Thursday 12th April sees the national cinema release of Life in Movement, the very moving film about the life and work of choreographer Tanja Liedtke who was tragically killed in an accident shortly after being appointed Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company in 2007.

Life in Movement has been made by Sophie Hyde and Bryan Mason of Closer Productions. Restless has worked closely with Sophie and Bryan for the last seven years and in 2009 they teamed up with us to make the multi award winning Necessary Games films.

Life in Movement is another brilliant film from Closer Productions and Restless urges all of its supporters to go and see this heartfelt account of Tanja Liedtke’s fascinating energy and her highly original approach to dance.

Life in Movement will be screening at the Palace Nova, check their listings for session times. You’ll be sorry if you miss it!

Restless has been invited to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea to participate in the Australia Week Celebrations 5 – 11 March 2012. This invitation came about through the initiative of the Australian High Commission, PNG and illustrates how the Australian Government provides creative opportunities for people with a disability to engage in the arts.

The Company will present High Voltage a 15-min work directed by Youth Ensemble dancer with a disability and emerging director, Lorcan Hopper at the Moresby Arts Theatre 1pm, 3.30pm and 7pm on Wednesday 7th March 2012.

Adding to the performance, the company will screen the multi-award winning dance films, Necessary Games and facilitate dance workshops on the following day for the Cheshire Disability Services, St John’s and the Red Cross in Port Moresby.

Necessary Games is a collaboration with Closer Productions which has won awards at the Adelaide Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, ATOM Awards, Picture this… film festival (Calgary), Brooklyn International Film Festival (New York), and the ReelDance Australia & New Zealand Awards.

Lorcan Hopper’s ‘High Voltage’ offers up some terrific plays on how electric power and technology works and passes on, and through, all. The very nature of power as a connecting force absolutely ensures choreography making use of physical and other means of connecting dancers and objects is central, something Hopper achieves without over hyped clichés. It’s huge fun in a ‘pass the parcel’ way as Hopper’s dancers explore magnetism, electric currents and wind power with some hilarious results. Most effective was the playful way a paper airplane and a torch managed to symbolise so much industry and power. The pace of the piece is fast and furious with a terrific Keystone Cops comic edge to it.

David O’Brien, dB Magazine 2011

This tour is made possible through additional sponsorship from AusAID and private donations.

Restless is currently in the second stage development of the Touring Company’s new production Second Nature. This new work, directed by Sydney-based artist Dean Walsh, investigates the notions of adaptation, mutation and the inhabitation of our natural environment.

Inspired by the dancer’s continual need to adapt to their external environment, their physical mutations and their constantly enquiring minds, this new work for the Touring Company taps into a gold mine of diverse and instinctual choices made within the performers unique physical ability.

Set to premiere in 2013, Second Nature looks into what we too eagerly deem as foreign without investigating the possibility that perhaps it is ourselves who are foreign, different, other, odd or strange. It is all a matter of circumstance, position, perception and environment.

A studio showing of this work in progress for APAM delegates is scheduled for 1 – 2pm Monday 27 February and 5 – 6pm Thursday 1 March 2012.

To follow the blog link from the first stage development in 2011 at Bundanon click here.

We are thrilled to receive a mention in the national survey of dance critics which highlights some of the country’s best.

Featuring in the February / March 2012 issue of the Dance Australia magazine, South Australian dance critic, Alan Brissenden mentions Restless Dance Theatre (Adelaide) as the ‘Most interesting Australian group or artist’.

For more of Alan’s choices for 2011, go to link

Having recently returned from the UK after attending the Oska Bright Film Festival in Brighton, Lorcan Hopper has been awarded a JUMP Mentorship. This National Mentoring Program for Young and Emerging Artists is the largest mentoring program of its kind and is supported by the Australia Council for the Arts.

A member of the Youth Ensemble, the Education Team and a regular presenter (emerging director) of Restless’ DEBUT Program, Lorcan is one of 75 young and emerging artists selected – the largest ever intake into an Australian artist mentoring program designed to advance their careers and make their mark on the Australian arts industry.

Over the next ten months, he will work with Peter Sheedy from the Adelaide College of the Arts to devise a unique program of integrated participation with other young dancers. Lorcan will join contemporary dance technique and composition/choreography classes at the College and will be supported by a personal assistant (PA) throughout his program who will assist in his learning and help create a video of his JUMP experience.

