Private View Show Program
Private View Show Program content
Dance Theatre | World Premiere
Private View
Restless Dance Theatre
Dates: 29 Feb - 9 Mar 2024
Venue: Odeon Theatre, Norwood
Duration: 1hr, no interval
Warnings: Contains sexual references, nudity and theatrical haze. Recommended for audiences 14+
Note: This is an immersive performance. Audiences will be invited to roam through the space at times during the performance. This is a roaming event, however accessible seating will be available. Latecomers will not be admitted.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Major Festivals Initiative, managed by the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals Inc., commissioned by Adelaide Festival, Brisbane Festival and Alter State I Arts Centre Melbourne.
Private View is supported by Arts SA, Creative Australia and the Restless Donor Circle.
Contents
Credits
Program Note
Creating Private View
Biographies
About Restless Dance Theatre
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Credits
Creative Team
Director Michelle Ryan
Concept, Dramaturg & Creative Producer Roz Hervey
Assistant Director Daisy Brown
Singer and Composer Carla Lippis
Composer Geoffrey Crowther
Choreographer Larissa McGowan
Lighting Designer Matthew Adey
Designer Renate Henschke
Cinematographer Matt Byrne
Rehearsal Director Sarah-Jayne Howard
Dancers Charlie Wilkins, Darcy Carpenter, Jianna Georgiou, Michael Hodyl, Madalene Macera, Bonnie Williams (guest artist), Rowan Rossi (guest artist)
Intimacy Coach Eliza Lovell
Production Team
Production Manager & Stage Manager Katya Shevtsov
Technical Design & Management Lachlan Turner
Design Associate Oli Lacoon Williamson
Costume Design Associate Ziva von der Borch
Cinematographer Matt Byrne
Sound Production & Operator Sascha Budimski
Set Build Chris Hill & InSET Sets & Props
Operator & Crew Reece Vidler
Lighting Programmer Luke Pilla
AV Programmer Mark Oakley
Sound Production & Crew James Oborn
ASM & Production Assistant Axel Andrews
Rigger Aaron Herczeg
Venue Technician Ben Johnston
Crew Aaron Cato, Ayden Martin, David Bailht, Michael Noble, Patrick Pages Oliver
First Development performers Alexis Luke & Michael Noble
Interviewees Andrew Pandos, Isadora Sweeney, Kirsty Martensen & Rachel High
Special thank you:
Andrew Steinkopf, Australian Dance Theatre, Brink Productions, Caroline Conlon, Charlotte Baruc – Le Pas Sage, Chris Hill, Clinton Camac, GWB Entertainment - Queens Theatre, Huey Cobham Hervey, Jodee Mundy, Kaz Gower – Makeup & Hair, Ninian Donald, Patch Theatre Company, State Theatre Company South Australia, Wendy Lacoon
Program Note
Michelle Ryan, Artistic Director
In the realm of human experience, the desire for intimacy transcends all boundaries. It is a fundamental aspect of our existence, as vital as the air we breathe. At Restless, we acknowledge the shared dreams of romance and connection, recognising that individuals with intellectual disabilities are no different in their quest for love. We believe in the power of desire as a common thread that binds us. Ignoring these dreams is to ignore the essence of what makes us human. Private View dissolves the barriers of silence and stigma, affirming that the needs and desires of people with disabilities are as rich and deserving of expression as anyone else's. With each performance, we strive to kindle a spark of reflection in our audience.
In this work the diverse artists portray the universal themes of life. We gently invite you into this shared space, encouraging a journey from comfort to contemplation. The heart of this work beats with the input of our dancers. Their perspectives are integral, and our creative process thrives on this collaboration. A heartfelt thank you goes to every member of our team — the creatives, the dancers, and the production staff — who have poured their passion into bringing these stories to light.
Creating Private View
Roz Hervey, Concept, Dramaturge & Creative Producer
At Restless, we work with great artistic collaborators, and we pride ourselves on finding unique ways to tell authentic stories informed by disability through dance theatre.
