Tony Yap, Yumi Umiumare Impro-Lab, Rex Cramphorn Studio, Sydney, photo: Mayu Kanamori
IMPRO-LAB is an ongoing series of laboratories, residencies and performances which specifically address interdisciplinary improvisation.
IMPRO-LAB is concerned with the language forged in the instantaneous meeting between music, dance and visual media. It is an openended process of interdisciplinary exchange exploring an ecology of improvisation. It aims to develop an environment of performance, both for live-audience, screen and playback media.
IMPRO-LAB involves dancers Peter Fraser, Yumi Umiumare, Tony Yap and Tess de Quincey alongside artists Jim Denley on wind instruments (Machine for Making Sense), Chris Abrahams on keyboards (The Necks), sound-poet Amanda Stewart (Machine for Making Sense) and video artist Samuel James and lighting designer Clytie Smith. It also involves a collaboration with two Japanese artists, vocalist Ami Yoshida, originator of the "howling voice" and barely audible sound that is perceived as sound itself rather than as vocalisation, alongside musician Sachiko M, renowned for her experimentation with sinewaves embracing simplicity, minimalism and texture - both pivotal figures in Japanese contemporary music. They will be presented in collaboration with the core Australian artists to audiences at The Studio, Sydney Opera House.
These labs also place emphasis on improvised dance practice which is based in a hybrid of asian and western disciplines, maintaining a markedly different conceptual approach to the body and to space than traditions of western dance.
During 2006 we have planned a series of related steps or stages occurring at different times and with different constellations of the artists involved. The output of each step will feed back into the ongoing thread of the laboratories as well as into performances for camera and for public. These meetings gather focus on language forged in the moment and aim to develop our abilities to engage with the particular environments we each bring to the collaboration. Exploring compositional and aesthetic strategies, we intend to generate language through permeation and interpenetration, also via emphasis on interdependencies of the conceptual, ethical and energetic dynamics at play between us and our audiences.
IMPRO-LAB in 2006
REX LAB, 25 January - 5 February, Department of Performance Studies, The University of Sydney; 8 artists
ASIALINK - NEON RISING TOKYO RESIDENCY, April; see below
PICA HYBRID ARTS RESIDENCY 12-30 July, with Jim Denley, Sam James, Amanda Stewart & Tess de Quincey
CRITICAL
PATH LAB, November 11-26 at The Drill, Sydney including
Impro-Lab:
TRANSPARENCIES &
IMPRO-EXCHANGE
Impro-Lab: TRANSPARENCIES involves legendary Japanese artists, musician Sachiko M and howling voice Ami Yoshida who join forces with Australian musicians Chris Abrahams (The Necks), Jim Denley and poet-vocalist Amanda Stewart (Machine for Making Sense), video artist Samuel James, lighting designer Clytie Smith with dancers Tess de Quincey, Peter Fraser, Yumi Umiumare, Tony Yap.
The core artists
above will collaborate with NSW dancers and musicians for
IMPRO-EXCHANGE 11, 18 & 19 November with NSW dancers & musicians
dancers: Narelle Benjamin, Tom Davies, Martin del Amo, Alexandra
Harrison, Kristina Harrison, Linda Luke, Morganics, Emma Saunders, Vicki
Van Hout, Bernadette Walong.
musicians: Karen Booth, Monika Brooks, Clare Cooper, Rosie
Dennis, Dale Gorfinkel, Emily Morandini, Michael Sheridan, Milica
Stefanovic.
Yumi Umiumare, Peter Fraser, Impro-Lab: transparencies, The Studio, Sydney, photo Mayu Kanamori
Impro-Lab:
TRANSPARENCIES
@ The Studio, Sydney Opera House
Fri 24 & Sat 26 November at 8.15pm
th legendary Japanese artists, musician Sachiko M and howling voice Ami Yoshida who join forces with Australian musicians Chris Abrahams (The Necks), Jim Denley and poet/vocalist Amanda Stewart (Machine for Making Sense), video artist Samuel James, lighting designer Clytie Smith with dancers Tess de Quincey, Peter Fraser, Yumi Umiumare, Tony Yap.
An astonishing line-up of artists make a new and different performance each evening.
These laboratories are supported by the Dance Board and the New Media Board of the Australia Council, NSW Ministry for the Arts, AsiaLink, Critical Path, PICA - Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Studio - Sydney Opera House, Machine for Making Sense, Department of Performance Studies - The University of Sydney.
Yumi Umiumare, Impro-Lab: transparencies, The Studio, Sydney, photo: Mayu Kanamor
De Quincey Co and Machine for Making Sense present
Impro-Lab
transparencies
8-11
March, 2007
fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne
music dance poetry video voice
Chris
Abrahams,Tess de Quincey, Jim Denley, Peter Fraser,
Samuel James, Amanda Stewart, Yumi Umiumare, Tony Yap
Fresh from a successful season at Sydney Opera House, an astonishing line-up of celebrated artists from both Melbourne and Sydney create a series of instantaneous, unique, improvised pieces integrated with live video imagery – in a new and different performance each evening.
Acclaimed dancers Yumi Umiumare, Tony Yap, Peter Fraser and Tess de Quincey join forces with leading experimental musicians Chris Abrahams, Jim Denley and poet/vocalist Amanda Stewart alongside renowned video artist Samuel James.
Finely balanced on the edge of each moment these daring artists play and plunge into the unknown. Weaving spatial and energetic compositions between them, split-second decisions ricochet as the performance unfurls. It forms itself anew each night – instinctive, wayward, sensual, knowing. A combination of exquisite sounds and intricate movement creates a volatile, immersive and seductive world.
8-11
March, 2007
Thurs-Sat 8pm; Sun 5pm
fortyfivedownstairs
45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Tiks $25/$18 conc. + booking fee
Bookings (03) 9662 9966
download press release (PDF 1.6 meg)
download artists bios (PDF 92 kb)
This production is supported by Arts NSW and the Besen Family Foundation
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Impro-Lab: TRANSPARENCIES
as part of OnEdge Festival, Cairns
Thu 31 July, Fri 1 and Sat 2 August
Jute Theatre, Centre for Contemporary Arts
Jim Denley sound, Amanda Stewart poetry/vocals, Sam James video,
Tess de Quincey dance
