Standing in line in order of height

Book now online:

Bringing together Western contemporary dance and Asian classical dance, Standing in line in order of height explores conformity versus individualism in Singaporean and Australian culture.

Developed through a collaboration between QL2 Centre for Youth Dance and Maya Dance Theatre, the project aims to develop choreographic skills and cross-cultural links between the young dancers: from QUT in Australia we have Hannah Peake, Robert King, Sheriden Newman and Jason Wood who will join four dancers from La Salle College of the Arts in Singapore: Khairul Shahrin, Sufri Juwahir, Adeline Yee, Wei Ling and Samantha Teo.

Maya’s Creative Director Kavitha Krishnan has worked in traditional Asian and contemporary forms in Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Taiwan and South Africa. QL2’s Artistic Director Ruth Osborne is recognised in Australia and internationally for her collaborative work with young people. Working from London and resident in Canberra for the last year, Liz Lea is an award-winning choreographer specialising in contemporary dance and Bharata Natyam classical Indian dance.

Ruth Osborne says the partnership and collaboration “exemplifies a developing new model of dance education in Australia, where university study forms part of a continuum of development for a dance artist, with other strands building strong educational connections between students and the wider ecology of dance.” And that “wider ecology” is a boon for audiences, who will see new intercultural work like Standing in line in order of height.

QL2 Centre for Youth Dance Inc in Canberra, Australia is a non-profit organisation with an 11 year track record of excellence in contemporary dance. It is home of Quantum Leap: an auditioned, selective youth dance ensemble; and to the Soft Landing program: assisting excellent dance graduates to find their creative pathway. It provides integrated programs and projects to support and develop young people in dance at all levels: young dancers from as young as eight, high school students developing their first choreographic ideas, tertiary dance students, and graduates finding their way into the dance profession. At every point, a major focus is on choreographic literacy: encouraging the development of the choreographic mind. For tertiary dance students and beyond, they also recognise the importance of dance artists building connections across the country, reaching beyond the walls of formal study in a single institution.

Maya Dance Theatre was established in late 2006 by a group of artists who are passionate about designing and presenting thought-provoking arts productions. Works by Maya showcase a range of performing art forms and genres with explorative efforts with both independent artistes as well as local and international performing arts groups. With a forte in dance, Maya Dance Theatre also delves into collaborative art performances, where different art forms are cohesively woven in the performances. Transcending cultural, ethnic and national borders, productions by Maya are steeped in strong themes and concepts that offer a distinctive approach to contemporary dance theatre.

———

This project has been supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council,
its arts funding and advisory body.