The wonders of science presented through bite-sized contemporary dance and slam poetry.

Created by award-winning choreographer Liesel Zink in collaboration with renowned Brisbane writer Josh Donellan, Awesome: a state of wonder and fear is a collection of short contemporary dance and poetry duets designed for presentation in the round. Low in infrastructure and suitable to a range of performance sites, each duet (approximately 10 - 15mins long) is an exploration of some of the biggest ideas in the universe and how we might try to cope with them.

Using movement, images, scientific and philosophical ponderings, the creative team explore ways that we can make ideas that may seem too abstract, complex or unfathomable into something real we can comprehend in the present.

Through the lens of science Awesome: a state of wonder and fear displays a stunning and humbling portrayal of humans negotiating the world and each other.

This project seeks to attract new and diverse audiences to engage with both contemporary dance and science. The performances are adaptable to a range of sites (particularly public spaces) and can be made to fit within existing programming and conversations within a festival context.

There are accompanying materials and community engaged activities associated with this project.

Venue Format
Theatre, Hall, Black Box Venue, Outdoor
Technical Rating
The production can be modified to suit most venues
Touring Party
3-4
Considerations

The work is designed with tour-ability in mind. We only require speakers to deliver sound to the audiences. Chairs are optional, otherwise we can encourage audience to both sit and stand in a circle while watching. More specific technical specifications will be made available in by October 2019.

The modular format allows for varying formats of presentation for example:

  • presenting only one vignette
  • presenting all of the vignettes as one collective performance
  • presenting individual vignettes on consecutive days ( for example for daily activation and gradual building og audience engagement in a festival)
  • presenting vignettes in different spaces and sites in a town or city.

Liesel Zink is an award-winning choreographer interested in the body in shifting landscapes. Seeking to engage new and diverse audiences in meaningful arts experiences she creates large-scale dance and sound work in public space and uses her process as an opportunity for artistic, cultural and inter-generational exchange.

Liesel received the 2017 Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance for her public space work project ‘The Stance’ which has toured extensively around Australia as well as internationally at Sziget Festival (Hungary) 2017, Ansan Street Arts Festival (South Korea) 2017 and City Contemporary Dance Festival (Hong Kong) 2019.

2019 has seen Liesel choreograph a new site-specific work in Ukraine at their largest gallery Mystetski Arsenal and she will undertake a La Boite /MDH residency for development of a new project Shorts.

In 2018 Liesel premiered new dance and science collaboration Inter at Flowstate, and joined Force Majeure as a lead artist in development of their site-specific work FLOCK. She’s also been commissioned to create works for dance companies including Tasdance, EDC and LINK Dance Company.

Liesel is currently working with Performing Lines to produce Amrita Hepi’s national/international tour of A Call To Dance. She is also producing a Hong Kong / Queensland Independent Dance Exchange.

Company Website
lieselzink.com

Unique Selling Point

'Awesome: a state of wonder and fear' is designed with tour-ability in mind. It's light in infrastructure and configured for various sites. It's modular format allows it to be adaptable in scope to accommodate for venues with varying capacities and audience demand. This flexibility also enables the work to be responsive to the best presentation format for varying locations.

For audiences, it's accessible with varying ‘ways into’ the work including real-world ideas, engaging movement and often poignant explorations on scientific concepts through slam poetry.

Marketing Materials

Please note, current photographic and video footage is of INTER (a previous work similar in feel and mood).

'Awesome: a state of wonder and fear' is currently being developed through a La Boite / MDH residency with it's first public presentation at La Boite 11th and 12th of October.

During this time we will:

  • Refine marketing copy.
  • Take updated photographs for marketing images
  • Upload both full-length videos to vimeo and 3 minute promotional previews to share with interested venues/presenters.
  • Create a small book with J. M. Donellan’s poetry.
  • Provide descriptions of dance/science workshops that can be taught alongside the performance.

Community Engagement

'Awesome: a state of wonder and fear' extends upon Liesel's interest in finding innovate ways to meaningfully engage audiences in the places in which I present work.

Alongside our performances we have available:

  • Awesome: a state of wonder and fear podcasts, available online
  • Education resources kit including and associated questions and activities.
  • Workshops in: 
    - science and movement
- maths and movement 
- slam poetry
These workshops seek to promote fun and creative kinaesthetic learning experiences for maths and    science.