| Chunky Move | |
| "Obarzanek's choreography,
with its brutal sometimes violent physicality, its in-yer-face references
to popular culture, its cartoony characters and dark, satirical humour,
all given full rein by virtuosic dancers, has arrived on the scene not so
much a breath of fresh air as a gale force wind ripping through contemporary
Australian dance," The Australian
Since its establishment in 1995 by Artistic Director Gideon Obarzanek, Chunky Move has positioned itself as Australia's boldest dance company, challenging pre-conceptions about contemporary dance and presenting provocative works which engage with contemporary culture. Chunky Move reinvents the definition of dance, making it accessible to a new and wider audience. Working across all forms of media with a range of artists in dance, music, design, fashion and film, the Company's work is audacious and rich in humour. Chunky Move made its debut at the 1995 Melbourne International Festival with a double bill, Fast Idol (by Obarzanek) and Spectre in the Covert Memory (by Garry Stewart). In 1997 Chunky Move premiered Obarzanek's seminal work Bonehead at the Sydney Festival followed by a critically successful Australian tour. Since then Chunky Move has toured extensively throughout Australia and at numerous international festivals including: Bogota Festival (Columbia, 1998); Hiver en Danse Festival (France, 1999); Internationales Tanz Festival NRW (Germany, 1998 & 2000); Heads Up [Australian Arts 100] Festival (London, 2000); Singapore Arts Festival (2000); the Hong Kong Arts Festival (2001); and the Brooklyn Academy of Music's prestigious Next Wave Festival, New York (2001). The Company's repertoire of works to date is eclectic in both form and content. Complementing the live dance productions of Bonehead, fleshmeet, Bodyparts, Hydra, Crumpled and Live Acts, is Chunky Move's new-media work. In 1998, Chunky Move co-produced the dance film, Wet, with ABC TV, and in 1999, the Company produced Making Chunky Move, Australia's first dance CD-ROM. The program for 2002 features the development and premiere of two new works: a live performance and a gallery installation. Interstate tour plans include performing at the Brisbane Festival in October, while international touring plans comprise appearing at Tokyo's New National Theatre in February as part of a season celebrating the work of choreographer Kim Itoh, and a number of European engagements in late 2002. Chunky Move is a not-for-profit company supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria - Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
|