Last year, they dominated the worlds of rugby and cricket. Now, the Australians are sporting their finest colours for Glasgow's NEW MOVES dance extravaganza. Words: Donald Hutera
'DANCE IS OFTEN SO COMPLETELY BORING.’ This might seem an odd admission from the artistic director of an international contemporary dance festival. but it is Nikki Milican‘s low boredom threshold. accompanied by her passion and tenacity that gives Glasgow’s New Moves its cutting-edge reputation.
‘l‘m really not interested in pretty dance steps onstage.’ she continues. ‘I don't want to be in the entertainment industry. I want to put something in front of people that‘s going to be a hit more challenging than that.” For the past thirteen years. Milican has treated British audiences to their first taste of works by a veritable Who‘s Who of envelope-pushing artists. This roster includes people of the calibre of Belgium‘s Wim Vandekeybus and Alain Platel. Spain‘s Vicente Saez and Canada‘s Jean-Pierre Perreault.
A bona fide dance globe-trotter. Milican has recently spent a lot of time plundering dance from Down Under. Consequently. New Moves 2000 is being billed as ‘the largest contingent of Australian independent dancers to ever hit these shores’. The festival opens with A Trial By Video. a high-tech promenade cum installation performance from innovative _ troupe. ‘company in space‘. a ‘ l0“ Sta'k‘C0mPagme "W
Described as a ‘gothic horror ballet‘. Philip Adams‘s Amplificatimz sounds like postmodern dance’s answer to the film Crash. And there‘s a double-bill from Lucy Guerin. who carries the cachet of having choreographed for Mikhail Baryshnikov and his White Oak Project.
7/15 is the name of a platform for six Scottish and seven Australian choreographers.
gamut of emotions and identification tags, from gay to straight to everything in- between. The festival‘s handy little programme contains an image of Sydney-based Dean Walsh. flexing his muscles in blonde wig and faux-leopardskin bathing suit like some poolside jungle queen. This out and reputedly outrageous dancer can be seen. in the flesh. in two separate programmes that promise to confront pan- sexuality with equal measures of sensitivity and head-on humour.
The solo line-up also includes American in Paris. Mark Tompkins in flamboyant participants in an intense. month-long creative tributes to Nijinsky and Josephine Baker. Belgian Thierry Smits and his Compagnie laboratory held in Adelaide and Glasgow. This Thor contribute a pair of potentially blasphemous. provocative works entitled baker‘s dozen will , , . , . Cyberchrist and Pin Up. Fix is a fusion of Sufi-derived publicly share what they Don t say 50m6th|n9 5 "at 900d lust twirls, lights and sound from the UK‘s young. thrillingly gleaned from such a because it's not for you. just risk it!’ good Kathak/contemporary dancer Akram Khan.
hothouse , . _ . Whether showcasing emerging or established dance-
cultural exchange. The "M" M""a“ makers, the New Moves focus has always been on
Australians will then present no more than innovation. ‘You‘re not gonna know all the names we bring.‘ Milican wagers. ‘And
fifteen minutes each of material from their you're not gonna like everything. But don’t say something’s not good just because
existing repertoires. it's not for you. Come back next week, because it’s going to be so totally different. The other major strand in this year’s New Just risk it!‘
Moves is a programme of sexy male solos,
some overlapping with Milican's interest in all New Moves runs from Wed 1-Sat 25 Mar. Box Office 0141 287 5511.
things 02. The men‘s work covers a huge See Dance listings, page 58.
17 Feb—2 Mar 2000 THE lISTTl