MOUNTAINS NEVER MEET

Sydney choreographer Martin del Amo partners up with ex-footballer Ahil Ratnamohan to bring a team of ten untrained performers from Sydney’s west to the stage in Mountains Never Meet. Del Amo tells us more.

What does the term Mountains Never Meet mean in the context of this work? Each performer has his own individual pathway through the piece. They move independently from each other but are constantly intersecting. They are alone together and together alone – sometimes dogged, sometimes joyful but always active, always defiant. The title, Mountains Never Meet, is a poetic evocation, a metaphor if you like. It’s meant as a celebration of the autonomy of the individual within a group.

What role does sport play in informing this dance? The movement material in the piece is inspired by sport and consists of simple physical actions such as running, skipping and jumping. At the same time the work is choreographically complex, applying space and time-related devices such as change of direction, speed and levels. In this respect, the work explores the connection between sport and dance. Its aim is to playfully challenge what dance can be and who can be a dancer.

Why did you involve the ten untrained Western Sydney performers and what did they bring to the stage? I was interested in working with a group of performers who have no formal dance training but play sports and bring to the project a sense for rhythm, a knowledge of game plan strategies and team spirit. There is a rawness to their physicality that is fresh and unique. The idea to work with performers from Western Sydney was born out of the desire to engage members from the diverse and dynamic community within which the work is presented.

Aug 17-20, Riverside Theatres, cnr Church & Market Sts, Parramatta, $25-28, 8839 3399, riversideparramatta.com.au