Blink Dance Company, Geelong’s first professional contemporary dance ensemble, present their premiere dance theatre work, The Red Tree.
An adaptation of the award winning book by Shaun Tan, The Red Tree features a live original score, puppetry and stunning visual media, leading you into a sublime physical landscape, giving flight and form to a quiet journey of epic proportions.
A recipient of the Patricia Wrightson prize in the NSW Premier’s Book Awards, The Red Tree was also awarded the ‘le Prix Octogones 2003’ prize by the Centre International d’Etudes en Litterature de Jeunesse, following it’s translation into French.
The Red Tree is a story without any particular narrative; a series of distinct imaginary worlds as self-contained images which invite readers to draw their own meaning in the absence of any written explanation.
As a concept, the book is inspired by the impulse of children and adults alike to describe feelings using metaphor – monsters, storms, sunshine, rainbows and so on. Moving beyond cliché, Shaun Tan sought painted images that might further explore the expressive possibilities of this kind of shared imagination, which could be at once strange and familiar.
A nameless young girl appears in every picture, a stand-in for ourselves; she passes helplessly through many dark moments, yet ultimately finds something hopeful at the end of her journey.
Blink Dance Company is led by founding Artistic Director, Lyndel Quick. In less than 12 months, the company has created & performed installation style works at Boom Gallery for their successful company launch, produced three professional dance films with international film maker, Abby Warrilow soon to be screened both in Australia and the UK.
Blink Dance Company have also performed at The City of Greater Geelong M2M Launch, Courthouse Arts living installation exhibition, NOOK and local fundraiser performance, Ignite the Senses.
Dance and Art collide! Blink Dance Company has facilitated an 8 week series of community art workshops as part of The Red Tree project led by Mia Cowlishaw and Caro White. The works will be exhibited in the gallery space as part of the production.
The Red Tree
Shenton Performing Arts Centre, Cnr Ryrie & Garden Streets, East Geelong
Season: 3 – 5 October 2013
Bookings: (03) 5225 1200 or online at: www.gpac.org.au
For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/blinkdance for details.
Image: courtesy of Blink Dance Company