DRILL

I had the pleasure of meeting this gentleman many years ago through the small dance circuit in Tasmania. We were introduced through a mutual friend and I had the pleasure of working with him as a dancer in one of his earlier projects. Now, with his own performance company (DRILL), Joshua Lowe is making dance accessible to all members of the Tasmanian community. What makes this man so remarkable is the fact that his "origins" as a dancer/choreographer/producer/artistic director did not follow the conventional path of being "taken to dance class at the age of 4" - on the contrary, his birth in the dancing world came later than usual. Rather than a hindrance it has been a blessing I believe, as he brings with him a grounded, mature and a different scope in the dance world through his varied experiences. It was an absolute joy of mine to have Mr. Lowe agree to be interviewed for this piece and I thank him for his time.

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1. You began dance later than what is considered “average”, tell us why you chose to start dancing and about how you discovered your passion for the arts.

I have always been interested in theatre and performed extensively while at school and with many of the local music theatre groups in Launceston. For some time I had my heart set on becoming an actor and even auditions for a few universities at the end of college. I first discovered dance when I did the subject in year twelve and I think that particular curriculum of using dance to express ideas appealed to me. I slowly became more and more interested in dance, taking classes and even choreographing a few shows (without any training) until it became clear that dance was the only thing I wanted to do.

2. Who were your biggest influences whilst studying dance?

I have always been an influenced and malleable person when it comes to dancing and choreography. First and foremost was Jules Colman at St. Patrick's College who was the person who introduced it to me. I was then strongly influenced by my peers in the local community who I began to make work with. While at VCA I would have to say I was really shaped by choreographers Neil Adams, Becky Hilton and Stephanie Lake.

3. Tell us where you received your dance education and why you chose that institution to study.

I studied at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in Melbourne. I chose this because it has one of the strongest reputations for producing contemporary dancers, choreographers and artists in the country. While other institutions also offer this, VCA is uniquely situated right within its own industry in Melbourne, currently the heart of contemporary and independent dance - and it's also close to home!

4. Tell us about your earlier collaborations with PTB Entertainment and what you learned from the process of putting together your own showcase.

I am forever indebted to PTB for providing me with my first experiences in not only choreographing, but producing and administering. The whole experience was new in different ways for most of us and I must say a lot of mistakes were made along the way. However, I felt that those mistakes were extremely valuable learning opportunities as I was then able to grow independently and make each successive work better than the last. I not only learned about the artistic side of things, but also valuable skills in areas such as web and graphic design, publicity and marketing, finances and budgeting etc.

5. What do you find particularly challenging as an artist and do you share the same challenges as a director?

I actually feel like there is little overlap between the demands and challenges of me as an artist/performer and me as a choreographer/director. I must admit I don't particularly enjoy performing anymore because of the rewards that creating and producing my own work gives. As an artist my greatest challenge is remaining focused and enthusiastic, especially when I'm working under someone elses artistic vision, mostly because it's not my artistic vision - I'm really selfish like that. This is definitely not a problem when I am in the role of the director.

6. How did DRILL come into being?

DRILL was formed primarily as a conduit for my artistic expression and need to fill my time with all things dance. I was at a point where I had so many ideas in my head and having already experienced the thrill of creating my own entire work, I just needed to get them out. With the invaluable help of some of my peers in the community, we formed DRILL in January 2007, launched in April 2007 and produced our first work, MASQUE, in August 2007.

7. Tell us about what DRILL aims to bring to Tasmanian audiences?

For me, this is always changing and evolving. Originally DRILL worked with only local young people, but as my experience and networks grow, we have begun to engage more and more emerging professional artists and designers to work with the young people. Artistically there is a recurring essence, but each new work is very different from the last as I use them to experiment with new styles and formats (our most recent work Fy for instance follows a narrative and uses characters and spoken word). Ultimately I want to give Tasmanian audiences fresh, original, unexpected, professional, visually spectacular contemporary dance and physical theatre works.

A scene from "Fy" ~ Mr. Lowe's muse and principle dancer, Hannah Vermeulen

8. Will there be future projects interstate and a possible international tour?

There will definitely be future projects interstate as one of my aims for DRILL is to bridge the gap between Tasmania and mainland Australia by cross-pollinating artists, young people and works. Our next creative development will actually take place in Melbourne. As for an international tour! ... well, let's wait and see! 

9. Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?

I am a firm believer in having a plan and I do have a vision of where I would like to go, but in the same breath I also don't want to limit myself and would rather wait and see what opportunities come up at the time. I would like to see myself as the artistic director of a successful company, or at least in a position to continue creating new dance works.

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Check out Drill for yourself:

http://www.drillperformance.com/

When Ninemsn successfully ruined a film for me...thanks guys

So curiosity got the cat?- or is it a case of Ninemsn's writer being slightly dim-witted by revealing a crucial plot point of a romantic "comedy" forever now tarnishing the "big reveal" of the film and now completely altering my perception of what I thought was what I was expecting to see. (Only credit I can say for the trailer is that kudos for it in fact not divulging the entire story like I had originally thought - and had written in an earlier post "The Three Degree of Romantic-Comedy").

.............I speak of Jake Gyllanhaal and Anne Hathaway's new film, Love and other Drugs. 

I was initially drawn to an article about Gyllanhaal supposedly saying filming sex scenes with Anne Hathaway did more to release tension than anything else. Yes...curious and nosey me wanted to check out what that was all about. Nevertheless, the article was entirely pointless and was a waste of the 2-minutes I spent reading it, so I get a real slap on the wrists for wanting to see somewhat nude pics of Gyllanhaal and Hathaway that were published in Entertainment Weekly. Talk about major punishment when I read the final sentence of that ridiculous article (and IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THIS CRUCIAL PLOT POINT FOR THIS FILM I SUGGEST YOU STOP READING NOW BECAUSE I WILL REVEAL A SPOILER BY POINTING OUT THE SORDID SENTENCE THAT NINEMSN INCLUDED IN THAT ARTICLE):

In the film Hathaway plays a gravely ill woman who becomes involved with Gyllenhaal's character

Arg......face-palm......

Well if it wasn't common knowledge before, it's common knowledge now.

Twilight's slightly less popular, uncool other sister....

I saw the poster for 2011's Red Riding Hood on my favorite film site imdb.com and was quick to jump on the tubes to find the trailer. Arg............

- the poster is the best thing that this film's got going for it....sad because one of my favourite actor's Gary Oldman is in this...and, someone who everyone touts to be the next big ingenue (since her appearance in Mama Mia) Amanda Seyfried is playing the title role. You'd think with "good actors" you'd be partly on the way to making a hit? Sorry....that's not the case any more!

Really, when I saw that the director was the one who brought us Twilight I should've been dubious from the onset. But here are the reasons why I won't be seeing Red Riding Hood (and if I do end up watching it, it'll be out of the fact that there's nothing better to rent from the dvd store, and that I'll be "giving this one a chance"):

1. Whilst the initial plot synopsis sounded quite interesting "Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure." upon watching the trailer it was quite evident this was going to really focus on the love affair between the woodcutter and the young girl and that the film's style and cinematography, not to mention dialogue and script would make sure to target those young teenage audience members who have come from being titillated by their latest Twilight offering. Apart from being downright tedious to watch, it also denigrates more mature audiences by dumbing down the layers of the two protagonist's love affair and highlighting just how awkward it is watching two teenagers go about having sex for the first time....arg....it is truly cringe worthy and leads to my next point of why this film will inevitably...suck...
2. Amanda and her love-interest speak in American accents - to the point where they sound like they've just stepped off the footpath of Manhattan and jumped into fancy dress for the annual work Christmas party...whilst, Gary and the rest of the cast adorn somewhat unsyncronized European accents. Please....if you're going to do an adaptation of one of childhood's greatest tales, please, oh please....choose a uniform accent and make sure all your cast members adhere to this memo. The only exception to this would be when Kevin the Costner played Robin Hood as an American - but really, pulled it off so well despite the rest of the cast being quite decidedly British (that was only possible due to [A] superior acting and [B] a great script).
3. Whilst the cinematography uses great juxtapositions of colour - greatly highlighting all REDS on screen, and really uses broad sweeping shots to its advantage (probably the only good thing that Twilight brought to us - some great shots and scenes, but the subject of the camera's attention was another matter entirely), the use of techniques that have become standard for music videos has become quite boring to watch in film. It was awesome in The Matrix, cool when Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon reared its head, but by the time we got to any of the Matrix sequels and this latest film this technique of fast forward motion and slow motion, has become over-used, over-done and hence - boring.
4. Lately........whenever "traditional" or "adaptations"  have been released with trailers donning rock or pop music...you know it's going to be a flopper. Immediately they are targeting a young, easily influenced and less critical audience (usually teens) and they are also attempting to make a film "relate-able" to get bums on seats, because without this technique it is quite possible that no one would go to see this film. It just makes me cringe....the same feeling I got when I saw the trailer for Legion (and I was right about that one being a flop).