To follow Lorcan’s project and for program updates throughout 2012, visit the JUMP Mentoring website.

The Restless Youth Ensemble has returned early this year for a week-long intensive rehearsal period. The dancers are working with guest director Zoë Barry (Alarm Birds – Melbourne) for the first stage development of the company’s major production for 2012, Howling Like A Wolf.

Zoë has worked with the company on a number of productions (Beauty, Safe from Harm, The Heart of Another is a Dark Forest, In The Blood and Perfect Match) as a composer, musician and performer.

Howling Like a Wolf is about the chaos of human interaction and how we prepare for it. Through researching the history of scientific exploration into non-verbal communication, from the classical philosophers, French neurologists of the mid 19th Century and Darwinism through to the pop psychologists of the 1960′s, the dancers are exploring how this information is used to assist us in connecting with or manipulating others.

Joining the Youth Ensemble for this major production are established independent guest artists and emerging artists from Adelaide’s disability arts scene including invited guest performers from No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability, Tutti Inc and Company@.

This new work will premiere at The Queens Theatre 17th August 2012.

Learn more about the process by following the blog for Howling Like a Wolf.

Restless presents a Ranters Theatre Masterclass series 28 Nov – 9 Dec 2011. The Lure and Blur of the Real residency will be “non-fiction”. This means using aspects of ‘real-life’ to create ideas for performance.

The workshops will focus on 2 distinct areas:

Creating material from the real lives and experiences of the creative participants involved (performers, directors etc). This could be autobiographical or biographical.

Creating material from meetings with the public. This will mean a controlled excursion to a public space to observe and talk/question with selected public persons. We will look at how to develop ideas for creating work from the material we discover.

Our aim will be to develop raw material that is unprocessed, unfiltered, uncensored and infused with a deliberate ‘un artiness’.

Check out the link to the blog

For more information about this Ranters residency and to obtain a booking form, call Restless on (08)8212 8495 or email philip@restlessdance.org

Debut 3 is an exciting new program of short works directed by selected members of Restless Dance Theatre’s Youth Ensemble. Now in its third incarnation, this artistic initiative sees three outstanding members of the Company work as Directors to develop their own individual choreographic styles. The Directors have worked alongside experienced guest artists as mentors to guide them in the creative process. This season of work is united by the theme: ‘The Butterfly Effect’. Debut 3 demonstrates how small changes in one part of a complex system can have a dramatic effect elsewhere.

Where: The Restless Studio, 234a Sturt Street, Adelaide SA 5000 (enter off Arthur Street)
Tickets: $10, $5 concession – Bookings are essential
For further info and bookings contact Restless Dance Theatre
at: bookings@restlessdance.org or telephone 8212 8495

Debut 3 is an exciting new program of short works directed by selected members of Restless Dance Theatre’s Youth Ensemble. Now in its third incarnation, this artistic initiative sees three outstanding members of the Company work as Directors to develop their own individual choreographic styles. The Directors have worked alongside experienced guest artists as mentors to guide them in the creative process. This season of work is united by the theme: ‘The Butterfly Effect’. Debut 3 demonstrates how small changes in one part of a complex system can have a dramatic effect elsewhere.

When: 7:30pm Friday 11 November, 3pm & 7:30pm Saturday 12 November 2011. The performance on Friday 11 November will be Auslan interpreted and audio described. (please telephone Restless if you require this service).
Where: The Restless Studio, 234a Sturt Street, Adelaide SA 5000 (enter off Arthur Street)
Tickets: $10, $5 concession – Bookings are essential
For further info and bookings contact Restless Dance Theatre
at: bookings@restlessdance.org or telephone 8212 8495

Restless Central – 2012

Ever wanted to know why so many people enjoy coming to Restless?
Want to meet new people in a safe and supportive environment?
Do you love dancing, playing games and having fun?

Restless Central brings dancers together from different cultural backgrounds with and without a disability in a fun environment, where no one is judged and where there is no wrong or right way to express your individual creativity.

For more information and to book your place, call Restless on (08)82128495 or email lyn@restlessdance.org

When: Tuesday nights 5.30-7pm
Term 1: 31 January – 3 April, 2012
Cost: $10 per class or buy a whole term and get one class free.