DirtyFeet presents

Under the Weather

A lively and diverse evening of contemporary dance, delving into the dynamic minds of choreographers Kay Armstrong, Eva Fernandez Adan and
Sarah-Vyne Vassallo

In response to the need for rehearsal venues and regular opportunities to create and perform, this unique collective of professional Sydney-based dancers Anthea Doropoulos, Eva Fernandez Adan and Sarah Fiddaman, came together in 2005 to form DirtyFeet.

Offering proactive solutions to the lack of resources and facilities in the contemporary dance world, DirtyFeet provides independent dancers and dance makers space to rehearse and try new ideas in a supportive environment. Working with both emerging and mid-career choreographers, the company provides rehearsal space, professional pool of dancers, and opportunities for public showings of new works. With this unique blend of resources and a diverse annual program, DirtyFeet enables the realisation of new Australian dance works and the continued growth of the dance community.
 

DirtyFeet represents a new form of Dance Company
 Designed by dancers, about dancers, for dancers.
Sydney’s independent dance scene is getting its feet dirty!

Following on their success of Short, Sweet and Dance Festival 2007, where they danced away with two awards, Best New Talent for Choreography (Eva Fernandez Adan) and Most Outstanding Female Dancer (Sarah Fiddaman), Dirty Feet presents Under The Weather.

DirtyFeet’s production for 2008, Under The Weather, will feature new short works by Kay Armstrong, Eva Fernandez Adan and Sarah-Vyne Vassallo.

Artistic Director of Pulse 8, and 2004 Helpmann winner, Kay Armstrong, returns to DirtyFeet with Full cup, Steady hand, a piece which explores the need for change. Kay Armstrong is a prolific and committed member of the NSW independent dance sector. She has created numerous solo and group works to much acclaim. She was voted one of Australia’s most interesting artists by the 2007 Dance Australia Critic’s Survey, and won Judges Choice for “Outstanding Choreography” at the 2007 Short, Sweet and Dance Festival. Touring both interstate and overseas, her work has a signature blend of dark humour, theatrical verve and quirky virtuosity. Plunging the audience into a world of 5 women where chaos reigns, Full cup, Steady hand is a subtle treaty on the state of our planet. It seeks to question rather than preach, and endeavors to find moments of beauty, grace and humour in a whirlpool of excess and neuroses.

Founding DirtyFeet member, Eva Fernandez Adan, will re-invent Pieces of Mind (featured at “Short Sweet and Dance”), a physical exploration of memories. Pieces of Mind is a physical meditation about childhood, about footprints, about old photos, about pieces of paper and books… about who we are, about how we got here.

Eva explains the origin of her inspiration, “Pieces of Mind came to me during my last trip visiting my family in Spain. Going through old papers, writings, books, photos, I tried to make sense of a life I left behind, so I could make sense of the life I’m living now. One of the biggest inspirations came from a moment rather than an object. I remember being next to my grandmother as she lay on her deathbed, trying to hold on to 92 years of memories, I realized then that you have to eventually let go to be able to move forwards..”

A powerful work that features Eva’s passion for high energy, dynamic dance and acrobatic partnering, Pieces of Mind, creates a physical language for a personal journey that will resonant and remain with every audience member.

Emerging artist Sarah-Vyne Vassallo burst onto the Sydney independent scene in 2007. Sarah-Vyne has a plethora of experience in the world of theatre, television, commercial dance, and community arts and she takes this vast knowledge into her latest explorations in contemporary dance. In 2007 she created work for pulse8 and Short, Sweet and Dance Festival. This year she has been in residence with pulse8 under the mentorship of Kay Armstrong.  Did I do It? is her debut work for DirtyFeet. Taking the audience on a journey into 6 severed parts of one person she delves into the complexities of the mind, whilst delivering her signature high energy dance. Discovering the many riddles that lay along the way, Did I do It?, represents the arrival of a unique new voice for the Sydney dance landscape.


Under the Weather
August 21st, 22nd & 23rd @ 8pm and 23rd at 2pm
Cleveland St Theatre
199 Cleveland St (ACTT Theatre)
Tickets $20 adult/ $15 concession/ $10 “DirtyFeeters”
To reserve email rsvp@dirtyfeet.com.au
(Tickets also available at the door)


DirtyFeet is proudly supported by the City of Sydney

Photography: Helena Genaus