Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Alison Currie is a choreographer based in Tarntanya/Adelaide. She has created / co-created over 30 new dance works since graduating from Adelaide College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance in 2003. After 10 years predominately working at the nexus of visual arts and dance, a Research Masters in Choreography and Performance from University of Roehampton, UK in 2015 enabled Currie to deepen her core investigation into object and subject in performance. This led to significant creations ‘Concrete Impermanence’, ‘I can relate’ commissioned by Carriageworks, and ‘Of All Things’ commissioned and performed by Australian Dance Theatre (ADT). As well as several collaborative works including ‘Progress Report’ co-directed with Alisdair Macindoe, ‘Somewhere, Everywhere, Nowhere’ co-directed and performed with Yui Kawaguchi, 'Things meeting now' co-created with Bridget Currie and 2020 Keir Award Finalist ‘De-Limit’ co-directed with David Cross. Alisdair Macindoe and Alison are currently working on their second co-directed work after collaborating on several projects in various roles since 2008. She also shares an ongoing practice with Ade Suharto, beginning in 2021, which has led to an iterative series of performance moments entitled ‘Maintain, Rest, Value’ (2023-ongoing). Alison was Pre-Professional Program Director at Australasian Dance Collective 2024-2025 developing and delivering the first year of the program. Since leaving the role she is refocusing her attention on her choreographic practice which has been predominately produced by Insite Arts since 2010.
PROGRESS REPORT A hortative manifesto that boldly proclaims wasting waste is a waste Commissioned through Vitalstatistix’s Incubator program in 2019, Progress Report is a new solo performance about consumerism and waste. The work puts everyday decisions under the microscope to reveal seemingly contradictory, at times hilarious and often unbearable truths. A hortative manifesto that boldly proclaims wasting waste is a waste, Progress Report exemplifies the imperative need to transform the value of garbage. Progress Report brings together long-time collaborators, dance makers and multidisciplinary artists Alison Currie and Alisdair Macindoe, and their mutual interest in the place of objects and subjects in performance. Through their work they investigate human dependency on and intimacy with objects and how interactions between performer and object can convey tenderness, loneliness and isolation. The upcycled objects in Progress Report become friends, strangers, clothing, and environments, that can instantly be reduced back to packaging or rubbish. Progress Report features several cubic metres of industrial plastics that have been intercepted midway through their recycling process. The work mirrors a dynamic state of change, reflecting this intercepted process, where objects, performer, text and choreography are in flux. Co-direction, concept and choreography – Alison Currie and Alisdair Macindoe Soloists – Alisdair Macindoe / Cazna Brass Lighting, set and costume design – Meg Wilson Sound design – Sascha Budimski Sound design collaborator – Alisdair Macindoe Creative producer – Jason Cross, Insite Arts Choreographic development artists – Lewis Rankin and Kialea-Nadine Williams Industrial foam waste supply and recycling – Cool Foam Image credits Sam Roberts
When something that was stable suddenly changes this can call into question ones entire understanding of our world. We manage, learning to walk while the ground is moving and after it has stopped. Global and personal instability, environmental disaster and personal trauma are explored through the connection of sculptural objects and performers in 'Concrete Impermanence'. This performance is designed for deaf and hearing audiences. A screen in the set displays an abstract visual representation of the sound score; this visual changes based on the volume, pitch and tempo of the music. Concept & Direction Alison Currie Choreographed by Alison Currie in collaboration with the cast, Carlie Angel and Jessie Oshodi Dancers Amrita Hepi, Lewis Rankin and Stephen Sheehan Alison Currie, Harrison Ritchie-Jones and Stephen Sheehan Sound Design Alisdair Macindoe Lighting Design Matt Adey AV Design Jason Lam - Kaboom Studios