SIZE OF COMPANY
Up to 8 on the road

SCALE OF VENUE
Small- to middle-scale

PERMANENT STAFF
Artistic Director
Liz Lea

Lighting Designer
Karen Norris

Technical Manager
Emma Banwell

ARTISTIC POLICY
Liz Lea specialises in the field of contemporary and classical Indian dance and martial arts, developing an idiosyncratic movement language that is expressive, detailed and dynamic. She has toured her diverse range of solo works internationally. From 2008 she will be opening up her company profile by working with an exciting range of dancers.

REVIEW EXTRACTS
‘Attempts to amalgamate disparate dance vocabularies are all too common today but rarely achieve the satisfying depth and sophistication present in Lea’s unique blend.’ Dance Australia

‘Lea truly shone in Quicksliver… She is a huge joy to watch. She presents the unpredictable and delivers with skill and intelligence.’ The Canberra Times

‘A riveting performer with statuesque gravity… luscious plasticity and superhuman penetrating gaze, her synthesis of dance and martial art is seamless and convincing.’ Pulse (Inland)

CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
Quicksliver A slick, stark, fast and somewhat contained fusion of bharatanatyam and contemporary dance performed by Liz Lea. Set in squares of light and performed to an industrial score. (10 mins, 1 on stage, 2 on the road.)

Eros Eris Commissioned by the Royal Opera House, this duet plays between love and strife in a world of film, light and sound. (25 mins, 2 on stage, 4 on the road.)

Livid First premiered in 2004 and reworked for five women, the piece explores extremes of female expression – danger, nurture, deceit, play – and is sexy, sassy, fierce and tender. (30 mins, 5 on stage, 7 on the road.)

The above productions can be presented as an evening of three works. (65 mins, plus interval, 6 on stage, 7–8 on the road.)

FUTURE PRODUCTIONS
Ajanta Inspired by Anna Pavlova’s 1923 ballet Anjanta Frescoes, Lea will follow in the footsteps of the Pavlova Company tour of India and return to work with five dancers to create a contemporary take on the original, 85 years on. (30 mins, 5 on stage, 7 on the road.)

The Garden A solo inspired by the dances and gardens of Korea. Working with Korean digital artist Hyojung Seo and British composer Will Bolton, Lea will develop a live interplay of sound, imagery and dance. (30 mins, 1 on stage, 4 on the road.)

The Garden Grows (Double bill with The Garden) Group work created on Korean dancers combining their traditional dance with contemporary South Asian movement forms and circus skills. A white world turns red. (45 mins, 4 on stage, 6 on the road.)

WRAP-AROUND
Liz Lea has taught internationally and adapts her classes to the culture and participants she works with. She offers a range of classes, workshops and masterclasses in: contemporary technique from beginners to advanced (8–70 years); South Asian movement forms combined with contemporary dance (15–50 years); bharatanatyam (8–50 years); the practical realities of creating dance works with virtual technology; classes designed for the older participants incorporating storytelling and tales (50+ years); storytelling for children including hand gestures, fairytales and faces (4–8 years); introductory Baroque classes ranging from basic etiquette to steps and formal dances (15–70 years); Burlesque workshops taking participants through cabaret style and technique (16–50 years). In addition, Lea offers talks and discussions for all ages on historical dance and its place in contemporary society and post performance discussions on topics including bharatanatyam, kalariappayattu, chauu and contemporary dance. These can easily be presented with an interpreter.

RECENT INTERNATIONAL WORK
2007 Korea (Research for new work)
2006 Australia, Bulgaria, USA (The Blue Tour/Liz Lea Solo Show)
2005 Bulgaria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland (Liz Lea Solo Show)

TOURING AVAILABILITY
From summer 2008