‘Physical’ and ‘emotional’ is how Sydney Dance Company’s Janessa Dufty describes the upcoming show in Dubbo.
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Sydney Dance Company will be performing at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre on July 1. The show will include both Rafael Bonachela’s Frame of Mind and Wildebeast by Gabrielle Nankivell.
Ms Dufty, who has been with Sydney Dance Company since 2009, said the two pieces were quite dark and emotional, with a lot of physicality.
“I think it’s quite a personal journey. You find it within yourself how to perform it and it becomes more about your journey,” the senior dancer said.
In Wildebeast, Ms Dufty said the dancers morph between the mechanical and organic. Ms Dufty herself performs as a satellite, peering into the world of the beasts.
The show is touring around Australia, but Ms Dufty said she was particularly excited to bring it to Dubbo audiences. It was great to bring dancing to those who may not always get an opportunity to see a contemporary show in their own backyard, she said.
Performing was always something Ms Dufty said she had loved to do.
“I started at a very young age. I was always a mover, doing dances in the living room,” she said.
Ms Dufty grew up in Yamba where she began dancing when she was five-years-old. She joined the Queensland Dance School of Excellence and then at 18 went to the New Zealand School of Dance where she majored in contemporary.
She then danced for the Black Grace Dance Company in New Zealand before joining the Sydney Dance Company eight years ago.
Ms Dufty said she was drawn to contemporary because it was very individual and required a dancer to look inside themselves in order to perform.
It was hard for her to pick a favourite moment in the show; Ms Dufty said she liked all of it.
Equally hard was for the dancer to name her biggest challenge.
“Throughout my time I’ve had challenges like with injuries, but I like a good challenge and that’s what keeps pushing me. I like finding new and interesting things to keep me going,” Ms Dufty said.
Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre manager Linda Christof said Sydney Dance Company was a leader in contemporary dance in Australia.
“Sydney Dance Company enjoys touring regionally, particularly to Dubbo, as our region has a strong dance community and audiences are receptive to contemporary new Australian work,” she said.
As well as performing, Sydney Dance Company will also be holding workshops.