Teuila Postcards by Polytoxic Dance Company

“a contemporary cabaret of piss take, wicked comedy, theatre and dance… the narrative is clever, and the lines are funny…enjoyable and irreverent” Arts Hub

Perfect. Paradise. Polynesia: imagine a lush, green landscape surrounded by turquoise water with rolling white beaches dotted with bronzed, curvaceous women in coconut-shell bikinis. It all sounds too good to be true. And guess what…it is!

Acclaimed Australian contemporary dance ensemble Polytoxic returns to Sydney with its tongue-in-cheek look at the oppression and evolution of an island, Teuila Postcards.

Premiering to sold-out audiences at Brisbane Powerhouse in 2006, Teuila Postcards holds a satirical eye up to the cultural reality of modern day Polynesia to look behind the glossy tourist brochure facade.

This fusion of traditional Polynesian and contemporary dance theatre unveils the cultural reality of South Pacific island life. A fast-paced, episodic ride through the past and present, the show features historical missionary diary entries, an Elvis-inspired advert, a comedy floorshow and an insight into a Samoan girl’s experience of everyday life.

Mix in gorgeous, bright costumes and frame each image with a clever, ever-changing set, and you have Polytoxic’s holiday postcard from Samoa.

29 April – 2 May
The Studio at Sydney Opera House
Street: Macquarie Street
City/Town: Sydney, Australia

Teuila Postcards
by Polytoxic Dance Company
A Kultour Touring Event
Polytoxic Video: http://www.polytoxiclovesyou.com/video/video_2L.html

Pulse Rooftop – Multimedia Dance Event – Melbourne

An exclusive site-specific event on the City Village rooftop in the Melbourne CBD… 10 floors up! PULSE presents two stunning multimedia dance pieces by Yumi Umiumare and Tony Yap, against the shimmering backdrop of the city
skyline.

+ Sakasama Reverse World by Yumi Umiumare
The original impulse came from the ancient Japanese belief in Sakasama: the reverse world. The two worlds of Life and Death are described as two shores; one is ‘the near shore’ (the world of the living), and the other is ‘the far shore’ (the world of after-death). A river flows between them. The far shore’ is a reversed world: it is the reverse of the world of the living and everything is upside down. I explore the juxtaposition of my presence in Australia, experimenting with the neutrality of emotion and colour, and to manipulate rhythms.

+ Edge by Tony Yap
Walking the perimeter / An ambivalent return to the City / The border between city and country / Country and Country / Tradition and Currency / Clear lines or border region / Solid hand air / Body and Spirit / Body and Surrounds

When: April 3 – 4, 7:30pm
Where: City Village Rooftop, 225 Bourke St, Melbourne CBD (between Swanston and Russell St)
Bookings: http://www.greentix.com.au/evinfo.php?eventid=33330

Visit http://www.pulserooftop.com for further information.

Women’s Autumn Dancing Retreat – Melbourne

Welcome to Dancing Isis Dance! the Home of Embodied Bellydance, Dance Journeys for the Awakening Heart, Club Al Sharqi, Women’s Urban Retreat and Dance Movement Therapy. Dancing Isis Dance – Embodied Bellydance is situated in Ivanhoe, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Women’s Autumn Dancing Retreat Two days of enriching, expressive dance session Fri 24 – Sun 26 April, 2009.  http://www.dancingisis.com

Rock – a – Hula 2 !! back by popular demand …

Rock a Hula 2

Traditional Pacific dance, surf sounds, lounge sounds, Hawaiian steel guitar sounds and much more…….

The Line Up……. traditional dance from the Hawaiian Hula and Polynesian Dance Company live music from the Antikis, the Men from Oahu, the Alohas, dj sets from Brian P, Limbo contest with prizes and more.

Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Company
The last time they visited Lava Rooms the Hawaiian Hula and Polynesian Dance Company wowed the house with their talent and infectious good vibes. They will take you on an uplifting and energetic journey through Pacific Island culture, performing traditional dances from Tahiti, Samoa, Cook Islands, Aotearoa, Hawaii,Tonga and Fiji. Hip swaying hula skirts and ancient island chants. Not to be missed !

the Antikis
The last time Dean Gray graced the stage at the Lava Rooms the crowd was spellbound by his hypnotic lap steel guitar tunes. Conjuring the islands with the sound that has come to mean the pacific he had the full room mesmerized with his alluring, exotic tunes. Taking the island sounds a step further with a full band Dean will be back with the Antikis and more sweet and sultry sounds of the Hawaiian steel guitar, served on a bed of classic tunes from the Pacific Islands, 50’s pop instrumentals and a dash of Elvis. Order a Mai Tai, put your feet up, and float away in languid lagoon of tropical bliss. This promises to be another amazing performance.

the Men from Oahu
Hawaii 5-0ers by day and musicians by night, the Men from Oahu have an arsenal of musical styles at their disposal and will be delighting the Lava Rooms family once again with sets mixing all into a lounge washed sunami of sounds. Men from Oahu rolls with a glass of the finest mai tai – rich and darkly sweet with subtle suggestions of sensuality and chockers with complex character. It is rumored they have close ties with the men from uncle.

Thee Alohas
If you like your music flavoured with reverb drenched surf sounds the Alohas will not disappoint. After getting the house sweaty at Rock a Hula 1 Rock a Hula the boys will be once again be doing a special set with a carefully crafted lounge – sound drum kit and a set of tunes that will transport you to a place of long boards, hotrods, sand and surf.
Dick dale eat yer heart out.

Brian P will be spinning selections of Hawaiian sounds, pacific pop and other delights to get you dancing between sets. We have to let him, he runs the show.

