Now Pieces #8 + #9 (Double Event)
Efren Pamilacan & Amelia O’Leary
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'Negentropic' rehearsal (2023), Efren Pamilacan and Pataphysics. Photo by artists.
Now Pieces continues a long standing disciplined exploration of embodied performance practice that leads to crafted, spontaneous and artful communication made on-the-go. On the last Sunday of the month, Now Pieces offers an improvisational performance evening at Dancehouse dedicated to low-fi public performances curated by and featuring local dance luminaries.
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Amelia O’Leary (Gamilaroi Yinarr) on Now Pieces #8:
This ‘Now Pieces’ creates space for First Nations dancers to come together and share stories through improvisation. Each artist carries their own lineage and stories, through various scores they get to share and offer sound, dance and theatre. Together we will layer and connect in support and unity.
My hope in curating a full mob Now Pieces is to share how wonderful and diverse Blak performing and visual arts is. With no expectation to be anyone else we prosper in our individuality whilst always loving and supporting each other.
Curator/Performer: Amelia Jean O’Leary (Gamilaroi Yinarr)
Collaborators/Performers: Jyden Brailey (Tharawal/Yorta Yorta), Zoë Brown-Holten ((Th)Dunghutti, Gomeroi and Wiradjuri), Amelia Jean O’Leary (Gamilaroi Yinarr), Ella Clarke-King (Kirrae Whurroung woman from Eastern Marr Nation), Emma Salmon (Kimberley Stolen Generations descendant with ties to Nyikina land), Matisse Knight (Wiradjuri).
Efren Pamilacan on Now Pieces #9:
This Now Pieces brings together the myriad of forms within street dance practiced locally. Artists from Hip Hop, Dancehall, Popping, Breaking and Krump backgrounds will perform with sound artist and co-curator Pataphysics through improvisational “call and response” techniques shared within movement and music genealogy.
Co-Curator / Performer: Efren Pamilacan
Co-Curator / Sound Artist / Performer: Pataphysics
Collaborators / Performers: David Leupolu, Gabi Quinsacara, Lerato Masiyane, Jurnma, PJ
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Amelia O’Leary is a First Nations Gamilaroi Yinarr from Northern New South Wales and has lived in Naarm (Melbourne) for the past eleven years. O’Leary’s dance practice is grounded in the duality of power and softness. It breathes freedom and honesty of exploration and human experience, becoming a product of both the digital and physical realms. As an independent artist, O’Leary is interested in creating her own soundscapes and projections as part of an integrated practice. O’Leary has created multiple dance works and films including Yinarr the film that was presented at Yirramboi festival 2020 and Dance (Lens) Festival 2021. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2021, O’Leary performed her first full-length work ‘Yinarr’ in Adelaide Fringe and Dancehouse in 2022. She was also a part of ‘Collision’ by Jo Lloyd presented at Junction Arts Festival and ‘Garabari’ by Joel Bray at Arts House in 2022. In 2023 O’Leary shared her second full length work ‘A Certain Mumble’ in Frame Festival at the Northcote Town Hall.
Efren Pamilacan is a dance maker and independent producer of Filipino descent, a settler on the unceded lands of the Kulin nations. His work crosses cultural and social spheres intersecting between hip-hop culture, underground dance forms and the contemporary arts sector; and aims to create space for new dance communities to thrive.
As a dancer and dance maker, Efren is a member of Jigsaw Sneakers, director of 9DIMES, and founder of City Sessions.
As an independent producer, he supports street dance artists, collectives and communities as a co-founder of Cypher Culture, a not for Profit organisation empowering street dance and its communities.
Patrick Marks aka Pataphysics is a music producer, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, writer and facilitator. He applies innovative improvisation techniques within performance and production, and alternative approaches within experimental arts practice working in various institutional and grassroots community settings. A Mercury Prize-winning songwriter for his work with Speech Debelle (Ninja Tune), he has produced, written and collaborated with artists such as Stic.Man (Dead Prez), Rob Swift (X-ecutioners), Kaiit, Kee’ahn, DRMNGNOW, Hau Latukefu, 360, Adrian Eagle, Lotek ft.Roots Manuva, as well a host of other artists and projects.