HUNTER dancers are celebrating the power of collaboration, by joining forces with peers from Birmingham to choreograph works they will perform together in Melbourne.
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Newcastle-based Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub artistic director Cadi McCarthy said the company's youth initiative, The Flipside Project, is hosting Birmingham's Rutherford Dance Company (RDC) Youth at its Hunter Street studios this week.
"This shows it doesn't matter where you've come from, we're all human," Ms McCarthy said.
"We're collaborating across borders and it's not just about dance, it's about global communication.
"The students are learning from one another, not just about movement, but about how they see the world, how they communicate, what's important to them. They're forming an international network."
Ms McCarthy said the groups had each choreographed a piece they would perform at the Australian Youth International Dance Festival in Melbourne from July 7.
The Flipside Project's Fragile Terrain was influenced by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg while RDC Youth's IMMI was inspired by immigration and Brexit.
The companies will collaborate to create pieces responding to works on exhibition at Newcastle Art Gallery.
"This is getting them to have a voice and put their ideas about the world and what will affect them in the future out there," Ms McCarthy said.
"It's about having an intellectual approach to dance."
RDC Youth artistic director Adam Rutherford said the companies shared a similar vision, to "create works with political resonance that empower the next generation".
"But it's more about the journey than the end result. I'm looking forward to seeing them debate ideas and challenge each other."
Ms McCarthy said they hoped to prepare participants for auditions for professional companies.
"Choreographers now don't go 'Here are the steps', it's not the way it works," she said.
"Now a choreographer or director want to see what people create based on a theme, how they emulate an idea."
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Catapult was a "really important component of being an emerging global city".
"Activities like this put Newcastle on the creative map."
Helen Gregory
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
