Chunky Move has announced Australian director, choreographer and dance animateur Alice Lee Holland as the 2018 Artistic Associate. Initiated in 2016, The Artistic Associate program is a flexible professional development program for a mid-career artist covering areas of company management and artistic leadership.
Unafraid to think from zero, Holland is an ambitious artist committed to carving new paths. She has worked nationally and internationally across contemporary dance and circus, with diverse communities of people, trained and untrained, young and old.
“I am thrilled at the opportunity to work with Anouk and the team at Melbourne’s iconic Chunky Move,” said Alice Lee Holland.” I’m looking forward to contributing to the 2018 program in many ways, including working with a stellar team of artists on new projects.”
A graduate of the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Alice Lee Holland’s choreographic style is relentlessly physical, with credits including: Tasdance, Buzz Dance Theatre, QL2 and WAAPA, and two self-produced works Preparing to be Beautiful (2008) and tiny little tragedies (2012).
As Artistic Director she led Western Australia’s STEPS Youth Dance Company (now Co3:Youth) through its pivotal final chapter. Highlights include; seven nominations for the Australian Dance Awards including the 2015 winner Fights & Flights, Trois Generations (Jean-Claude Gallotta) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (As You Like It) (Dmitry Krymov) for the 2013 and 2014 Perth Festivals, and presentations at the Dance and the Child International Congress (Taiwan 2012, Copenhagen 2015).
In 2015 she was appointed Resident Director for the world-renowned CIRCA, Brisbane, during which time she toured ten different productions across nine countries and was involved with four new creations.
“We are very excited to offer Alice the opportunity to delve into company life: from program planning, to production and producing, from the creation of new work, to working out the logistics of touring,” said Anouk van Dijk, Artistic Director Chunky Move. “Alice will work with us across a multitude of programs we run at Chunky. Her enthusiasm to bring dance to as many people as possible is contagious.”
Chunky Move recognises there is a gap in the career trajectory for mid-career dance artists wishing to step into positions of artistic leadership. Currently there are very few structured opportunities for individual artists to learn the skills of company management and artistic directorship. The role of Artistic Associate is designed to bridge that gap and provide an opportunity to gain insights into running a successful dance company.
With the generous support of the Besen Family Foundation, Chunky Move is able to provide a paid, part-time residency starting in the first half of 2018 that will provide an Artistic Associate the opportunity to gain experience and skills to prepare them for future artistic leadership roles. For more information, visit: www.chunkymove.com.au for details.
Image: Alice Lee Holland (supplied)