By Kristy Johnson.

Elise May of Queensland’s Expressions Dance Company earned herself the title of ‘Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer’ at this year’s Australian Dance Awards. Performing Artistic Director, Natalie Weir’s choreography for R&J (Romeo and Juliet), her rendition was described as “memorable”, “brave” and “emotional”.

Recounting the experience to Dance Informa, Elise is clearly still overwhelmed by all of the praise and compliments she has received.

Congratulations on winning the title of ‘Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer’ at this year’s Australian Dance Awards. How do you feel about it all?

To be honest, I was surprised and overwhelmed. It took a long while for the news to sink in! I really enjoyed the Australian Dance Awards ceremony and was completely in awe of the achievements of all the nominees throughout the evening. When my name was announced, I experienced a mixture of feelings. Expressions Dance Company had already done extremely well with Natalie Weir receiving her award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Choreography’. Naturally I was very proud that R&J had received this level of recognition. R&J was a physically and emotionally challenging work in which we had all invested so much, and to be acknowledged on an individual level is such an honour. I felt, and still feel, very overwhelmed. The ceremony was such a celebration of dance and I was surrounded by so many talented people. I quickly realised I’m very lucky to be part of a strong and vibrant dance community here in Australia. I feel blessed to have a career here, and to have found my own little niche understanding of dance and choreography amongst such strength and diversity.

Elise May in Natalie Weir’s R&J. Photo by Chris Herzfeld.

What do you think Natalie Weir’s strengths are as a choreographer?

Natalie’s choreography is both challenging and rewarding to dance. I always observe her extraordinary ability to draw out the individual strengths of each dancer with whom she works. Her conceptual work, organisation and pre-planning is a meticulous and thorough process that allows her to enter the studio knowing what she wants to achieve. Having said that, she works with such an intuitive and innate understanding of movement and visual communication, that the process is also very organic and fluid. As a dancer involved in her process, it feels as though the process is an intimate conversation between dancer and choreographer that together creates the movement vocabulary for the work. Natalie has an amazing imagination and a real desire to tell stories and convey deep meaning to her audiences, and I think that can really be seen in her works. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with her.

What did you find challenging about R&J?

R&J is based on the overarching themes of Romeo and Juliet, featuring three versions of the Romeo and Juliet story set in three distinctly separate time periods. My 1950’s exploration of Juliet delved into emotional extremes: domestic bliss, extreme love and happiness, but also shock, the loss of a loved one and absolute despair. It became important in the early stages of the creative process to find gestures and specific ways of moving that encapsulated the essence of the Juliet character and the extremes of her emotional range. We were experimental in our approach to the movement, and spoke a lot about the ideas, but once we found a shape for the movement, Natalie then gave me space to let the characterisation evolve. Taking on a character of this nature for me was about commitment and trust. I trust Natalie’s direction implicitly, and I knew that if I was well prepared and was able to remain present and connected to the thoughts and emotions of the character, that I would be best equipped to make that ultimate commitment to the character in performance.

Elise May in Natalie Weir’s R&J. Photo by Chris Herzfeld

Where do you hope your career will lead?

My practice as a dance artist has always been choreographically inclined. Before I joined Expressions Dance Company I was working independently as a performer, choreographer and freelance teacher. I feel like the experience of joining a company has added a breadth of experience to my career. I have also been given choreographic opportunities with the company, which have extended and challenged me. It is also wonderful to get to know the choreographer and dancer relationship from both perspectives. I am particularly interested in film, moving image, installation and site-specific work. This year I began a part-time Practice-led Research Masters degree at Queensland University of Technology, where I have been collaborating with an animator and looking at the intersections between dance movement, animation and the moving image. It is really interesting working closely with someone from another discipline and letting this new information inform my practice. I hope to explore these areas more in the future, but I am also immensely enjoying my time as a performer with EDC.

Top photo by Fiona Cullen.

QPAC, playhouse.
September 27
As part of Brisbane Festival

By Marc Clayton.

Brisbane Festival provided the platform for Dance Energy, a collision of classical and contemporary dance exploring the human struggle for survival and a sense of identity. For the first time Dancenorth, Expression Dance Company and Queensland Ballet joined forces for Dance Energy, creating a thought provoking dance journey for Brisbane audiences.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director Noel Staunton was the main driving force behind Dance Energy.  “We have such amazing talent in our own back yard, it is a real treat to bring them together to showcase their incredible skills”, said Staunton. And a treat it was!

