Turnout- Program Notes

This show is approximately 1hr with no interval. Expect short breaks between each work. Contains strobe lights & smoke/haze

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Beautiful Flesh Rots Pointedly by Elizabeth Apter

In many spiritual and philosophical ideologies, the concepts of “body,” “soul,” and “spirit” are used to illustrate the different aspects of human existence. Beautiful Flesh Rots Pointedly explores the female experience, contextualised through these three distinct notions. This piece delves into the intrinsic and interconnected complexities of existing as a woman. The “soul,” “body,” and “spirit” are interpolated as seperate entities into a conceptual timeline - one that portrays a story of fruition from girlhood to womanhood. 

“Soul” -  the truest essence of our being, conceived at birth and cultivated as a child.

“Body” - the vessel in which we navigate the world, so often made frivolous by superficialities.

“Spirit” - associated with a deeper, immortal aspect of being, forging our own enlightenment.

The piece has drawn from each dancers own lived experience in a way that is intrapersonal; fond esoteric childhood memories, the turmoils of adolescence, and the divine and sacred nature of maturity. Although, throughout the development process, it only became more apparent how deeply and inherently linked together we all are. Beautiful Flesh Rots Pointedly aims to answer the questions: “How can we contextualise the female experience through the concept of Body, Soul and Spirit” and, “how do these ideologies intersect?”

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Sloprot

by Mara Glass

Sloprot is an exploration of the influx of generative AI and its perilous relationship to art. It plays with the intricacies of homage vs plagiarism, paying tribute to some of the pioneers of modern, postmodern, and contemporary dance.

With this work I hope to show how much more worthwhile it is to invest in human creativity; that real art requires sacrifice, time, effort, vulnerability, risk, emotional investment, and growth. Using AI robs the artist of learning and is disingenuous in its relationship with the audience. To explore this together, we are going to create something special. When you are prompted, please pull out your phones and scan the QR code or go to the website projected on stage. You will be prompted to answer a few questions and your responses will form the basis for an improvisation. We will then use different prompts to play with the improvisation a few times, enhancing, experimenting, and creating something new. This means, each improvisation, and each show, will be unique. It will rely entirely on the audience input, and the spontaneous choices made by the dancers. Through this collaboration we will all become creators; and isn't that incredibly cool? For me, making dance is, in essence, about exploring the human experience and the importance of collaboration. Neither of which are things AI can replicate or replace.

I hope this is obvious, but no AI was used in the creation of this work.

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Clownface

by Bella Lopes de Oliveira

Content warning: Coulrophobia (references to and visual representation of clowns)

Audience participation: possible contact with balloons (latex)

Clownface is a physical theatre and contemporary dance fusion work that explores the experience of embarrassment. These moments—awkward, sudden, and often absurd—can seem trivial at first. A stumble, a slip, a misread room. We laugh them off, move on. But some of these experiences stick with us. They resurface without warning—days, weeks, even years later— clinging around like stubborn lipstick.

The presence of others can sometimes ease the sting. Other times, it magnifies it. We’ve all witnessed someone else’s uncomfortable moment and thought, “I’m glad that wasn’t me,” or “That was so painful, I can’t unsee it.” The discomfort spreads—felt by both the fool and the spectator.

Over time, the story can take on a life of its own. A moment once small and personal is retold, exaggerated, shared. Passed around the circus ring, until it’s no longer our own. It shifts from a fleeting mistake to something performative—entertainment for others, out of our control.

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CAST

Elizabeth Apter

Elizabeth was raised in the Illawarra where she completed her formative dance training at Evolve Performance Studios. She has trained prolifically in various styles, including jazz, contemporary, lyrical and ballet, as well as bollywood, musical theatre and hip-hop. Throughout her time in high school, she was a featured dancer in the Schools Spectacular, and a member of the ISER Touring Ensemble and the NSW Public Schools State Dance Ensemble, many of which she is still involved with as a choreographer and tutor. She has worked with a range of acclaimed choreographers, including Angela Hamilton, Evie Morris, and the Hofesh Shechter Company. She has completed three seasons as a 2023 and 2024 member of the AUSTI. Dance and Physical Theatre Company, traveling nationally and partaking in a range of projects and performances. Elizabeth holds a deep passion and respect for contemporary dance, cultivating her connection with the arts and her love for creating, expressing, and moving others through this art form.

