Interactive performance art meets dystopian destruction in the latest production at the Judith Wright Centre.
De-generator melds installation and dance to place the audience at the centre of a black hole, drawing them in to share the space with the performers. Alexander Baden Bryce steps into the lead male role, opposite Amelia Stokes, and the work has been beautifully choreographed by Nerida Matthaei.
Can you describe the show in five words?
Powerful, raw, energetic, apocalyptic, immersive.
What is your role and how did it come about?
I’m the lead male dancer in the show. It’s a full-length pas de deux and I play a character that may have survived the end of the world and evolved into something more than human. Nerida Matthaei, the choreographer, and I played with some personal memories and utilised them to conceptualise a movement vocabulary.
What prep (mentally or physically) do you need to do before each performance?
It’s quite a physically demanding show to perform, with extreme movement and some intricate partnering, therefore our bodies need to be at their peak! So we do a conditioning class everyday, often including a cardio smash or dancefit class. We also do a lot of cross-training including gym work, pilates and yoga. I also like to have a berocca, banana and eclipse mints!
What do you want the audience to say as they leave?
I want them to feel like their senses have been assaulted and leave questioning their own place in the world and the future of it.
Best advice about life you've received?
Never buy acrylic socks.
How important is it to incorporate performance and art into our every day lives?
I think the Australian culture of sport is so well incorporated into our everyday lives, it would be extremely refreshing for the general public to be more deeply connected to the arts community! Dance is a fantastic mix of athleticism and artistry. There is so much amazing creative work happening in and around Brisbane, there really is something for everyone, from witches to emperors to Shakespeare and to ballets! Get out there see what’s on around you!
What would you try to save if it was the end of the world?
Definitely my asthma puffer. In fact there’s a few hidden in the set!
Why should people come see this?
It’s a live, interactive, volatile and in-your-face performance that you won’t forget quickly.
De-generator is on at the Judith Wright Centre from June 14-21.
