3rd July, the Audition

Today I got to meet all the Choreographers for the first time, we're a really varied bunch of people, which is great! We also meet Ya-Chin our co-ordinator and the lovely Miss Chou, Director of the Tsoying High School and this project. The choreographers are:-

Angela Blumberg/Germany

Claude Aymon/France

Julia Milsom/New Zealand

Chien-Chih Chang/Taiwan

Naim Syrazad/ Malaysia

Eddie Chun Hui Lin/Taiwan

and

Kuan-Ling Tsai/Taiwan

And they are all super lovely!

78 nervous dancers taking instructions from Miss Chou.

From left Naim Syahrazad and Claude Aymon

A  very nervous panel of  choreographers.

from left Kuan-Ling Tsai, Angela Blumberg, Julia Milsom,
 Ellen (Ya-Chin's mother),  Ya-Chin, Miss Chou, Chien-Chang & Claude Aymon

Picture of our 2 hours to fight over who gets who (so long as we could remember who was who?!)……….it was no easy feat, but surprisingly it was pretty civilised! I think we all got who we wanted, even if I still only remember them by their numbers “red 4, blue 13, yellow 8, 9 and 10 you’re with Zaimon”.

I think tomorrow I might get to actually know my 9 dancers a bit better.

2nd July, I Arrive.

The 20 hr journey is over!

I was greeted at the Airport by one of the dancers, Apple (easy enough to remember I thinkJ) and Miss Yu-Mie while we were heading to the hotel Apple talked through my information pack, but I don’t think I took any of it in.

All I know is pick up is at 9am tomorrow for the audition! Here is a copy of the schedule for Sunday (I’ve highlighted the bit I’m interested in seeing happenJ)

Time	Events
8:50~10:00	Choreographers will be taken from the accommodation to Tsoying Senior High School
10:00~11:30	Choreographers’ Meeting 1
11:30~12:00	Lunch Time
12:00~13:00	Preparation for Dancers Audition
13:00~16:00	Dancers Audition (20 minutes per choreographer)
16:00~17:00	Choreographers’ Meeting 2
17:15	Announcement
17:20~18:30	Choreographers’ Meeting 3 (with dancers)
18:30~	Home Time

They don’t waste any time here! No duty free G&T for me tonight, I’d better go to bed now, need to be on my game tomorrow. Apple has told me they are expecting over 50 dancers, so 20 minutes each should be interesting…….

I’ll be glad when this day is over.

What is theWDA 2011-IYCP?

I have been selected as one of eight choreographers from around the world to partake in the World Dance Alliance - 2011 International Young Choreographers Project (2011IYCP). It will be a rare opportunity to broaden my choreographic practice alongside other International emerging choreographers. The project takes place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan from the 3 - 24 July, 2011.

The WDA 2011 International Young Choreographers Project is supported by the National Culture and Arts Foundation, Bureau of Culture Affairs, Kaohsiung City Government, and the Chin-Lin Foundation for Culture and Arts in Taiwan.

The 2011ICYP provides me with studio space, dancers, housing, living allowance, and more, to be able to focus on creating a new short dance work.  The work will be showcased on July 23rd and 24th, 2011, alongside the works of the other emerging choreographers at the theatre of Tsoying High School. Performances are expected to attract between 300 and 500 people each night.

I will also have the valuable opportunity to share knowledge and experiences with artists of varying backgrounds and cultures by conducting and participating in a number of dance/choreographic workshops and masterclasses.

You will be able to follow my adentures on this project by checking out my. I’ll be posting images and sharing my thoughts and experiences throughout the process.  Upon my return from Taiwan, I’ll also be presenting a live artist’s talk (with a forum) about my 2011ICYP experience at the fabulous cultural space and bar – Room 60 (Carraway St, Kelvin Grove).

Enjoy!