'Off the Record' is Danielle Micich’s first show as Artistic Director of Force Majeure. It delves into the experiences of five diverse performers that results in a beautifully powerful performance.
Danielle, coupled with Philip Channells from Dance Integrated Australia, has created a show under commission from Carriageworks that highlights the idea of how our rituals govern how we live, as well as discovering the consequences of living by the rules or deciding to break free.
Force Majeure and Dance Integrated Australia are companies that highlight diversity by including performers who are able and disabled in various ways in order to showcase their talents and explore contemporary social issues. This level of diversity was a driving force for Danielle becoming Artistic Director of Force Majeure and creating this work. "I’ve always enjoyed difference. I wouldn't want to work in a contemporary dance company were everyone is all the same, I want to make a difference and creates works that celebrate difference."
Taking her passion for difference and confronting contemporary issues, Danielle explains the inspiration behind the work: "It came from finding ways we can connect to others without judgement. I thought about how we judge people and the preconceived ideas we have,” she says. “Delving into individuals lives and expanding on their stories to make them accessible and relevant to a broader audience, leaves you inspired and hopefully changes opinions."
This being Danielle’s first work, the collaboration with Philip Channells is one she speaks highly about. "It was really harmonious, my initial thought was 'I don't have enough experience to do this', so having Philip there was great! We had an artistic marriage, we have a similar aesthetic... We were on the same page which makes the whole process easy and meant we could really push the performers!"
The process for finding the five perfect individuals was a task that first daunted Danielle. "It was the first time I held a broader call out to anyone with a disability. With that came so many unknowns, and challenges, but walking into a room of unknown people that were all moving together... It peeled away the unknowns, as I realised this was no different. The participants taught me something about the preconceived ideas I had!"
Danielle explains the key attributes that the performers have that make the work what it is: ”They had to have a strong sense of self and voice. Most of the people that came are advocates, and in the public eye, that was a really attractive thing. They also had to be comfortable and know how to move in their own body. Strong, interesting artists is what we were looking for."
Delving into unspoken issues faced by people with a disability is a topic that many would shy away from, but Danielle has used her passion as a driving force to create a powerful and explorative work. "I'm inspired by differences and if something isn't being talked about that should be, I want to be at the forefront of it. The more we talk about challenging issues the more comfortable people will become!"
'Off the Record' plays at Carriageworks from 17-20 August.
