InFlight is a celebration of Australian aviation - man, woman and bird take to the skies, celebrating the legacy of Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm. Liz Lea Dance presents an original dance work with archival film and sound from the National Film and Sound Archive and National the Library of Australia.

The work is split into two interlinked section; Aviatrix where four fabulous women are inspired to fly, build a life size plane onstage and face the perils of flights, all set to the voices of Ulm and Kingsford Smith with an emotive score driving the action. The second half, Aviary, opens with a world of birds inhabiting the space, feathers and beauty abound as these beautiful creatures flutter and fight to create their nests and define their space. Created with an installation by Naomi Ota and lighting design by Karen Norris.

nFlight premiered on the 31st May 2013 marking the 85th anniversary that Kingsford Smith and Ulm took off from California on the beginning of the their record breaking Trans Pacific flight. InFlight has the blessing of both the Ulm and the Kingsford Smith families and has been specifically created for small stages/spaces/school halls/lecture theatres.

Venue Format
Theatre, Hall, Black Box Venue
Technical Rating
The production can be modified to suit most venues
Touring Party
5
Considerations

We have a simple set up, with simple lighting. We do need a projector and either a wall or sheet - if cyc not available - to project onto.

Liz Lea is a performer, choreographer and producer based in NSW and Canberra after 20 years in Europe, touring internationally. Her speciality is working with classical Indian dance and martial arts. She has worked with Ranjabati Sircar, Mavin Khoo, the Royal Opera House and English Bach Festival and been commissioned in India, UK, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and USA.

Under her company, Liz Lea Dance, she has created and toured a dozen shows including '120 Birds', 'Magnificus Magnificus' inspired by the red tailed black cockatoo for Indigenous dancer Tammi Gissell and 'Kapture', inspired by the South African freedom fighter, Ahmed Kathrada.

Named as the 2017 ACT City News Artist of the Year Liz was also awarded a 2017 Australian Dance Award for her direction of Great Sport! for Canberra Dance Theatre.

Liz creates children's shows inspired by science and in 2017 she toured Reef UP! to 40 venues nationally. She also runs two Festivals - BOLD, celebrating the legacy of dance and DANscienCE where dance and science meet. DANscienCE; Moving Well ran on the 2nd June 2018, presented by FORM Dance Projects and Riverside Theatres.

Most recently she premiered her new one woman show, RED, to critical acclaim and is touring through 2020.

Company Website
leadance.com

Unique Selling Point

Seeing a life size small plane being built from the existing set, crash and the birds then create nests from the debris is exciting, challenging and engaging for young people. For older audiences they are able to watch original film footage set to radio interviews of the time, with over 100 additional archival photographs. This work can really connect with regional audiences we feel as aviation links all the areas that lie beyond the major city areas.

Community Engagement

We can hold dance workshops that range from yoga, contemporary, burlesque and social dancing. Participants can learn actual choreography from the performance or something simpler. I also direct Canberra Dance Theatre's GOLD company for over 55's so I would be very keen to run dance workshops with older people - either experienced in dance or not.

We can also run costume design and making workshops.

I can run lectures on the historical research undertaken for the work (years of it) as well.

It would be wonderful to access the local Flying Doctor Service or bring in the local airport/flying club. I worked closely with the Canberra Area Club to give a fly past at the premiere - their flight can was Dance Form.

We also have an education show available to take out to schools in advance of the performances. ;Flying Facts; Fun, Fabulous and Flying! experiments, songs and dance to explore how birds and planes fly. The show comes with a full series of fact sheets on 8 early aviators, paper plane patterns and a question sheet;https://vimeo.com/29172732