Each new work we create challenges the form either by cross artform collaboration or the unusual venues our works are presented in.
In Private View, we are collaborating with singer, composer and musician Carla Lippis. I saw Carla when she arrived back to Adelaide from the UK. She performed at The Lab and I said to Michelle we have to have her in the work, we call her the electricity.
We know audiences are excited to have theatrical experiences in nontraditional spaces. At Restless we believe that sharing works in unusual ways allows our audiences to get up close and personal with our dancers. We have done this previously in works such as Intimate Space for Adelaide Festival 2017 where dance theatre was presented in many of the spaces found within the Hilton Adelaide hotel in Victoria Square in the heart of the city.
Private View was seeded during Covid. When we were all working from home we spent a lot of time with the dancers on zoom and got to know the dancers in a very different way to being in the studio together.
My initial suggestion for the work was to have cameras set up in our dancers’ bedrooms and screened in other countries in a public space.
Given the subject matter it’s been really important that our dancers lives are not on show to the audience so we’ve developed a range of techniques that allow the dancers to contribute but not always give their personal experience. These include having an intimacy coordinator, having character names, using interviews as source material and doing research outside the room.
We can have a million ideas on paper or in discussions but sometimes they don’t work on the floor. Michelle and I both spoke to David Thompson. David is Clinical Nurse Consultant and Coordinator for the NSW Statewide Intellectual Disability Mental Health Outreach Service (SIDMHOS). He has also completed a PHD on people with intellectual disability and sexuality.
He encouraged us to watch films and series that also touched on sexuality, love, intimacy, and disability.
For further research, our Intimacy Coach, Eliza Lovell, and I interviewed a range of people with disabilities about sexuality, love and intimacy. These interviews have also informed the work and are directly incorporated into Private View, as their words feature in the foyer sound installation.
Biographies
Michelle Ryan
Director
Michelle has over 30 years of experience in the arts. She has worked with Meryl Tankard and Dance North, and she currently serves as the artistic director of Restless Dance Theatre, where she creates major award-winning and critically acclaimed work.
Roz Hervey
Concept, Dramaturg & Creative Producer
Roz is a former professional dancer and the previous winner of the Ausdance award for 'Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer.' Over the last 32 years, she has worked for numerous dance, dance theatre, and theatre companies, touring around the world.
Daisy Brown
Assistant Director
Daisy has over 30 years of experience in the Adelaide arts scene as a theatre maker and director of new work. She has directed for Restless Dance Theatre, Patch Theatre, Brink Productions, and Vitalstatistix, and her work has been presented in major national arts festivals with her theatre company Control Party and The Misery Children.
Carla Lippis
Singer & Composer
Carla Lippis is a live grenade with lungs, who has recently returned home after four years in London’s West End, where she worked as the principal singer at the historic Cafe de Paris, and as the host of notorious nightclub The Box.
Geoffrey Crowther
Composer
Geoffrey is an audio engineer and electronic musician who studied Film & Television at the University of Glasgow and Sonic Arts at the University of Adelaide. Currently, they work as a live sound engineer and composer.
Larissa McGowan
Choreographer & Rehearsal Director
Larissa is an award-winning dance artist and choreographer. She was a longstanding performer and Associate Choreographer with Australian Dance Theatre. Larissa is currently Associate Artist for Restless Dance Theatre.
Matthew Adey
Lighting Designer
A multi-disciplinary artist and designer, Matthew formed House of Vnholy, which creates numerous performance installations. Matthew was Dark Mofo’s Senior Lighting Designer from 2017 to 2019 and is now the Head of Event Design for RISING Festival in Melbourne.
Renate Henschke
Designer
A costume, production designer and maker working in film, television and theatre. Renate’s previous international work includes Game of Thrones and Vikings. Recently, she has worked with local companies Windmill Theatre and Closer Productions.
