As part of this year's Horizon Festival on the Sunshine Coast, comes 'The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave', an endurance-based, contemporary dance work.
'The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave' is an award-winning production. It is soundtracked by the booming techno album 'Nocturbulous Behaviour' by Suburban Knight, and is an exploration of the movement vocabulary used in techno and rave culture.
A sweaty, intense three-day rave condensed into a high-art, streamlined performance. Three human beings are destroyed in front of you, and the room swells with pain, sweat and catharsis. It's a display of pure endurance in order to achieve a goal.
Also part of the production's presentation at Horizon is a 90-minute dance workshop, led by performers Oli Mathieson, Lucy Lynch and Sharvon Mortimer. Participants are invited to step into the world of the rave, and unpack the details behind its iconic moments.
Here, we speak to Choreographer and Performer, Lucy Lynch, about 'The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave'.
Tell us a bit about this production and what inspired it.
'The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave' started as an idea from Oli Mathiesen, with me and Sharvon Mortimer working as co-choreographers. It’s performed to the full album 'Nocturbulous Behaviour' by Suburban Knight, and draws on movement from techno and rave culture to create something that feels a bit like a nightclub, but on stage with just three bodies. We think of it as a three-day rave squeezed into an hour, non-stop movement, all locked into the music. As it goes on, you start to see the physical and emotional toll on the performers: the sweat, the strain, the effort of just keeping going. It’s really about that feeling in rave culture of pushing yourself further and further, chasing the energy, even when it starts to hurt.
It’s already an award-winning show. What’s it like to have the work be recognised in this way?
The response to the show has been pretty amazing. When we were making it in the studio, we had no idea it would go this far – we just wanted to create something big and share it in our hometown of Auckland. So to see it take on a life of its own has been a bit surreal. What’s been most special for me is seeing it connect with people who don’t usually go to dance shows, and hearing that it’s made them fall in love with the art form. That’s been really special.
The performance is described as ‘a contemporary nightclub between three bodies’. How did you prepare for and choreograph this work? Where did you start?
Oli first came up with the idea and reached out pretty casually on Instagram saying he wanted to make a really physical work to a full techno album. That was completely my thing, so I was in straight away. The three of us started by spending time in the studio, playing the album on repeat, talking about it, and seeing how our bodies responded. Each track has its own feel, and as we kept experimenting, the shape of the work started to reveal itself. It was a really fun process, we had lots of laughs and plenty of trial and error. We work well together, so nothing felt off-limits and I think that really reveals itself in the work.
What’s been the highlight of performing it so far?
There have been so many highlights, but Edinburgh really stands out. We performed the show 23 times, which still feels kind of unbelievable, especially if you’ve seen how intense it is. Somehow we got through it, and that final show was incredibly emotional for all of us. It felt like the last push, properly crossing the finish line, and the audience could feel that too, they were right there with us. When the music stopped at the end, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I could’ve cried, screamed. . . Anything. Getting through Edinburgh honestly feels like one of the biggest things I’ve ever done, and I’m so proud of us. We still haven't processed it and maybe never will!
And what would you say has been your greatest challenge when it comes to the show?
Definitely managing our bodies is a big part of it. The show is as much a mental challenge as a physical one, you have to give equal attention to both. By the middle of a season, you might be in peak cardio shape, but the muscle fatigue is intense; it can feel like every muscle has been pushed to the limit. That’s when your mind starts to fight you, screaming mid-performance, “I can’t do this.” Silencing that voice is crucial, and some nights are harder than others. You know you’ve done it before, you know you can do it again, but actually pushing through that mental barrier is a real battle.
Why does ’The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave’ fit perfectly within Horizon Festival’s programme?
'The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave' fits perfectly in Horizon Festival because it’s creative, immersive, and a bit unexpected. It totally fits in to the festivals focus on unique, sensory experiences that bring people together. It’s the kind of performance that people don’t just watch, they feel and take part in, which is exactly what Horizon is all about.
What are you most looking forward to about being a part of Horizon?
We absolutely love Australia and have had incredible experiences here on past tours. It’s such an honour to be surrounded by so many talented and diverse artists, and we’re really hoping to catch a few shows ourselves while we’re here!
Ideally, when audiences leave this performance, they should feel...
Ecstasy, exhaustion, grief, or release, I hope it reminds them of their aliveness, and maybe even reconnects them to the parts of themselves they’ve had to hide or harden to survive. OR. . . Just simply inspire them to go out and rave after!
'The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave' is on at Frankx Studio (Warana) as part of the Sunshine Coast's Horizon Festival on 3 May.
The 90-minute dance workshop is also on at Frankx Studio on 2 May.