....needless to say....the concept behind making a film about an old-time-fairy-tale is actually a very clever idea - it's just how you execute the damned thing which becomes so important. Do you want to make this tale relevant to audiences today? Or do you want to modernise it? Or in this case...are you ready to bastardize an old child's fable so you can make a fast buck and attempt to look "cutting edge" and cool?

Whatever the case, you need to be clear on what you want to achieve when you set out to make a film. Obviously, Catherine Hardwicke is only interested in making films that cater for young malleable minds and exploiting techniques that are fashionable just to pass herself off as a somewhat "credible" director. She's smart for signing on to make something like Twilight just because of $$$$$ - but she's left herself wide open to scrutiny for whether or not she's capable of actually directing something serious and note-worthy.

See the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVcUdEHP9PA

Mia Mia, what did I say about Mia?

Mia Wasikowska with genius, Tim Burton

In an earlier post I talked about a young Australian actress who made her debut in Tim Burton's rendition of the famous Lewis Carroll classic. I said that this young Canberra ex-dancer had potential to do great things. The trailer for her next film, a period classic, Jane Eyre has been released. Due out next year, can I say it's about bloody time a thrilling period film was released - and this one looks to be quite brilliant. I think the last time a truly "good" period film was released we were looking at around the time of The Crucible with Winona Ryder in 1996 and well...really...The Piano 3 years earlier in '93 with Holly Hunter and a very very young Anna Paquin (who won an Oscar for her performance in that film and might I add, became the youngest ever female to win that gong). 

A scene from 2011's Jane Eyre

The trailer for Jane Eyre looks quite serious, foreboding and really highlights the darkness that Charlotte Bronte tried to capture in her novel. This film looks like it will very much focus on the more supernatural aspects to the story - creating this to be a period drama with a twist towards a thriller-edge. I'm really truly excited for the release of this film and would actually consider hopping to the cinema to see it. I have never seen a period film at the cinema....mainly because I haven't found anything that I have been truly over-excited to the point where I'd actually make the effort to venture out and sit in the dark with a group of strangers. Jane Austin's novels that have been transferred to the screen whilst all commendable haven't generated nearly as much buzz for me as this latest offering to go purchase a "movie-ticket". The other big incentive for me is to watch Mia Wasikowska play the title role. I felt initially that she was a good choice when I was scouting the internet for information about this film and now, seeing flickers of the film on my computer I can see that this lady is really going to generate some attention. I stand by my earlier comment that this one is going to be good - because she really will be.

Given that period dramas very very rarely get much mention beyond costume and cinematography nods at the Oscars, lets just hope that Mia's performance is strong enough to warrant a mention at the next awards ceremony. If not, it doesn't mean that she's any less of an actress than the others, it will just mean that the roles she selects or is offered in the future will have to be carefully considered. Nevertheless, it doesn't take an Oscar-win to recognise a truly great actor. There are so many under-rated actors floating around in Hollywood-land it's ridiculous.....that are truly truly great at their craft, but are not for one reason or another recognised for it (I refer to for example, Leonardo DiCaprio who constantly gets shunned at the Oscars to the point where I think he pissed someone majorely important off; Christian Bale - brilliant and intense actor but hasn't won an Oscar; Naomi Watts - nominated but missed out and so on and so forth). 

So....

Mia Mia, what did I say about Mia??? - this one is destined for great things.

