vivia Hickman
Production Manager Donna Aston
Stage Manager Philip Peck (Frog)

World Premiere
17 November 2004 Melbourne

Touring Seasons
2005 Brisbane, Melbourne
2006 Adelaide, Sydney, Darwin, Warragul, Clayton, Moonee Ponds, Nunawading, Frankston, Parramatta, Warrnambool
2007 Vancouver, Christchurch, San Diego, Pittsburg, Beckett, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Chicago
2009 Victoria (Canada), Boston, Vermont

Awards
2004 Green Room Award For Best Concept and Choreography
2005 Betty Pounder Award for Original Choreography
2005 Green Room Award For Concept and Realisation
2005 Green Room Award For Best Male Dancer (Antony Hamilton)

“As always with Chunky Move the production elements are impeccable, with a finely honed lighting design by Niklas Pajanti and video projection by Michaela French that contributes significantly to the impact of the performance. It is the best use yet of the Chunky Move Studios.” The Age.