Go Underground with Guts
Ever true to their name, GUTS Dance is not afraid of tackling the big questions. This month’s premiere of an astonishing new work, from the home of contemporary dance in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, is no different.
By Betty Sweetlove
For the past two years, GUTS has danced alongside a constellation of concepts about climate change and the future. This month, the performers burst out of their Alice Springs studio to premiere their new work, SUB, at Araluen Arts Centre.
Choreographer and dancer Ashleigh Musk reflects on the empowering, intense and emotional process of making this heart-filled work.
“It started in a really different place, I was thinking about how we could prepare ourselves for what’s coming and how rapidly our world is shifting,” she says.
Despite the urgent reality of their theme, Musk, and collaborating performers Frankie Snowdon, Madeleine Krenek and Jenni Large, began to find solace in exploring geology and the natural world.
“The work shifted so much and became an obsession with the underground space, lava and volcanic energy – the way landscapes change through destruction and regeneration,” says Musk.
The company tenderly explored the idea of hope in the face of despair, and the power of the human body.
“The body is a really interesting site for holding contradictions. We’ve talked a lot about our need to be soft, but also our strength, our defiance in our existence,” says Musk.
Ground-breaking spatial design and sound complement the choreography, transporting audiences to an ever-shifting subterranean world. Live microphones and audio elements are mixed in real time by Anna Whitaker, creating a constant conversation between soundscape and performance.
Compelling, charged and mesmerising, SUB is designed to shake the rafters and leave audiences feeling engaged and empowered.
“There’s a lot of deep feelings, but ultimately we would like audiences to feel a sense of hope and drive to change something in themselves, in their lives."
Book your ticket and let this multi-sensory dance experience gut you and put you back together again.
SUB
WHEN THU 3 & FRI 4 AUG, 7.30PM | SAT 5 AUG, 5PM & 7.30PM
AT ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE
COST $36 | $32 MEMB | $28 CONC
INFO araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au
