AN ACCLAIMED Sydney Dance Company choreographer inspired local dancers at a free workshop ahead of Wednesday night’s Frame of Mind performance at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre.
South Australian choreographer Gabrielle Nankivell honed her craft during a 10 year stint in Europe and has since created works for leading dance companies across Australia.
She choreographed and directed Wildebeest, a moody and animalistic feature of the Frame of Mind tour, showcasing the power of dancers as individuals and en masse.
Ms Nankivell led a group of Envy Dance students in an improvisation workshop at Varcoes Foundry on Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s quite cool to be here – I grew up in the Adelaide hills and did all my ballet training there and there were always lots of people from Mount Gambier that came up for ballet competitions,” Ms Nankivell said.
“I’ve been to Mount Gambier a few times before for a few different shows and I always love being home in South Australia.”
She said the workshop would focus on storytelling through dance.
“My works are contemporary dance but the process is writing stories and using stories to inspire the movement,” she said.
“During the workshop we will try to generate different kinds of moving and incorporate story into the way we’re dancing without it necessarily having to be a narrative.”
The Sydney Dance Company performed Frame of Mind to a capacity crowd at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre on August 2.
