2021
Jonathon Sinatra
Melbourne, Australia
An exploration and creative development of choreographed signature works drawing from Jonathan Sinatra’s Daily Dance project of site responsive improvisational dance-videos. The Daily Dance is a durational visual essay exploring contemporary dance practices in uncommon dance locations. The Daily Dance is an ongoing digital dance publication of connective dances every day since December 2019. Beginning in regional Victoria to the present, Jonathan Sinatra has been utilising the outdoors, domestic, and public spaces as his studio. New dance works are created daily and published on Instagram. Instagram acts as a personal dance journal and a portal to public viewing, feedback, and collaboration locally and globally.
The Daily Dance project has given rise to a trilogy of signature dance pieces titled Within Reach, Reaching In, and Reached. Jonathan’s residency at The Body Voice Centre will focus on further development and public presentation of Reaching In. Currently on Day 600, the Daily Dance project is committed to connecting with dance, collaborators, and ongoing creative practice in the midst of a global pandemic. |
The Trilogy - Elaboration, Development, and Documentation
Within Reach
Within Reach was the culmination and distillation of one year of consecutive Daily Dance videos of dancing across 300+ different sites. The first work, Within Reach, was performed on Monday 21st December 2020 as a 10-minute dance piece at sunset along the abandoned train line in Brunswick. Influences included Russell Dumas, Trisha Browns, Rosemary Butcher, Ohad Naharin, Bruce Nauman, Steve Paxton, William Forsythe, costuming and sites. Video documentation of the live performance
Reaching In
The second iteration of the live performance trilogy Reaching In was presented at Dancehouse on Wednesday, 28thJune, 2021. Reaching In examined how to migrate the origins of the Daily Dance material from an outside setting into an indoor performance setting. This iteration examined: How can the largely improvised material be revisited and scored for future repetition? How can the aesthetic of curating the material be developed to a satisfactory level? For both the artist and the viewing public. Video documentation of the live performance
Reached will be the third in the trilogy of dance works borne out of the Daily Dance project. Reached will be the culmination of all Daily Dance and trilogy works to date and will be presented at The Living Museum of the West in December 2021. Reached will contribute to the creation and draw from the archive of the Daily Dance project. Reached will include collaboration with artists involved in the Daily Dance project, such as including Myfanwy Hunter (sound artist), Ria Soemardjo (vocal artist), Jannette Hoe (dancer), Adam Forbes (dancer), Tony Yap (dancer), Shian Law (dancer) and Abi Hector-Taylor (dancer/film-maker). Collaborators will be introduced to The Living Museum of the West and invited to create a dance/music response to the site and the Daily Dance archive.
Within Reach
Within Reach was the culmination and distillation of one year of consecutive Daily Dance videos of dancing across 300+ different sites. The first work, Within Reach, was performed on Monday 21st December 2020 as a 10-minute dance piece at sunset along the abandoned train line in Brunswick. Influences included Russell Dumas, Trisha Browns, Rosemary Butcher, Ohad Naharin, Bruce Nauman, Steve Paxton, William Forsythe, costuming and sites. Video documentation of the live performance
Reaching In
The second iteration of the live performance trilogy Reaching In was presented at Dancehouse on Wednesday, 28thJune, 2021. Reaching In examined how to migrate the origins of the Daily Dance material from an outside setting into an indoor performance setting. This iteration examined: How can the largely improvised material be revisited and scored for future repetition? How can the aesthetic of curating the material be developed to a satisfactory level? For both the artist and the viewing public. Video documentation of the live performance
Reached will be the third in the trilogy of dance works borne out of the Daily Dance project. Reached will be the culmination of all Daily Dance and trilogy works to date and will be presented at The Living Museum of the West in December 2021. Reached will contribute to the creation and draw from the archive of the Daily Dance project. Reached will include collaboration with artists involved in the Daily Dance project, such as including Myfanwy Hunter (sound artist), Ria Soemardjo (vocal artist), Jannette Hoe (dancer), Adam Forbes (dancer), Tony Yap (dancer), Shian Law (dancer) and Abi Hector-Taylor (dancer/film-maker). Collaborators will be introduced to The Living Museum of the West and invited to create a dance/music response to the site and the Daily Dance archive.
Jonathan Sinatra Bio
Jonathan is a significant contributor, teacher and facilitator to the Australian and international Contact Improvisation community from 1993 to present. Jonathan Sinatra has over 25 years of professional experience in dance making and teaching. Principal dancer with Australian choreographer Russell Dumas' of Dance Exchange (2001-present). French choreographer Xavier Leroy in 13 Rooms (Sydney 2012). Melbourne International Arts Festival with Becky Hilton (2010) and Eleonore Didier (2014). Europena Contact Improvisation Teachers Exchange (2010-2012). Selected residencies: Room to Create, City of Yarra (2019); Dunmoochin Arts Residency (2012-2014). Educator: Contemporary Dance Lecturer, VCA (2020-present). Teaching Artist for ArtLife dance program for people of mixed ability Footscray Community Arts Centre (2010-present).
Jonathan is a significant contributor, teacher and facilitator to the Australian and international Contact Improvisation community from 1993 to present. Jonathan Sinatra has over 25 years of professional experience in dance making and teaching. Principal dancer with Australian choreographer Russell Dumas' of Dance Exchange (2001-present). French choreographer Xavier Leroy in 13 Rooms (Sydney 2012). Melbourne International Arts Festival with Becky Hilton (2010) and Eleonore Didier (2014). Europena Contact Improvisation Teachers Exchange (2010-2012). Selected residencies: Room to Create, City of Yarra (2019); Dunmoochin Arts Residency (2012-2014). Educator: Contemporary Dance Lecturer, VCA (2020-present). Teaching Artist for ArtLife dance program for people of mixed ability Footscray Community Arts Centre (2010-present).