Core Creative Team
Choreography
Liesel Zink
Sound Artist
Mike Willmett
Dramaturge
Martyn Coutts
Original Creative Producer
Britt Guy
The Stance
Liesel Zink was awarded the 2017 Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance for The Stance.
'This is a magnificent, special artwork. It expresses the drama of a public space in which for over a century many souls have taken a stance in the cause of freedom.' (Matt Foley)
The Stance is a monumental dance and sound performance that investigates the choreography of bodies in protest and questions what it means to put your body on the line for something you believe in. Both highly political and physically demanding, The Stance is an imposing act of endurance that channels the history of public protest and recent acts of global action, activism and intervention
An ensemble of nine dancers perform to a remarkable live score of music transmitted through wireless headsets creating an intimate viewing experience for the audience. This intimate viewing experience is designed to prompt audiences and passers-by to consider the politics of mass movement and the ownership and control of what is considered public property. It questions why: Why do we protest? What makes us go to the street to march? How do we protest? How much are we willing to sacrifice to create change? Are we making an impact or is this becoming an empty action?
Each different version of The Stance is unique to the city that it is developed and presented in; showcasing local dancers and interweaving the politics and history of the presentation site into the movement and sound.
Presentation History
National:
- Slipstream Festival of Time Based Art (Brisbane) 2015
- Australian Performing Arts Market (Brisbane) 2016
- Liveworks Festival, Performance Space (Sydney) 2016
- Salamanca Moves (Hobart) with Mature Artists Dance Experience 2016
- Junction Arts Festival (Launceston) with Mature Artist Dance Experience 2016
- City of Perth Co:Youth City Activation Dance Project (Perth) with Co3 Youth Dance Company 2018
- Ten Days on the Island (Hobart) with DRILL Youth dance company 2019
International:
- Ansan Street Arts Festival (South Korea) 2017
- Sziget Festival (Hungary) 2017
The Stance was developed for City Contemporary Dance Festival in November 2019 in partnership with Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Due to the complexities of the pro-democracy protests the final presentation did no go ahead.
Acknowledgements
The Stance was first created with the support of Metro Arts, and originally produced by Britt Guy. It has also been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. The Stance in Tasmania was seeded by Dance Satellite, curated and produced by Britt Guy. The Sydney premiere of The Stance was presented at Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art by Performance Space, Sydney 2016.