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Watch the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IFsdfk3mlk

Elegance embodied ~

Today I bring to you a very special interview with former-American Ballet Theatre ballerina, Christine Dunham. A principle dancer with the New York city based company during the 1980's and 1990's, she performed all the great classics from Giselle to Swan Lake. To me, Christine is the embodiment of elegance with a hint of that old-time-glamour. My exposure to her dancing was towards the end of her career - most notably her appearance in the televised ABT production of Le Corsaire in 1997. I am truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to interview her.

Hope you all enjoy x

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1.                  How were you introduced to the world of ballet?

I was introduced to ballet at the age of 5. My parents took me to see The Nutcracker - thought of nothing but pink tutus, pointe shoes after that performance. I was obsessed. Twirling in our living room that had no furniture at the time. Discovered a way to make my "pointe shoes" with small dixie cups over my toes and socks.

I started my lessons at the age of 7. Went to class once a week in Dallas, TX By the time I was 9 it was every day except for Sunday's. Lorraine Cranford was my first teacher. I remember her so well. Just wonderful! Then it was Myrtha Rosello, another amazing teacher. I danced my first Nutcracker with her company, Texas Civic Ballet of Dallas. Loved! I was Clara and our guest artist for Sugar Plum and Cavalier was Zhandra Rodriguez and Fernando Bujones - both from ABT (American Ballet Theatre). Such inspiration...

 
I then went to the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet where I learned a great deal. Ann Etgen and Bill Atkinson were incredible teachers. Lot's of partnering and performance opportunities. I continued here through high school with summers spent at SAB (School of American Ballet).

2.                  What was the single most important lesson you learned from that training experience?

The most important lesson learned? I was incredibly lucky with all the teachers I had during these early years. Each and every one had something wonderful to offer and they all were not only great teacher's but taught me how to get through those difficult moments of a young dancers life. I wanted to quit when I was 12 and 13. So glad I didn't.

3.                  Is the way in which ballet is taught to children different now? How so?

I don't think much has changed in teaching. I guess I couldn't really say. I haven't watched a young dancer's class in years - only professional. I believe the need for amazing technique has changed though. It's unbelievable what dancers are doing today.

4.                  What was your first performance as a professional and how did it feel to be on stage no longer a student, but a paid performer?

It's funny how I can't remember exactly my "first" professional performance. I have many wonderful memories of Dallas Ballet with George Skibine and also with Flemming Flindt and Ballet Dallas. My exact memory would be when I joined ABT in August of 1985 and danced in the corps. The ballet was Giselle at Wolf Trap. Amazing!

5.                  What were some of the memorable experiences you had at ABT?

Most memorable is my first performance at the Met. Again, Giselle. The Met stage is massive and wonderful! Working with so many wonderful choreographers and touring.

6.                  What was it like to go on tour? – how were your days structured?

Touring was all things...exciting, exhausting. We usually stayed a week or two in each city. 9 weeks. All the major cities, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, sometimes Houston. My favorite was when we travelled outside the US. 11:00 class, rehearsals until 5:45 and then the performance. Usually 8 shows in a week.

7.                  What was the most challenging aspect in your career as a dancer?

It was most challenging when I first moved to NY and didn't have my own place. Slept on a couch the first year and travelled on weekends to Baltimore to visit my husband.
Also getting used to the schedule of an ABT dancer was difficult. Exhausting!

8.                  What aspects of being a principle dancer did you find more demanding than being a corps member or soloist?

I actually found dancing in the corps most challenging. I found it hard to stay in line. It was difficult not to dance musically the way you wanted too. And hard on the nerves not to make a mistake!

9.                  How did you know it was time to stop dancing?

It hurts A LOT! I just knew. When I went into the directors office and said I don't want to dance Swan Lake any more it's time. Swan Lake was one of my favorites! I felt that I couldn't maintain a high standard of technique. I enjoyed some of the character roles but it wasn't enough. I didn't want to push it and risk injury either.

10.              Even though you have been retired for almost ten years now, do you still do barre at home? – or participate in class?

No barre, no class. Nothing! I feel very full and happy and couldn't bare the thought of "turning out" etc. I do miss moving to music though and that feeling of being so warm in my muscles, dancing the last grand allegro combination in class - that feeling of flying through the air.

11.              For young dancers, what is your advice to them when considering a career in ballet?

I think the George Balanchine quote says it best:
"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who need to dance." It's so much more than wanting to dance. One must live and breath it, every moment.

