The Ironing Maidens present a new show Hot & Heavy at Cairns Fest. This workshop program will deliver workshops in dance and improvisation for local communities for a week in August. Participants of the workshops will learn skills in dance and improvisation. Participants will learn routines from the live show and can join the community ensemble of the show, performing at Cairns Festival on the 25th & 27th of August.

Workshops are for participants aged 15 years and over.

This is a high energy dance workshop that takes participants through the basics of improvisation, teaches some fun uplifting dance routines from the upcoming Ironing Maidens live show, Hot & Heavy. The workshop introduces the participants to a variety of styles such as contemporary, hip hop and dancehall.

The workshops will be held in Tank 3 at the Tanks Arts Centre. Bring along your own water bottle, wear comfy clothing and covered shoes as the Tank has a concrete floor.

There are a number of workshop times offered in the schedule below. Each workshop will deliver the same content so choose the session that best suits your schedule.

About the team:

Community Engagement Co-ordinator: Nicole Hector is a proud woman of colour that is committed as an Arts facilitator, Community and Cultural Arts worker. She has developed a focussed practice of creating accessible pathways that reflect inclusivity for all people within our diverse community. This includes finding ways to create supportive platforms for people to be able to harness creative expression on a multitude levels within the ‘Community and Cultural Arts ‘platform. Nicole has formal physical theatre training and has worked alongside Australia’s leading Improvisation/Butoh Artists. She has devised group Site Specific performance works and solo shows throughout Sydney and Melbourne.

Lori Favero - is a creative artist, dancer and workshop facilitator, originally from Cairns and currently based in the Brisbane and Gold Coast industry. She has leaned into her love for street styles and experimental movement in dance. Since traveling and performing in the commercial and cabaret industry for the last 4 years, Lori practice involves tapping into her own energy to explore more vulnerable movement, share emotions and stories. She aims to inspire others through her artistry.

Nadiah "NfuZion" is Australia’s first and only internationally recognised freelance dancer, educator and choreographer who specialises in Dancehall, various styles from the African diaspora and other street styles. Recently, Nadiah also founded BrisBangarang, Brisbane’s first Dancehall and Afro dance crew dedicated to building the community and the next generation of aspiring professionals.

Soleil Harvey is a contemporary dancer, maker and teacher based in Meanjin (Brisbane) who loves creating and learning. She attained an Advanced Diploma in Dance in 2018 through ADPI (Australian Dance and Performance Institute) and completed Sydney Dance Company's Pre-Professional Year in 2019. Since then she has worked independently as a contemporary dancer and has performed in various works.

Georgia Pierce is an emerging Brisbane-based dance artist. Her work has been presented in Anywhere Theatre Festival and at Mad Dance House’s "Up Close". She has completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance Performance) at QUT and is the resident contemporary teacher at S.H.A.K.E. Georgia performs professionally as a Contemporary Dancer in various productions in South East Queensland.

Leigh-Anne Vizer’s (choreographic director) vast and varied industry experience spans small scale independent theatre projects, circus, musical theatre, oratorios, ceremonies and large scale events. Her passion for creating interdisciplinary, physical performances integrated with modern technologies, including projection and automation, has been the driving force in her career. As an Associate Director, Leigh-Anne has worked closely with Director Nigel Jamison on the recent Opening Ceremony of the Allianz Stadium in Sydney, ‘Clusters of Light’ Oratorio in Sharjah and Cairo, and remained in Beijing as the Resident Director for the Arena Spectacular “How To Train Your Dragon”. Leigh-Anne is ever eager to expand her practice of celebrating culture, elaborating storytelling and transforming tradition utilising current technologies and modern movement vocabulary.