Australian dance group Chunky Move has announced the 2016 participants in its Next Move mentoring programme. Now in its ninth edition, Next Move commissions new work, supports artists and helps develop choreographers’ careers. Choreographer Melanie Lane, and choreographer Jo Lloyd in collaboration with performance maker Nicola Gunn, have been picked to take part this year.
Lane splits her time between Melbourne and Berlin, and has previously worked with artists like Club Guy and Roni, Antony Hamilton and Tino Seghal. Her works have been performed at festivals such as Tanz im August, Uzes Danse Festival and Spring Dance Festival. Lloyd has worked with Chunky Move on several projects before, and has presented her work at Dance Massive, Melbourne Festival and Next Wave. Gunn is a writer, director and dramaturg, and is an Australia Council Creative Australia fellow and a Mike Walsh fellow.
‘This initiative gives me the rare opportunity to bring a long-awaited collaboration with former Australian Ballet ballerina Juliet Burnett to life,’ said Lane, while Lloyd and Gunn added: ‘With the valuable support of Chunky Move, we will continue to examine the intersection of physical and verbal languages and uncover more exciting possibilities for the body in performance.’
The two recipients will work with Chunky Move over the next four months before premiering two new works in a double bill at Chunky Move Studios in Melbourne. The show opens on 8 September and runs until 17 September.
This is the first time Next Move that has had an open call for submissions. Last year’s edition won the Special Industry Green Room Award for its efforts to develop Australian choreography.