I didn't see that coming...

I finally got around to seeing Sex & the City 2... ... ... ... ...

.... ... ... ...I think this franchise needs to be put to rest - and that's coming from a big SATC fan!!!!

I won't go on about how disappointed I was with the film, the script, the dialogue, Kim Cattral's face (bless her for being so damned sexy for so long, but she's well and truly past the plunging cleavage and 20-something attire she was trying to pull off in the film....), oh and the pointlessness of the entire plot - I think it's time to let those 4 "besties" go and just relish in the memories we have from the tv series - don't tarnish what has been so brilliant for so many years (and if they release a third film I won't bother seeing it - I can't see how you can develop another storyline from something that has been finished years ago). 

SO!

My point in this blog post is actually to talk about those actors who take you by surprise (in a good way) and deliver a performance that either you weren't expecting or had no idea was even possible from them! 

Liza still has it at 64

The highlight of SATC2 for me was seeing 64 year old Liza Minnelli get up and not just sing, but also pull off a high-energy dance routine to Beyoncé's All the Single Ladies. This woman is just phenomenal. To have had a complete hip-reconstruction and to have gone through a period in her life where she couldn't even walk, let alone speak, to performing a pop-song onscreen, in black tights, in 2010!!!! This is truly incredible. That was the highlight of the entire film for me. Liza being the daughter of one of Hollywood's most regarded names (Judy Garland) would've made her mother proud. It's not just Liza's grit and "can-do" attitude which I love, but the fact that she can laugh at herself. Her sense of humour knows no bounds. She took me by surprise by appearing as a vertigo-suffering, narcissist in Arrested Development. Never would I have envisaged this woman of Hollywood royalty to come out and play a character so outrageously ridiculous - and pull it off so well. This woman, despite all her ideosyncracies is incredible and damn she can act. She is a stellar example of the triple threat - singer, dancer, actor.

Moving away from the glitz and glamour of SATC (and New York), other actors that have shown a flip side of themselves in a significantly more darker sense are comedians Robin Williams and John Lithgow. Both are known more for their funny-bones than their serious roles, however both were so very very good at playing sociopaths. 

John can be both funny...and terrifying

John Lithgow won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of serial killer Arthur Mitchell in Showtime's hit series Dexter. I am only 5 episodes into the fourth season which I aptly rented from the DVD store yesterday and had no idea that John was going to play such a dark role (despite him being on the DVD cover) - and was even more shocked to find that he could play it so well. What is it with funny men being so damned scary? I know John from the 90's comedy show, 3rd Rock from the Sun. That show little did I know back then, had 2 very capable actors in it (I refer not just to John but also to Joseph Gordon Levitt who managed to surprise me in his performance in Inception - which was for want of a better word, awesome). 

Then we have Mr. Williams....whom I have loved since I was child - since the Genie in Aladdin; cross dressing in Mrs. Doubtfire; inspiring students in Dead Poets Society and who could forget that over-the-top club-owner Armand in The Birdcage. I remember being dubious when finding out that Robin was going to show his darker side in both Insomnia and One Hour Photo. How wrong was I? I had seen Robin portray serious roles in the past, Dead Poets being one and Good Will Hunting being the other...but seeing Robin play someone sociopathic, twisted...and someone who would willingly take another's life? That was something else - and he too was so very good at it, which was what made his performance all the more eerie. Funny men like Lithgow and Williams highlight how serial killers can go about day to day life blending in with normal society. They displayed that even the most "normal" of looking people can be so very evil. 

The funny Robin (The Birdcage)

The darker Robin (One Hour Photo)

I think this highlights how actors and performers can become type-cast so easily. After playing characters in the same genre for so long, the audience begins to believe that they can only show that one side of themselves. Its easy to under-estimate them when they don't take that risk and jump into a project so left field - but at the same time, it takes a producer, casting director or even a director to also take that leap and choose someone so different - to take that risk. 

I love being surprised like this - pleasant surprises are always welcomed, but then there are a whole host of actors who have done just that and tried to break out of that mould but have been unsuccessful, simply because they don't have that capacity to show another side of themselves. I guess it is a true judgment of an actor's craft - to be able to be multi-faceted and to be damned good at it.