With sweatbands at the ready, Julieanne and Dougal are hitting the courts in pursuit of the ultimate game. Set in a squash court, For Real's thrilling play on movement improvisation appeals to the spontaneity and tactics of the competitor in all of us.

Jostling for the best vantage points, spectators take their places in the grandstand for high-kicking, head-standing antics… with or without protective eyewear.

Featuring local squash players and a non-traditional venue, Let, Please? welcomes a diverse audience, new to dance or new to squash, to take sides, score points and back a winner.

Technical Rating
D
Touring Party
2 performers, 1 technician.
Considerations

The show is highly adaptable to the variable layouts of community or privately run squash centres.

Julieanne Bergmann and Dougal McLauchlan’s movement practice started without any expectation of an outcome. It was simply a no-strings-attached space to explore and be amused by their own humanness.

Dougal’s physicality is influenced by football, Cross Fit and gymnastics training. He is quite blokey which contrasts vividly against Julieanne’s professional dance, movement improvisation and yoga practice.

The partnership and practice quickly grew into something very fun that people wanted in on. And so the concept for their first improvised work together, For Real, was put into production and presented in Mackay to unexpected success and attendance. Their second work, Let, Please?, set in a squash court and opening for Anywhere Festival Mackay Isaac in March 2015, is a low-fi, fast-paced performance where winning isn't everything... unless you lose.

Dougal’s background in circus and as a community arts facilitator combined with Julieanne’s experience in dance across theatre, film and education brings a broad range of skills, quality and character to their artistic/production style. But most importantly, they’re almost always smiling and keeping it real.

Company Website
facebook.com/forrealmoves

Unique Selling Point

The intrigue of a dance show in a squash court is an exciting and tempting draw card for traditional arts and entertainment audiences as well as a squash, sporting and fitness crowd. The odd pairing of the performers also brings a thrilling edge of risk and adventure and speaks directly to the diverse audiences… Dougal - a trained gymnast, circus performer, athlete and theatre facilitator; and Julieanne - an experienced professional dancer. Their low-fi, fast-paced approach gets to the point quickly, keeping audiences on their toes with a smile on their face.

Marketing Materials

The Let, Please? venue and performance mode offers media excellent visuals and a unique hook for a quirky story. Professionally designed print and online materials with a vintage sporting aesthetic are intriguing, appealing and designed to be on-trend. Media kit provided; and educator engagement materials for student improvisation workshops is also available.

Community Engagement

As part of a festival program, council led community program or as a stand-alone production, the work and artists of For Real animate community spaces in a fun, remarkable and memorable way. Incorporating local players in Let, Please? opens the door to venue and community-presenter partnerships. Structured improvisation workshops with secondary school students not only expands technical skills, but also key themes of being present and stability in the face of the unknown. These topical themes were very well received by educators and their students in Mackay. Additional sessions could be scheduled with educators to explore improvisation in the choreographic process to leave a legacy of facilitation skills that teachers can use with students going forward. Post show Q&A session allows the opportunity to discuss non-traditional performance modes and develop audience perceptions.