Costume Anny Duff - Good Studios Creative Assistant Carlie Angel Sculptural Objects molo: designers Stephanie Forsythe + Todd MacAllen Produced by Jason Cross - Insite Arts Rodeo Studio - image design, particularly Tobin Lush Morag Cook - design concept collaboration and consultation previous developments Jessie Oshodi - dancer previous developments Stephen Hayter - structural design consultation and build Rita Bush + Cazna Brass - secondment rehearsal support Sam Roberts, Tim Standing, Kel Mocilnik and Jessie McKinlay - documentation support This project was supported by South Australian Government DPC- Arts SA, Australia Council for the Arts, LWDance Hub, Restless Dance Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, The Substation, Dancehouse, Dance Massive, All Birds and molo. Season Dates 2018 Adelaide Festival Centre, Space Theatre & The Substation (VIC) 2019 Dancehouse for Dance Massive
42a is an interactive performance work for gallery spaces. It premiered in 2008 at the Australian Experimental Art Foundation, Adelaide. It 2010 42a was presented by Insite Arts and toured to Metro Arts- Brisbane, First Draft - Sydney and Fortyfive Downstairs - Melbourne. Collaborating Artists- Annemarie Kohn, Adam Synnott, Kel Mocilnik, Alisdair Macindoe, Carlie Angel, Veronica Shum, Lewis Rankin, Rachel Fenwick, Ana Grosse, Kate Skully. Mentor Sol Ulbrich Production Manager Damon Jones This work has been supported by Arts SA and The Australia Council for the Arts.
Developing and delivering the first year of Australasian Dance Collective's Pre-Professional Program Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance)
Somewhere, Everywhere, Nowhere (SEN) is a 50 minute performance for two dancers, an animated light sculpture and stereophonic sound. In 2021, despite quarantines and border restrictions, two choreographers from the opposite sides of the world were united in the flesh to create a transhemispheric, cross-cultural, mixed-medium work exploring a world that is both divided and united by technology and contagion. During the three years in the lead up to the premiere, Adelaide based Alison Currie and Berlin based Yui Kawaguchi exchanged stories, phone calls, and video rehearsals exploring the feeling of maintaining control and balance in a globalised world where distant events influence each other - sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly - and translating this into choreography. “In 50 short minutes Currie and Kawaguchi manage to convey this sense of being together, yet apart; of being individuals from different nations who share the same humanity; of finding connection in a virtual world while growing ever more disconnected from what is real.” InDaily world premiere: OzAsia Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre 2021 Co-direction, Choreography, Concept & Performers: Alison Currie & Yui Kawaguchi Set and Lighting Design: Fabian Bleisch Sound Design: Sascha Budimski in collaboration with Yui Kawaguchi & Alison Currie Light Animation Fabian Bleisch & Yui Kawaguchi Secondement Dancer Amelia Watson Set Constrauctions Klaus Frohlich, James Dodd Producers Penelope Leishman & Jason Cross (Insite Arts) Australia Associate Producer Ilja Fontaine (Mendora) Germany Photo credit Sam Roberts
Commissioned by Garry Stewart 'Of All Things' made with and performed by Australian Dance Theatre in collaboration with award-winning designers from Enoki. The title 'Of All Things' is in response to the idea that at a microscopic level all things; plants, animals, and people, are the same – all of atoms. With this as a starting point the key creatives; myself, designers and dancers, have developed an imagined alternate world with its own timeframe for the evolution of new life forms and connections to their immediate environment. Through this frame, we aim to shed light on how people treat each other and the world around them. Concept and Direction Alison Currie Choreography Alison Currie in collaboration with the dancers Creative Assistant and Rehearsal Director Sarah-Jayne Howard Outside Eye Garry Stewart Set Design and Construction Susanna Bilardo, Cindy Chay, Amber Lewis and Jacky Spencer from Enoki Lighting Design Chris Petridis Sound Design Sascha Budimski Dancers Harisson Elliot, Christopher Mills, Darci O’Rouke, Rowan Rossi, Sophie Stuut, Kimball Wong