Mara Glass

Mara (she/her) began her dance training in Canberra and completed her RAD training at Classical Ballet Centre Canberra. She attended Queensland University of Technology (2015-2017) to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance. In 2019 she moved to Wollongong to join AUSTI. Dance & Physical Theatre. As part of AUSTI, Mara performed at Thirroul Seaside Arts Festival, Sydney Fringe Festival, and Melbourne Fringe Festival. Throughout her career she has worked with notable choreographers: Louise Deleur, Riannon McLean, Natalie Weir, Timothy Farrar, Keith Hawley, Stephanie Hutchison, Martin Chaix, and Cass Mortimer-Eipper. In 2022, she choreographed and performed a solo work titled Ankle Deep Water.

Hannah Joseph

Hannah grew up in regional NSW, moving to Sydney at 15 to pursue dance training. This culminated into a year of training at Ev&Bow, followed by two years at Sydney Dance Company in the Pre-Professional Year program (PPY)- gaining an Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance. Throughout this time and exploration of how multifaceted the art form is, she had the privilege of creating and performing repertoire by renowned choreographers including Melanie Lane, Stephanie Lake, Rafael Bonachela, Jen Large and Gabrielle Nankivell, as well as working with and performing repertoire of Ohad Naharin in Italy at Orsolina28.

Bella Lopes de Oliveira

Bella (she/they) is an Australian/ Brazilian dancer, raised in the Illawarra. A background of classical ballet is where her passion for the art began, leading her to study ballet full time in Sydney at Classical Ballet 121 with Director Gillian Revie (former Royal ballet soloist). Bella then accepted places both at The European School of Ballet (Director Jean Eves Esquire) and The National Ballet of Canada (Director Mavis Stains) where she took her training overseas for 2021-2022. Bella then returned home in search of contemporary training and accepted a place at AUSTI Dance and Physical Theatre (Artistic Director Michelle Maxwell) 2023-2024, involving four show seasons and collaborative opportunities with several choreographers.  

Tayla Martin

Tayla Martin is an emerging contemporary dancer originally from Western Australia. She discovered her love for dance at a young age and has continued to nurture her passion ever since. Tayla moved to Sydney to further her training and is currently in her second year of full-time study at Brent Street. Along the way, she has been grateful to learn from a range of mentors who have supported her technical and artistic growth. Tayla is excited to continue developing as a dancer and is honoured to be part of the contemporary dance community.

Emily Vaughan

Emily has recently returned to Australia after living in Dresden, Germany since 2021.

There she worked with contemporary dance company Landesbuehnen Sachsen, previously attaining a Bachelor of Arts (dance) with the Palucca University of DanceDresden. She performed her own fully realised work for her thesis titled Head Over Heels, exploring the complexity of humanity and identity, as Emily has a keen

interest on telling human stories and wishes for art to feel accessible, inclusive and introspective. Her experience also includes internships with the Royal Ballet of

Flanders and the SemperOper Ballet, a highlight of her time including working with

Miller de Nobili company for their production Dust, and performing Ohad Naharin’s

Echad Mi Yodea. Emily is excited to kickstart her freelancing endeavours as an artist

with this project Turnout, whilst also choreographing and teaching locally at Joanne

Grace School of Dance and Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts,

alongside her studies to become a Nurse.

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About the Choreographers

Elizabeth Apter (she/her) has always loved to create and move others through the form of dance. Throughout her years of formative dance training, she also began developing her teaching and choreographic skills within her local dance studio, Evolve Performance Studios. Whilst in school, she assisted and taught independently within a range of studio classes, workshops, and performances, honing her abilities through Dance Editorial's Pre-Professional Dance Course, and the NSW Arts Unit's State Dance Ensemble and composition workshops. After graduating high school, Elizabeth returned as a tutor and choreographer for the ISER Touring Ensemble in 2023. She was also employed under the NSW Arts Unit as a choreographer for the Lower North Coast Junior Dance Ensemble, as well as a guest contemporary teacher for a range of public school dance workshops located at the Sydney Dance Company. Elizabeth admires the choreographic process and values dance as a vehicle for creative expression.

