Newsletter April 2025

"From March 24-28th 2025, I had the pleasure of returning to the Hochshule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (HfMDK) as a guest teacher, representing the Tanja Liedkte Foundation. I worked with the nine third-year bachelor students (and an exchange student from Vienna) and presented them with a number of short excerpts from construct to learn. The movement vocabulary was varied in dynamic, speed, quality and mood, however the students did an excellent job of interpreting the difference pieces. By the end of the five short days we had together, as one of their fellow students exclaimed; "You (they) were really dancing". The students were impressed with one-another's development in such a short period of time, were appreciative of the foundation for creating the opportunity, and said they felt pushed to develop themselves but in a very supported way. It was a great exchange, and I would not hesitate to return to the HfMDK and to work again with the great students."

It is a work that explores lineages of contemporary dance history and embodied memory through the lens of three different generations of Australian dancers. It grew out of an invitation by the Tanja Liedtke Foundation to respond to the archive of the late choreographer Tanja Liedtke, and traces how the legacy of her work impacted contemporary dance in Australia.

After two years of research and creative development, the artistic team have recently met in Canberra to compile the work and collaborate with young dancers from the Quantum Leap youth dance ensemble. The work is set to premiere in Australia in late 2025.

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Restless dancers and a selection of independent dancers; Adelaide, 2025

The support from the Tanja Liedtke Foundation for the second stage of the Kontakthof workshop made it possible for nine (9) Restless dancers with disability to take part in the audition process. All nine dancers were successful and have been selected for the final cast.

This report provides a detailed account of Restless Dance Theatre and Back to Back’s collaboration exploring excerpts of Kontakthof - UTOPINA Repertory Lab.

Kontakthof, which translates to "courtyard of contact," explores themes of human interaction, intimacy, and social ritual. These workshops explore these themes, integrating the lived experiences of its diverse group; it speaks to broader issues of accessibility, inclusion, and community