두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet)
by Alisdair Macindoe, Chosul Kim, Haneul Jung & Michelle Heaven
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'두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet)' by Alisdair Macindoe, Chosul Kim, Haneul Jung & Michelle Heaven. Photo by HanFilm
— Four artists. Two countries. One meeting point.
두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet) is an electrifying bill of contemporary dance from Australia and Korea that showcases the compelling voices of four distinctive choreographer-performers: Alisdair Macindoe and Michelle Heaven (Melbourne); Haneul Jung (Seoul); and Chosul Kim (Daegu).
Fresh from a tour to three Korean cities, this program of evocative solo works pulses with vibrancy, precision, and experimentation. Be transported by movement that transcends borders – where artistry speaks across cultures, uniting us through shared experience and dissolving boundaries.
Conceived and curated by Brendan O’Connell, this is the first iteration of a multi-year intercultural exchange with Australian and Korean artists and institutions, fostering deeper artistic dialogue between the two nations’ dance communities.
Concept, Curator, Executive Producer Brendan O’Connell
Choreographers, Performers Alisdair Macindoe, Chosul Kim, Haneul Jung, Michelle Heaven
Lighting Designer, Technical Director Keith Tucker
Production Manager Jiyoung One
ABOUT THE SOLO WORKS
Man-il by Haneul Jung
An outstretched part of me, lengthening and recoiling — at once an embrace and a shackle, a shelter and an escape, a pause that carries the seed of its own beginning. This is a story about independence and autonomy. Man-il means both “ten thousand days” and “what if” in Korean. Over the past ten thousand days, I have stood at countless crossroads. At each one, some possibilities vanished, and I chose the life I live now. An imperfect body. Imperfect movements. Yet within them, the present accumulates — a decision to live through it all.
Choreographer, Performer: Haneul Jung
Composer: Jiho Jang
Costume Designer: Insook Choi
Rehearsal Director: Jaeyun Lee
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Diver by Chosul Kim
Crying, laughing, breathing: looking at myself in every moment
I was watching ducks swimming in a pond. One duck suddenly tucked its head under and slipped beneath the water. It didn’t reappear for quite a while, so I kept watching, curious. The ripples stirred by its dive spread without end, travelling across the whole pond. Those ripples quietly touched my heart. Two images overlapped: the duck exploring underwater, and me looking into the depths of my own heart. I wanted to seek out the many pieces of my heart lying deep in the water and comfort them.
Choreographer, Performer: Chosul Kim
Composer: Young Wan Seo
Rehearsal Director: Hyosub Bae (Daegu City Dance Company)
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The Value by Michelle Heaven
The Value draws on painting processes — specifically, the act of painting fog — and examines the connections between artistic practice and the language of both painting and dance. With a 1980s sensibility, it translates elemental concepts into the dancing body, exploring how iconic dance shapes and images are captured, dissolved, and blurred through choreography. The work plays with the framing of vision—how we see, what we see, and how we interpret it — reflecting on the ways we observe, measure, and comprehend what we witness.
Choreographer, Performer: Michelle Heaven
Creative Collaborator: Ben Cobham
Costume Designer: Jenni Langford
Sound Designer: Darrin Verhagen
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A Figure of Speech by Alisdair Macindoe
A Figure of Speech continues Alisdair’s exploration of computer-generated dance scores, re-framing his work at the intersection of AI and dance through a compelling solo format. In each performance, Alisdair is guided by the voice of an AI designed to create engaging and thought-provoking dance instructions. This piece serves as both a metaphor and a lived experience, inviting audiences to ponder the evolving relationship between human expression and artificial intelligence. Through this innovative lens, A Figure of Speech illuminates the complexities of creativity in a technology-driven world.
Choreographer, Performer, Sound Designer, Coder: Alisdair Macindoe
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Alisdair Macindoe (Melbourne) is an award-winning dance artist whose curiosity drives him to blend dance, technology, and sound through collaboration and experimentation – exploring questions about identity, humanity, and our digital future.
Chosul Kim (Daegu) is a graduate of Kyungsung University’s Department of Dance, and has been a principal dancer with Daegu City Dance Company since 2014. Her major choreographic works include the duets Just Be, Small Moments, Moments of Spring, and Small and Small.
Haneul Jung (Seoul) has an M.A. in Dance Performance from Korea National University of Arts, and is the Artistic Director of CONTEMPORARYSKY. His choreography is known for its unique, creative, and youthful styles that converge with other artistic genres and use of a variety of media.
Michelle Heaven (Melbourne) is an award-winning performer and choreographer who has worked with many of Australia’s leading arts companies, and her own independent dance projects have been presented at festivals across Australia and Asia.
Brendan O’Connell is an Australian arts and culture specialist with 15 years’ experience as curator, consultant, and producer. He was most recently Director of Programming at Sydney Dance Company, where he led international engagement, touring, sector development, and artistic strategy. He has held senior roles at Lucy Guerin Inc, Sydney Opera House, City of Sydney, Performance Space, Sydney Festival, Adelaide Fringe, and the Australian Consulate in New York. Brendan is also a Green Room Award-nominated artist (as Big One Little One), having created and toured live art experiences for ten years across Australia.
The project would not be possible without the generous support of individuals Amber McCartney, Benjamin Hancock, Catherine Jones, Dylan Goh, Elaine Chia, Josh Beckett, Kat Chan, Katrina Lui, Kylie McRae, Lucy Guerin, Margaret Parker, Michael Sieders, Paul Lim, Penelope Kentish, Rosemary Walls, Stephanie Lake, Sue Donnelly, Sunny Kim, Thida Kyaw, Vanessa Cogan, and other anonymous donors.
We are proud to collaborate with partners across both countries in realising this ambitious project: in Australia, Melbourne Fringe, Dancehouse, Lucy Guerin Inc, and Performance Space (as part of Liveworks Festival at Carriageworks); and in Korea, Daegu City Dance Company, Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance), Sejong Art Center, and Seoul Dance Center. We also thank associated partners who have supported the promotion of the project, including the Korean Consulate in Melbourne and the Korean Cultural Centre in Sydney.
두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet) has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body; the Australia-Korea Foundation, of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts through the International Cultural Diplomacy Arts Fund; and the Embassy of Australia in Korea.
