Explicit Contents is an evocative contemporary dance work by Sydney/Canberra-based choreographer Rhiannon Newton. Premiering at Sydney Festival 2021, Explicit Contents comes to Canberra off the back of seasons at Sydney Dance Company and Dancehouse Melbourne. Exploring how the body connects us to our environments, the performance follows two dancers as they are viscerally made and remade by the forces of their surroundings. Featuring Sydney-based dancers Ivey Wawn and David Huggins and music by Peter Lenaerts (Brussels/Sydney), Explicit Contents is a sensory journey through a sci-fi landscape where the contents of the body merge and mingle with the materials of the more-than-human world.

“Explicit Contents is a slow-release trip that leaves a palpable residue in your body.” Arts Hub 4 ½ Stars

Credits

Choreographer: Rhiannon Newton
Performers: David Huggins, Ivey Wawn
Music and Sound Design: Peter Lenaerts
Lighting Design: Karen Norris
Costume Design: Agnes Choi
Producer: Katy Green Loughrey

Rating Note:

Explicit Contents is recommended for audiences 12 years and older. Despite its provocative title, the work does not deal with sexual themes. Very briefly, the work involves partial nudity (dancers wearing only underwear in low light).

Acknowledgement

Explicit Contents was originally commissioned and produced with the support of Campbelltown Arts Centre through Campbelltown City Council. The presentation of Explicit Contents has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. The presentation of Explicit Contents is also supported by the NSW government through Create NSW. We thank QL2 Dance for their support for the presentation of the work in Canberra.

Show duration

55 mins

Age recommendation

12 +

Creative Team

Rhiannon Newton is an Australian dancer and choreographer who grew up on Dunghutti Land on the Mid-North Coast of NSW. Rhiannon aims to make meaningful contributions to community and culture through her work as a choreographer, performer, collaborator, teacher, researcher and curator. Rhiannon’s creative work draws attention to the interconnection of the body and the more-than-human world. Rhiannon has recently presented her work as a part of INDance and New Breed with Sydney Dance Company (2021, 2022), Sydney Festival (2021), Liveworks with Performance Space (2020), Baltic Circle International Theater Festival (2019) and seasons at Dancehouse, Melbourne ( 2018, 2022). Rhiannon has developed her choreographic practice through residencies and commissions throughout Australia, South-East Asia, Europe and North America. She also works as a performer and collaborator with artists such as Mette Edvardsen (BE), Martin del Amo, Lee Serle, Amrita Hepi, Rosalind Crisp, Paea Leach, Angela Goh and Brooke Stamp. In 2022 Rhiannon completed a Masters of Philosophy (Creative Arts) at the University of NSW and is a part-time lecturer in dance at the Australian College of Physical Education.

David Huggins began dancing while completing his psychology degree in Aotearoa New Zealand. After graduating with a Bachelor of Dance from the VCA, University of Melbourne, he worked with Russell Dumas’ Dance Exchange in Melbourne, performing nationally and internationally with the company for nine years. David has also worked for other artists including Douglas Wright, Xavier Le Roy, Rhiannon Newton and Martin Del Amo. Aside from his work as a dancer, he has begun to explore his own choreographic interests through various residencies, and recently presented his first full- length work, Once More, with Feeling in New Zealand.

Ivey Wawn (1990) lives on Gadigal land (inner-sydney) where she works as a dancer and makes dance-based work for different contexts. Her practice centres on embodiment and its interplay with the historic specificities of capitalist social relations. Her most recent work In Perpetuity has been iterated as part of Next Wave 2020 (online), Liveworks 2021 (online and at Carriageworks, Sydney NSW), and CEMENTA 22 (Kandos, NSW). A subsidiary work to In Perpetuity called Expiration April 10 was presented in Monumental (working title) at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2022. Ivey has ongoing relationships as a dancer for a number of Australian choreographers including Rhiannon Newton, Atlanta Eke, Angela Goh and Brooke Stamp. She also works regularly with artists from a visual art context, notably an ongoing series of collaborations with Rochelle Haley since 2014.

Peter Lenaerts is a Belgian sound artist active in the fields of performance, contemporary dance, & film. Lenaerts is fascinated by empty spaces and invisible or acousmatic sound. Sound that doesn’t scream for attention but sneaks into the listener’s ear unnoticed. Sound without ego, pure sound, with a focus on the medium rather than the maker. He was resident sound artist at the 2018 Hong Kong Arts Festival where he created music for Vortex by choreographer Wayson Poon. Other recent work includes Non-Place (2019) & MicroSleepDub (2015-2016). Apart from his own work, he has created soundtracks and composed music for choreographers and performance artists like Mette Ingvartsen, Andros Zinsbrowne, Salva Sanchis, Daniel Linehan, Eszter Salamon, ao. He strongly believes that in a culture dominated by visuals, nothing is as powerful, intense, and rewarding as simply listening.

Karen Norris has extensive experience as lighting designer for Theatre/Dance and Music throughout Australia and Europe. Based in London and Nice -1998 to 2008. Recent designs: Terrain, Lore- Bangarra Dance Theatre, NAISDA Francis Rings & Sani Ray, Songs Not To Dance To and Champions Martin del Amo, On View Sue Healey,CELLA Germany SF 2018 & Dance Massive 2019 & HIPS Narelle Benjamin, WinyanbogaYurringa AndreaJames Moogahlin, KOTAHI Atamira Dance Company NZ, Barbara and the Camp Dogs Belvoir Street, The Appleton Ladies Potatoe Race & The last Five Years Ensemble Theatre, Blak Box Barangaroo & SF 2019 Melbourne 2020 Urban Theatre, Broken Glass SF 2018 - The Weekend Liza-mare Syron SF2019 - New Zealand Festival 2019 Moogahlin, RED Liz Lea Dance, Rainbows End Darlinghurst Theatre, plenty serious TALK TALK Vicky van Hout, Blak Drop Effect Bankstown Arts Centre and Silence Karul Projects BlakDance and Sunshine Super Girl Andrea James Performing Lines.

Agnes Choi is a multi-disciplinary creative based in Sydney, Australia. Since graduating from the UTS Fashion & Textiles Honours degree in 2018, Choi has worked across several mediums including fashion design, acting, styling and costume design. With her dance and drama background, Choi is always finding ways to merge her worlds through narrative and artistic expression such as costume design for Explicit Contents for C-A-C as part of Sydney Festival 2021, and often roots her work in cultural, environmental and social discourses. Choi has recently been featured in i-D Asia (2018), Vogue Australia (2019, 2020) and RUSSH Magazine (2020) for her work in fostering positive changes for the future of the Australian fashion and cultural landscape.

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