Ahead of the premiere of for now on 24 and 25 June 2022, Iris Huizinga chats to AUSTI. Dance and Physical Theatre's artistic director, Michelle Maxwell.
In a small dance studio in Thirroul, eight young dancers are rehearsing for their upcoming show under the watchful eye of artistic director Michelle Maxwell. Michelle is the force behind AUSTI. Dance & Physical Theatre.
“Up, up!”, she instructs, and their legs ignite.
Michelle recognised a gap in the process for young artists who wanted to become professional and transition from full-time training into a dancing career. In 2011 she established the not-for-profit organisation that has become the Illawarra’s premier developmental dance company.
“A lot of dancers come out of their studies and they just don't know where to go next. AUSTI bridges the void between full-time training and tertiary education into that professional career," Michelle says. "We are like a stepping stone into that next phase."
The program is aimed at elite contemporary dancers aged 17 to 25, but dancers as young as 15 or 16 have been accepted in the past. Auditions this year close on 29 August. The second round will be in October.
Michelle: “We take a very holistic view towards our dancers, it's not just about the aesthetics and the dance. It's about the whole person. I'm constantly talking about what contemporary dance is and why we do it. If you don't have a why then forget it."
"I give them a voice. Dancers don't typically have a voice. I like my dancers to have an opinion and to share that …
"I say to them: 'If you are not moved when you are dancing, the audience is not going to be moved. And they're going to switch off.'
"So you have to feel, you have to find something inside of you that gives you goose bumps or makes you want to cry or, anything. You have to feel it every performance and when you're on tour and you're doing the same show over and over, you have to keep it fresh and find ways to keep it fresh. That's all part of what we do, training them into that professional mindset."
"We really encourage our dancers to think for themselves and to not be afraid to think for themselves. Because that's when the magic happens.”
On Friday, 24 June and Saturday, 25 June, audiences can revel in that magic at the Illawarra Performance Arts Centre (IPAC), in a show titled for now, featuring three works by Australian choreographers.
Find out more about the local company fostering the next generation of elite contemporary dancers at www.austitheatre.com.au or click here to book tickets.