Brisbane’s contemporary dance company have unveiled not only a new season, but a new name and new company artists as well.
After 35 years as Expressions Dance Company, the Brisbane-based ensemble will now be known as Australian Dance Collective, Artistic Director Amy Hollingsworth announced at the launch of the 2020 season, with a focus on collaboration, artistic excellence, and a commitment to being ‘collectively extraordinary’.
“Working collectively gives us like-minded individuals and visionaries to debate with, ensuring our ideas are robust and that our collaborations crackle with artistic energy. I dream of creating an environment that generates exhilarating dance to capture the imaginations of many,” Hollingsworth said.
“2020 sees us embody this vision of collective excellence – through showcasing a diverse range of Australian artists, exposure to international industry leaders and innovative collaborations. We want to help our audiences feel differently about dance, shifting perceptions of what contemporary dance is and does.”
Hollingsworth also welcomed artists Jack Lister, Marlo Benjamin, and Lonii Garnons-Williams to the collective alongside continuing company dancers Josephine Weise, Jake McLarnon and Bernhard Knauer, and announced her ambitious debut program, which includes bringing the work of Hofesh Shechter to Brisbane for the very first time. See below for more details!
For the first time, the company is also offering subscription packages – two- and three-show packages are available now via the Australian Dance Collective website.
Australian Dance Collective – Season 2020
Three
1-4 April
Playhouse Theatre, QPAC
A triple bill featuring choreographic work from Hofesh Shechter, Melanie Lane, and Jack Lister.
Presented in association with Hofesh Shechter Company, Australian Dance Collective will take to the stage for the Australian premiere of Cult – the short work for six dancers that propelled Shechter into his globally renowned career. Instinctive and raw, it is a powerful illustration of his unique and acclaimed choreography.
Three will also feature world premieres from Melanie Lane (with long-term musical collaborator Clark) and Jack Lister. Lane is one of the strongest female choreographic voices in Australia and her works seamlessly fuse elegance with edgy physicality. Jack Lister is Brisbane-born and a rising star of the choreographic world, and will also joining the collective as a company dancer, from Queensland Ballet.
Succession
21-23 May
Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
Succession will feature two works by the Australian Dance Collective Youth Ensemble – one created especially for them and the other – a once in a lifetime experience – to be performed alongside the main ensemble, with the 36 dancers taking to the stage together.
Chinese Australian Dance Exchange Project Season
5-8 August
Playhouse Theatre, QPAC
Following the success of the critically-acclaimed season of Matrix in 2019, Australian Dance Collective will collaborate with Shenzhen’s Round House Dance Company as part of their ongoing Chinese Australian Dance Exchange Project (CADEP).
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