Eliza Lovell
Intimacy Coach
A Flinders University graduate (BA Hons Drama – First class, 1992), performer, teaching artist, audio describer and intimacy direction consultant, Eliza’s arts practice spans community and cultural development, advocacy, and collaboration in arts education and arts in health, ageing and disability.
Sarah-Jayne Howard
Rehearsal Director
Rehearsal Director Sarah-Jayne Howard has made her mark with a dance career spanning over two decades. She graduated from the New Zealand School of Dance and has worked with Australian Dance Theatre, Chunky Move, and Restless Dance Theatre.
Charlie Wilkins
Dancer
Charlie is a professional dancer and performer in Rewards for the Tribe, Guttered, Ecoute Pour Voir, Home, Exposed and Shifting Perspectives. Charlie is also a champion swimmer, representing Australia overseas and winning countless medals.
Darcy Carpenter
Dancer
Originally from Renmark, Darcy has performed nationally and internationally in works including In the Balance, Intimate Space, Guttered, Ecoute Pour Voir, Rewards for the Tribe, Exposed and Shifting Perspectives with Restless Dance Theatre.
Jianna Georgiou
Dancer
An award-winning professional dancer, director, and choreographer, Jianna has been with Restless since 2006, touring nationally and internationally in all major company productions. Jianna is a previous recipient of the prestigious Ruby Young Achiever Award.
Michael Hodyl
Dancer
Joining Restless in 2013, Michael has performed nationally and internationally in works including In the Balance, Intimate Space, Zizanie, Seeing Through Darkness, Guttered, Ecoute Pour Voir, Rewards for the Tribe, Exposed and Shifting Perspectives.
Madalene Macera
Dancer
Adelaide College of the Arts and Flinders University graduate, Madalene freelanced, dancing across Europe before joining Restless. Since then, she has toured regionally and nationally in Seeing Through Darkness, Ecoute Pour Voir, Guttered, Exposed and Shifting Perspectives.
Bonnie Williams
Guest Dancer
Bonnie has over 15 years’ experience in the disability arts sector as a dancer, teacher, and mentor. Proudly disabled, she has been an integral part of Restless Dance as a teacher and now on stage.
Rowan Rossi
Guest Dancer
Adelaide-born dancer Rowan, a graduate of the New Zealand School of Dance and former member of the Australian Dance Theatre, has been a teacher and guest dancer with Restless Dance Theatre for over two years.
About Restless Dance Theatre
Restless Dance Theatre is Australia’s leading creator of dance theatre by dancers with and without disability. Our artistic voice is loud, strong and original. Restless brings artists with diverse minds, bodies and imaginations together to create contemporary dance theatre from everyday lived experiences; manifested into beautiful art, embedding inclusion into our screens, on our stages and in unexpected places. Restless Dance Theatre is a place where diversity is celebrated, and all artists thrive creatively.
Restless Staff
Michelle Ryan
Artistic Director
Roz Hervey
Creative Producer
Julie Moralee
Chief Executive Officer
Theresa Williams
Finance Manager
Larissa McGowan
Associate Artist
Deli Cooper
Public Programs & Administration Coordinator
Lina Limosani
Public Classes Executive
Radhé Osborn
Marketing Manager
Bhodi Hudson
Admin Assistant
Restless Board
Nick Linke
Chair
Caroline Ellison
Deputy Chair
Andrew Mailer
Treasurer
Tuula Roppola
Board Member
Michael Coonan
Board Member
Antionette Tyson
Board Member
Restless Donors
Restless Donor Circle
Sue and Geoff Boettcher
Celia Brissenden and Tom Farnan
Sam Harvey
Alexandra Hurford
Boram Lee
Nicholas Linke
Andrew and Melissa Mailler
Jean Matthews
David and Vicki Minear
Ruth Rentschler
Angelo and Georgie Salerno
Caroline Treloar
Andrew and Julie van Essen
+ Under 40s Donors Circle
Danielle Hoban
Jaimie Halliday
Chelsea Martin
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