THOUGH this is a national survey, each critic has nominated according to what they were able to see, usually in their own city. Together, their choices provide an interesting overview of the state of the art in Australia.
Lesley Graham
Tasmania
2022 in Tasmania/lutrawita has been a time to celebrate the wonderful diversity of dance companies we have in this State. The major highlight for me has been the bravery of our small companies and dance projects who are punching well above their weight, producing work which challenges preconceptions of capability, capacity and connection to community.
Living, working and advocating for dance on this island is wonderful but it has its down sides. There are some works I cannot review as I am too close*, or they don’t “fit” into a review category, so miss out on national recognition. Our two youth dance companies, Stompin in Launceston and DRILL Performance in nipaluna/Hobart, create strong works, through which the voice of our young people can be clearly heard.
While Stompin has been included in my Dance Australia reviews this year, DRILL Performance misses out on acknowledgement, so here I will (only) describe DRILL’s Dissolving Labels. Members of DRILL’s Senior Company, aged 13 to 25, created the work collaboratively with Artistic Director Isabella Stone along with director Davina Wright, visual artist Billie Rankin and experimental sound artist Richie Cyngler. Performed in vast concrete and glass space