Limbo Contest with Prizes
This was due to happen at Rock a Hula xmas party, but as there were so many things going on it didn’t happen.

All this for only 20 bucks.
Saturday March 21
8pm – 2am
Lava Rooms
cnr Wattle St. and Broadway
City / Ultimo (Sydney) Australia
entrance on Wattle through big gates.

RSVP LIST IS FULL AS OF MARCH 3.
LIST WILL APPLY TIL 9PM ONLY, THEN IT IS FIRST IN BEST DRESSED.

The Black Harmony Gathering – Melbourne

The Black Harmony Gathering @ Fairfield Amphitheatre, Heidelberg Rd, Melways Map 30 J12, Sun 15 Mar, 2- 6pm. Featuring Indigenous artists, The Koori Youth Will Shake Spears, the Grenadines, Skye, Robert & Brett, Meriki Hood,  Johnny Mac & Biri-on Laskidjeka. With friends from Sudan, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Jamaica, Ethiopia, West Papua & East Timor. Tabura & Laloran Choirs, Ajak Kwai & friends, Afro Habesha Band & the incredible African band Blak Roots dance us into the autumn twilight. Enjoy the koori BBQ, African food stalls & a market place of Indigenous & African wares plus MC’s Kutcha Edwards, Little G & Stick Mareebo.

Volunteers needed for Black Harmony Gathering. If you would like to be part of this great annual event please contact office@multiculturalarts.com.au or (03) 9417 6777

Next Wave call for Proposals – No Risk Too Great

Next Wave is currently seeking projects that respond in interesting and complex ways to the 2010 Next Wave Festival theme NO RISK TOO GREAT.

Applications are now open to young emerging artists seeking support for the creation of new works or projects in visual arts, dance, performance, new media, text, sound and more. Next Wave encourages applications for the creation of hybrid works that combine two or more art forms; from curators and collectives as well as individual artists; and from interstate and regional applicants.

Projects that work site-specifically and that critically consider their location or context are encouraged, as are projects that may be suitable for venues other than established theatres, galleries, and arts centres.

DEADLINE: Friday 13 March 2009
Visit http://inside.nextwave.org.au/news/2010-nw-festival-call-for-proposals for eligibility requirements, guidelines on how to apply, and the application form.

If you have any questions email Ulanda Blair, Artistic Program Manager, ulanda@nextwave.org.au, or call 03 9329 9422.

Sweet Work – Next Wave at Mildura

Next Wave presents its popular free artist workshop program, titled SWEET WORK, in Mildura this March, and they are looking for participants.
 
SWEET WORK is Next Wave’s free series of workshops for young artists designed to promote new ideas, collaborations and projects. Outcomes in Mildura will happen as part of the 2009 Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival.
 
SWEET WORK is open to artists aged 30 and under from all art form backgrounds including visual arts, theatre, dance, new media and beyond, with a view to generating an idea or a proposal for a new collaborative artwork, performance or intervention for the 2009 Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival.
 
Workshops: 28 February & 7 March 10-5pm
Church of Christ Hall, 125 Deakin Avenue, Mildura, Victoria
Results of your work will be presented at the Perry Sandhills, Mildura, Sunday 8 March, as part of the 2009 Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival.
 
To apply and for further information, contact nextwave@nextwave.org.au
http://inside.nextwave.org.au/news/next-wave-in-mildura-a-call-out

How to control a herd of humans and use mind control!

HITLER and Mussolini both had the ability to bend millions of people to their fascist will. Now evidence from psychology and neurology is emerging to explain how tactics like organised marching and propaganda can work to exert mass mind control.

Scott Wiltermuth of Stanford University in California and colleagues have found that activities performed in unison, such as marching or dancing, increase loyalty to the group. “It makes us feel as though we’re part of a larger entity, so we see the group’s welfare as being as important as our own,” he says.

Wiltermuth’s team separated 96 people into four groups who performed these tasks together: listening to a song while silently mouthing the words, singing along, singing and dancing, or listening to different versions of the song so that they sang and danced out of sync. In a later game, when asked to decide whether to stick with the group or strive for personal gain, those in the non-synchronised group behaved less loyally than the rest (Psychological Science, vol 20, p 1).

Read the New Scientist article for more info…

The Upside Down Crew Radio Show

Don’t forget to check out The Upside Down Crew (Jon from Sydney, Marty Batfreak, and Dubsta) on Housefreaks Internet Radio (http://www.housefreaks.co.uk) starting Sunday morning at 10 AM AEST (that would be 11PM Saturday GMT and 6PM Saturday EST) and going for 8 hours…that’s right 8 hours of the best in oldskool electronic music (acid house/rave/techno/breakbeats).

Cab Sav presents The Imperial Panda Festival!

Six Minute Soul Mate is a performance work from Brown Council that explores the nature of love and romance within a contemporary quick fix culture. Short performative vignettes are spun into an absurd conveyer belt of images that spiral out of control like a barn dance doped up on cocaine.

Utilising the structure of a real speed-dating night, Brown Council examines modern modes of courtship and investigates how it is that we attempt to perform intimacy in a society obsessed with speed. The audience will find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of speed-dates, clichés and conventions of romance, desire and love, all played out and repeated like an old broken record.

4 SHOWS ONLY. SEATS ARE STRICTLY LIMITED, AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE PERFORMANCE.

Sat Feb 14 9pm, Sun Feb 15- Mon Feb 16 5pm & 9pm
302 Cleveland St, Sydney, Australia
Contact Info Email: theimperialpanda@gmail.com