Food, Wine, Conversation & Dance

Communal Table by Dancenorth

Eight Leading Choreographers Develop New Multi-Sensory Work

Townsville’s award winning contemporary dance company Dancenorth will present four preview performances of new multi-sensorial work Communal Table to Townsville audiences, ahead of its World Premiere at Brisbane Festival 2019.

Created by Dancenorth’s Artistic Director Kyle Page and Associate Artistic Director Amber Haines, and featuring choreography by eight of Australia’s leading dancemakers, Communal Table is a new work created for the adventurous, the curious and the brave. Join four extraordinary performers and 44 guests for a shared dining experience.

Communal Table sets out to illuminate the most basic of human desires through the sharing of four fundamental ingredients – food, wine, conversation and dance. Dinner, dance and dialogue will be served at the Dancenorth Theatre 10 – 13 September. 

Created in collaboration with Global Philosopher-In-Chief of The School of Life, John Armstrong, Communal Table is set to an original score composed by Kelly Ryall and features sophisticated set and costumes designed by Andrew Treloar. Dancenorth have collaborated once again with award-winning Liminal Spaces to design bespoke tables for the work, which will be accentuated by lighting designed by Niklas Pijanti.

Dancenorth’s eight professional dancers will perform solos throughout the evening, devised in collaboration with eight diverse Australian choreographers including Kristina Chan, Thomas E.S. Kelly, Melanie Lane, Jo Lloyd, Gabrielle Nankivell, Kyle Page, Daniel Riley and Lee Serle.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said 2019 marked the fourth successive year in which Dancenorth had premiered new work at Brisbane Festival.

Communal Table takes a multi-sensory approach to storytelling; it is a very full and rich experience that is shaping up to be Dancenorth’s most delicious production to date,” said Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold.

Mr Berthold predicted the debut work would entice a diverse mix of guests to the table. “Food and wine have long been fundamental tools of social interaction. Communal Table establishes the audience as guests and offers ways for us to connect with and understand each other better, aided by the sharing of four fundamental ingredients: food, wine, conversation and dancing.”

One of the fundamental aspects of being based in Townsville is that we always ensure we present our work here with our local community prior to sharing it with the rest of the world. It is a celebration of Townsville’s creative and cultural capacity, for which we are enormously proud,”said Kyle Page and Amber Haines.

Communal Table sets out to illuminate the most basic of human desires. What if we were to arrive as strangers, and leave as friends?

COMMUNAL TABLE

Preview Shows
TOWNSVILLE – Dancenorth Theatre
September 10 – 13
Bookings: www.dancenorth.com.au/communal-table

World Premiere Season
BRISBANE FESTIVAL
September 18 – 21
Bookings: www.brisbanefestival.com.au/whats-on/communal-table