PPY18: Jacinta Janik

For the first 2 weeks of term 2, we have been focusing on a choreographic development by guest artist Ashley Wright to be performed at our graduation season at Carriageworks in December. Ashley is incorporating elements of physical theatre that bring an extra layer to the highly technical work.

Preparing my mind to be back into the studio after a two-week break was easy upon meeting Ashley. Experiencing her uplifting and bubbly personality made everyone feel settled and ready to take on the tasks we were yet to discover.

Ashley’s movements are very broad and at times I found myself battling my own mind to understand, in depth, what was expected from us. It wasn’t until I stopped overthinking the next move or what I looked like that it became natural. I found myself laughing and enjoying the silliness we were allowed to create, “the more stupider the better”, we were told. “Make it so you feel silly, that’s when you start to really create”.

Ashley talks a lot about visualisation and encourages this everyday with every movement. This has really helped to add more clarity to my movement. For me, visualising has always been the most important aspect in the development of myself as an artist. To have a choreographer reinforce this idea really helped me feel comfortable in this space. I could let my guard down more when dancing. Enhancing everything fully gave me the freedom to really put myself into every movement and extend my body to extra lengths, finding new ways I hadn’t as yet explored. When moving from one side of the room to the other exploring the idea of a ‘floppy fish out of water’ and not using our hands but instead finding unusual body parts we often ignore, was a great task and set me up for the choreographic stage of the week.

Collaborating with Ashley to create a main focal piece that was to be completely your own style, timing, and dynamics really brought out the groups’ creative side. I found myself so engaged and proud of my fellow dancers exploring and finding their potential.

Being thrown into the deep end at the commencement of term two was an exciting time. I love that Ashley really leaves it up to you to take on her style and concept to then be left to create her vision.

The best advice I have learned from working with Ashley is that as long as you commit to an idea or movement, nothing is wrong. There is no wrong, only practice. Do not give up. When you come to a roadblock in your creative state, enjoy finding new ways around it.

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