Three choreographers, three unique dance pieces, and sixteen mature-age dancers come together to celebrate the beauty of bodies that continue to move through time. Momentum Unveiled is a triple bill presented by Co3 Contemporary Dance Company in collaboration with Momentum Dance Perth. It showcases remastered works by three WA-based choreographers: Liz Cornish, Storm Helmore, and Evgenia Plotkin Mikhailov.
Momentum Dance Perth, a grassroots organisation dedicated to commissioning new dance works for older bodies, has been self-funded since 2016. Now, they have the chance to present their work on a larger stage as part of Co3’s 2024 IN.RESIDENCE season. Magazine 6000 spoke with the three choreographers about their individual pieces, the limited opportunities for mature-age dancers, and the overarching themes that unite their works.
Liz, you’ll be celebrating the beauty of wrinkles in your solo series Wrinkles. How did this concept come to life for you?
My work aims to see wrinkles as beautiful creases in our skin that tell our life stories. When you look at an elephant skin, you find the folds beautiful. Why not have the same attitude to human skin? In our society there is a lot of pressure to iron wrinkles out, fill them in, plump them up and remove them altogether, as if they were some sort of horrible disease. I believe we just need to look at them differently. When my son was about 4, he looked at me with awe and wonder and exclaimed “mum, you have a music stave on your head”. I realised that he thought the lines on my forehead were interesting. I love the simplicity of acceptance, and I have tried to apply that curiosity to the inevitable changes that happen to your body as you age. All the Momentum dancers are beyond their 40s, so I have encouraged them to find peace and delight with the bodies they have now.
LIZ CORNISH, choreographer, dancer and Committee member of Momentum Dance Perth.
Storm, your piece Sharing Space explores our unique differences and shared similarities as people and movers. How did this concept evolve for you, and where did you draw your inspiration from?
This is something that has kept me interested in dancing and performing and making for a long time and something that is important for me to acknowledge and embrace whenever I work with a new group of people. I love seeing how differently people perform the same movement phrases, how these differences don’t always separate us but can bring us together too. During the process I wanted to make sure there was a diversity of movement styles and performative states in my short piece, to allow all of the dancers to connect to different aspects of the work – to be really comfortable in some sections and potentially pushed into discomfort in other moments in order to explore new ways of moving and connecting and being on stage. I knew the dancers wanted to be challenged to move in new ways, and learn to take on the style and nuance of the choreographers they work with. So we began there, with me teaching them phrase material that felt good in my body. We explored the difficulty that comes with trying to fit into someone else’s habitual movement patterns – what comes easily and naturally for one person may prove extremely difficult and at times frustrating for another. But we played with this idea, found ways to find joy in another’s movement approach and unlock those ideas and themes within ourselves.
Evgenia, your work is inspired by this quote: “When one has a heart, place has no significance at all” (Likutei Moharan, Part II, Torah 56:1). Tell us about this quote, what’s your personal connection to it and how has it shaped your work Purple Patch?
I came across this quote during one of my travels, and it resonated deeply with me due to my personal story. The work explores the journey of finding peace and purpose, regardless of external chaos or challenges—it’s about discovering a path beyond external manipulation. This quote serves as a reminder that when we connect with our true selves, we can find meaning and direction, no matter where we are or what we face.
STORM HELMORE, a member of the Co3 Ensemble (2024 PAWA Award Winner), performer, maker and teacher.
How do you keep audience connection in mind when you’re creating your pieces, Evgenia?
I believe that dance is a powerful form of communication, and I aim to create moments on stage where the audience can see themselves and connect with the experience. I think about how the movement, music, and visuals might evoke feelings and provoke thought, making the audience feel connected to the story unfolding before them.
It’s not often we see veteran dancers on stage. What can we do to change this?
Liz: As artists age, they deepen their understanding of their artform. They have spent many years learning their craft. As they age they can move on from technique and dive deeply into the communication of ideas. Musicians become virtuosi, actors find greater truth in their characters, painters find greater subtlety in their brushstrokes. Similarly, older dancers find greater nuance in their movements. Dancers over the age of 40 are rare on western stages. This is a missed opportunity, as their bodies have decades of information stored in them. When older dancers move, you can see that they have spent decades exploring their craft, and it is layered with years of experience. I find this interesting to watch. You can see that there is life experience in the movement.
Storm: Keep making and presenting work that includes dancers of all ages! We should celebrate and encourage it and not only expect to see young dancers on our stages. My career has been predominantly as a performer and I have constantly been asked when will I stop dancing and performing, what will I do next? Why should this be the norm in dance? In many other art forms more experienced artists are revered, embraced and looked up to. In dance we are encouraged to retire from performing and pivot to different careers. Why shouldn’t we keep dancing through life and be encouraged to do so – we only get better and unlock more and more potential within ourselves and gather more and more experiences that we can bring the to creative process and to the stage.
EVGENIA PLOTKIN MIKHAILOV, choreographer and contemporary dance teacher.
Although these are three separate works, what do you think they have in common? What do you hope audiences will take away from the experience of witnessing all three performances?
Storm: I think the works share an element of reflecting on one’s own life, of acknowledging the tougher moments as well as the joyful ones, the calm and the turbulent, and how we navigate these times as individuals and with the people we share our lives with. I really hope audiences are able to enjoy the diversity of the three works, to be encouraged to keep doing what they love as they get older and to connect with the simple joy of movement and of sharing this experience.
Evgenia: All three works share the common themes of resilience, hard work, commitment, and the search for meaning. I hope that audiences leave with a sense of reflection on their own lives, inspired by the incredible dancers who, together with the choreographers, have brought this evening to life.
Momentum Unveiled a triple bill featuring dancers aged 45-70 plus is presented by Co3. The season runs from 11 to 15 September at The Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA.