ASSEMBLY interview with Gideon Obarzanek

Interview with Gideon Obarzanek about ASSEMBLY, a collaboration between Chunky Move and Victorian Opera to premiere at Melbourne Festival 2011. www.chunkymove.com

World Premiere Season
6-8 October 2011
Melbourne Recital Centre
Bookings: www.melbournefestival.com.au

One of Australia's greatest choreographers, Gideon Obarzanek, presents his final work as head of Chunky Move with Assembly, an ambitious collaboration with Victorian Opera.

Devised by Obarzanek in partnership with conductor Richard Gill, Assembly investigates the enigmatic motion of crowds. Integrating dance with theatrical and operatic performance, this grand piece involves over sixty performers on stage -- with the entire cast choreographed into an awesome mixture of movement and voice. As striking patterns evolve from chaotic rabbles, musical harmony emerges from dissonant voices. Combining the force and agility of Chunky Move's dancers with waves of choral music, ranging in source from ancient to contemporary, Assembly's action shifts between mesmeric visualisations of crystalline order and the unpredictable clamour of the seething mob.

Obarzanek has been acclaimed for his use of technology and stagecraft to create crossdisciplinary works that push at the borders of dance performance. Assembly sees him return to a more stripped-back approach for this powerful exploration of our role as individuals in the human throng. The lovechild of an unprecedented partnership between two premier Victorian companies, Assembly is a historic work on an epic scale.

Director & Choreographer Gideon Obarzanek
Music Director Richard Gill
Lighting Designer Nick Schlieper
Costume Designer Harriet Oxley
Set Designers Gideon Obarzanek & Chris Mercer
Assistant Choreographer Stephanie Lake
Assistant Music Director Daniel Carter

DANCERS
Sara Black / Nathan Dubber / Benjamin Hancock / Alisdair Macindoe / Lily Paskas / Harriet Ritchie / James Shannon / Frankie Snowdon

PRINCIPAL SINGERS
Casselle Bonollo / Olivia Cranwell / Frederica Cunningham / Tobias Glaser / Jeremy Kleeman / Matthew Thomas

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., Melbourne Festival, Sydney Festival and Brisbane Festival.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Chunky Move
• Victorian Opera
• Gideon Obarzanek
• Richard Gill
• Dance
• Contemporary Dance
• Opera
• Melbourne Festival
• Nick Schlieper
• Harriet Oxley
• Stephanie Lake
• Daniel Carter
• Sara Black
• Nathan Dubber
• Benjamin Hancock
• Alisdair Macindoe
• Lily Paskas
• Harriet Ritchie
• James Shannon
• Frankie Snowdon
• Casselle Bonollo
• Olivia Cranwell
• Frederica Cunningham
• Tobias Glaser
• Jeremy Kleeman
• Matthew Thomas