Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

Dance

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain is an experimental reworking of the classic modern fable The Wizard of Oz as a solo dance work, reconstructed through the lens of the American ‘Hearts and Minds’ campaign, a US military strategy developed during the Vietnam War and recently redeployed in the war on Iraq.

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain considers the common themes across these two very different cultural phenomena: the search for security, courage, mindfulness and love; responses to unforeseen changes; and the actions and consequences of decisions made out of fear, inspiration, severance and isolation.

Through a complex system of live video feeds, virtual and actual sets, cutting edge choreography and an evocative soundscape, Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain is a moving and provocative meditation on the cultural conditions which we live and endorse, probing who is responsible for producing and perpetuating them.

SPECIAL TICKET OFFER

This project is part of Things that Dance, a special collection of five 2008 NWF dance shows that have with a special package ticket price of $45 (normal price $83). For all the details click here.

Artist/s:

Alisdair Macindoe, Cobie Orger, Simon Charles, Rod Cooper, Kynan Hughes, Adam Synnot, Hamish Macindoe, Elizabeth Gladwin

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About the artist/s:

Alisdair Macindoe studied dance at The South Yarra Ballet School, The Victorian Ballet School, The Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and the Victorian College of the Arts.

Some of Alisdair’s recent dance credits include Seven with Leigh Warren and Dancers, Sarah’s Party with Bare Bones collective, Structure and Sadness with Lucy Guerin Inc, Human_Edit and Tenure of this with Underpass and Winter Friday 13th by Tracey Mitchell at the VCA. He also choreographed To Explode Beautifully for the Australian Institute of Classical Dance, Dance Creation 2004 and co-choreographed No Words by Deferred Dance 2005.

Alisdair has composed and produced music for dance works by; Leigh Warren (AC Arts), Tracey Mitchell (VCA), Lina Limosani (VCA), Cobie Orger, Underpass (Arts House Meat Market), Differed Dance (North Melbourne Town Hall), Alexandra Macdonald (Rosland Crisp Studios, France), Alison Currie (Downtown Art Space and EAF, SA), Adam Wheeler (St Stephens Youth Dance Theatre), Martin Hansen (Area Gallery Melbourne), Gala Moody (Next Wave Festival 2008), Sarah Cartwright (Australian Dance Theatre, Ignition tour), Bare Bones Collective (The Space, Adelaide).

Rod Cooper is an instrument builder, performer and sound artist. Rod’s interest in instrument building started while completing my sculpture degree in 1988. During 1989-1998 Rod ran a metal work business, creating furniture, architectural fittings and sculpture. Since then Rod has been building instruments and performing in a range of Music venues and festivals, both Nationally and internationally.

Kynan Hughes is this project’s writer. Kynan graduated from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts with an Advanced Diploma of Performing Arts in Dance in 2000. In 2001 he was the recipient of an Australia Council for the Arts’ Emerging Artist Fellowship with LWD. Kynan joined Dance North for 2002 and 2003. Kynan rejoined Leigh Warren and Dancers in 2004 and is still a company member.

Simon Charles is the sound artist for this project. Simon is a Melbourne based saxophonist and composer. He completed his Bachelor of Music degree in 2005, studying composition under Brenton Broadstock and Stuart Greenbaum. He has also studied with Johanna Selleck, Ros Bandt, Barry Conyham and Jerome Kitzke. other achievement include; participating in the Asian Composer’s League festival for contemporary music and premiering ‘Spaces’, for nine instrumentalists in 2005. Simon was also invited as artist in residence to Bundanon, a property owned by Arthur Boyd in 2006. He was also the recipient of the Zavod Jazz/Classical Fusion Award in 2003.

Cobie Orger (media artist) is a Melbourne based performer, choreographer and media artist, committed to dance on screen and investigating its relationship to installation, live performance and film making. Her interest in this field was accelerated after receiving a foot in the door grant from the Australia council to work with Australian Dance film maker/choreographer, Tracie Mitchell. Her mentorship, along with Jude Walton, offered her the creative support to execute the creation of the critically acclaimed intermedia work, human_edit. Her two most recent dance films, a quiet reflection and type 1, have been selected to screen at various national dance film festivals including Danceflicks and Cinemoves.

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