Toowoomba’s year 11 and 12 dance students will have a unique opportunity to work with internationally acclaimed dance artists Lizzie and Zaimon Vilmanis from Prying Eye Productions at the Surge Dance Day on Wednesday February 12 at the Empire Theatre.
Coordinated by Curious Arts Festival in the lead up to the main festival event from 20-22 March, the day will feature practical dance workshops allowing students to develop and extend their choreographic skills and understanding of the creative process. Surge Dance Day was an initiative led by Head of Department (The Arts) at Harristown High School, Helen Mullins, who saw an opportunity for dance students to gain experience working with visiting Curious Arts Festival artists. With the help of a committee of Arts and Dance teachers, Surge Dance Day developed into an outstanding opportunity with the support of the Empire Theatre. Students attending the workshops will be the cream of Toowoomba’s emerging dance cohort drawn from senior dance programs in Toowoomba’s high schools.
Professional dancer and choreographer from Prying Eye Productions, Lizzie Vilmanis, said the day will give students an insight into the behind-the-scenes practice of a professional creative team.“Our workshops at the Surge Dance Day will share practical tools to advance students’ skills and build their understanding of creative processes. We will help students use improvisation and exploration techniques to assist them in creating their own contemporary dances that can convey a social, political or cultural viewpoint,” she said.
The dance day is part of Curious Arts Festival’s commitment to providing opportunities for local artists to work with professional artists at the top of their game. Following the workshops students will have the opportunity to continue working with the artists from Prying Eye Productions to ultimately perform in the powerful pop up production ‘Change is Coming’ at Curious Arts Festival on 20 and 21 March at the Empire Theatre.
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