The talented Brisbane based choreographers that produced this inspiring showcase were Dancenorth’s Raewyn Hill, Expressions Dance Company’s Natalie Weir and Queensland Ballet’s Gareth Bellingall. The show then concluded with a work from London based, New Zealand choreographer Cameron McMillan.  All of the music used was created by composer, Peter Sculthorpe.

The four acts that made up Dance Energy were very diverse but they were bought together beautifully by the combined efforts of Sound Designer Brett Collery, Designer Bruce McKinven and Lighting Designer David Walters.  Without their efforts Dance Energy would have not had the same appeal and been the overall master piece that I witnessed.

The acts that resonated most with me were Act One, Allegories, and Act Three, The Lament.

Allegories was very effective.  The sheer simplicity of using white business shirts and suitcases to transform the space was brilliant and had the audience wanting more.  A combination of dancers from Dancenorth and Queensland Ballet performed this breath-taking piece, with standout performances from Tere Crilly, Rian Thompson, Robert McMillan,Thomas Gundry Greenfield, Jeremy Poi, Jessie Oshodi and Anita Hunziker. This piece was a brilliant success for Hill as she conveyed a powerful message to the audience.

Natalie Weir’s, The Lament told a raw and heart felt story of love and loss through war and conflict. The power carried throughout the piece drew audiences in from the first step.  The combination of Expressions Dance Company and Queensland Ballet dancers made for a diverse, yet punchy performance. Riannon McLean, Elise May, Rachael Walsh, David Williams, Jack Ziesing and Piran Scott were stunning. It was also great to see Weir present a dynamic male trio onstage.  The raw strength and energy revealed in this piece was outstanding.

I hope that this is the first of many shows we see in Brisbane with combined works from Dancenorth, Expressions Dance Company and Queensland Ballet – industry’s driving forces in dance.

Photo: Dance Energy, photo by Christian Aas

Launch Pad
Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Art
February 2012

By Belinda Adams.

It is intriguing that so many people rush to see the latest international or interstate shows when they arrive in Brisbane, but little do the theatre going public know of the talent that exists in our very own backyard.

In a small performance studio in the Judith Wright Centre, Expressions Dance Company performed Launch Pad 2012. Featuring the work of local choreographers and dancers in an intimate setting, Launch Pad was nothing short of exquisite. They were able to create an environment that rivaled any large scale production with some simple prop changes and clever use of lighting.

The dance itself was raw, complex and brilliantly executed. Each of the choreographers had a chance to speak with the audience and tell the story of where their choreography began and how the idea evolved. This created a very personal experience for the audience and gave us an insight into the choreographers’ processes.

Gareth Belling, a Queensland Ballet dancer and choreographer created two works for Launch Pad. The first was From Darkness, a duet performed by Riannon McLean and David Williams that blurred the distinction between victim and offender. Watching this piece the dancers had you experience what they were feeling as they drew you into their story with raw movement and ultimate belief in their characters. The second Say Something, a piece performed by QUT dance students, explored the dynamic of broad based acceptance at the expense of personal opinion. This piece was energetic and fast paced with very contrasting choreographic choices. Overall, Gareth succeeded in creating wonderfully eloquent work for such a young choreographer. He certainly has a bright future ahead.

Bloodlust, by Claire Marshall was inspired by the movie Single White Female to start and further explored toxic friendships. Samantha Mitchell and Michelle Barnett performed this piece with total commitment and conviction. Both are very talented dancers who bought this rigid, intense piece to life.

The final performance was Crush by Lisa Wilson, performed by Elise May and Jack Ziesing. This was a debut showing for Wilson with EDC and she certainly delivered an amazing creation. Crush, portrayed the dancers struggle with panic and its contrasting manifestations of restraint and immobility. With the skillful use of varied LED light sources, Elise and Jack presented this piece with maturity and one hundred percent commitment to their personas. Elise is a striking dancer with a clear talent and skill for this demanding art form. This was an edge of your seat piece that had you breathless from start to finish. I can’t wait to see Lisa Wilson’s current work in progress entitled Lake. She is a transpiring choreographer who has a gift for creating quality work with a unique essence.

Launch Pad 2012, represents the true core of dance and perfectly showcases the talent that exists in Brisbane. This performance embodies what dance truly is – raw, powerful and honest.

Photo: EDC’s Jack Ziesing and Riannon McLean. Photo by Fiona Cullen.
Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.