Mara Glass (she/her) completed a Bachelor of Dance Performance with QUT in 2017, where she staged her first professional dance work, Are You Seeing Me? as part of QUT’s ENTER season. She then went on to present The Parting Glass as part of QL2’s On Course season in Canberra later that year. In 2019 Mara moved to Wollongong to accept an apprenticeship position with AUSTI. Dance & Physical Theatre. During her time with the company she choreographed My Battery is Low as part of AUSTI’s uNCOILEd season. Since then, she has staged four full length works as an independent artist in Wollongong: Joy Box, Ankle Deep Water, Let Them Be Messy, and The Every Woman. In 2023 Mara completed a Masters of Dance Research for Professional Practitioners through Rambert School, with a focus on how her work as a choreographer can spark change in the community. Last year Mara presented A Universe in Tiny Form as part of AUSTI's uNCOILEd eXposed season at the IPAC. For Turnout she aims to help share what she's learned staging independent productions, and help platform other emerging choreographers.

Bella Lopes de Oliveira (she/they) is an aspiring, emerging choreographer whose style and ideologies are continually evolving. During her time at Classical Ballet 121, Bella competed in two choreographic competitions where she won first place with a mark of 100. They have worked on a contemporary, ballet and flamenco fusion choreography with Flamenco Australia (Marina Tamayo) alongside Victor Zarallo in 2023 and are consistently choreographing solo ballet performances for local dance schools. Bella feels extremely privileged to be a part of Turnout as both a dancer and choreographer and can’t wait to share what she's been a part of. 

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Music, Sound, and Visual Credits

Beautiful Flesh Rots Pointedly Blue Sky and Yellow Sunflower (2004) by Susumu Yokota

Aquarius (1998) by Boards of Canada

Gyroscope (20020 by Boards of Canada

Donny X (2001) by Faithless

Love In The Time Of Lexapro (2018) by Oneohtrix Point Never

Sloprot

Get Down Saturday Night (1983) by Oliver Cheatham

Albéniz (and 74 musicians) (2024) written by Isaac Albéniz & Thylacine, performed by Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Thylacine, Uèle Lamore

Fast Forward (2024) written by Sam Shepherd, performed by Floating Points

A Forest (2005) by Okkervil River

Paradise Stars (2011) by Noah and the Whale

Nemesis (2009) by The Motet

Snarler (2022) by Anna Waronker & Craig Wedren

AI voiceover performed by Mara Glass

AI animation created by Micah Glass

Clownface

Tiomnaya Noch, ('Dark Night') (1943) by Mark Bernes

S Dobrym Utrom! (1991) by Mark Bernes

Everything In Its Right Place (2000) by Radiohead, produced by Nigel Godrich

Bathroom Dance (2019) by Hildur Guðnadóttir

Audio from video Clown Girl (1953) by British Pathe

Voice recording from dancers: Elizabeth Apter, Mara Glass, Hannah Joesph, Bella Lopes de Oliveira, Tayla Martin, Emily Vaughan

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Special Thanks

There are so so many people who help to get a production like this off the floor and onto the stage. And while a small thank you section at the end of the program notes is hardly sufficient thanks, we have to acknowledge those people who had a hand in our success.

Massive thanks to:

Jeff Apter for helping us with publicity in newspaper and radio.

Tara Becker School of Dance for allowing us the use of their studios to rehearse.

Wollongong Pilates Studio for helping us keep our bodies performance ready.

Everyone who bought a held ticket, but especially Karen Davies for her generous contribution to this new initiative.

Zander and Marni for helping Bella bring the sculpture costume to life. Love you.

Mara for the space and opportunity to perform and have my ideas come to fruition on stage.

The dancers for putting in time and effort into a shared passion project. I'm forever grateful.