Choreographers, from left, Carly Armstrong (Maylands), Jessica Lewis (Redcliffe) and Amy Wiseman (Joondanna).
Camera IconChoreographers, from left, Carly Armstrong (Maylands), Jessica Lewis (Redcliffe) and Amy Wiseman (Joondanna). Credit: Supplied/Marcus Whisson d437728

Linking talents at WAAPA

Tanya MacNaughtonEastern Reporter

IT was LINK Dance Company that brought dancers Amy Wiseman, Carly Armstrong and Jessica Lewis together in 2008, so it seems fitting the trio " now known collectively as Unkempt Dance " return to where it all began, but this time as choreographers.

The WAAPA graduate dance company will present Tipping Point this week, a triple bill of works performed by current LINK dancers and created by Unkempt, fellow alumni Emma Fishwick and South Australian-based Gabrielle Nankivell.

"We�ve all kind of gone off and done other things, but it actually feels like not a lot of time has passed when we got back in the studio " it just felt like it was back to normal,� Wiseman said.

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�LINK is a really challenging year in terms of what is asked of the students, but we feel it's also so vital in the progression of student in to professional.

"It really gives you the chance to work out who you are as an artist, so we really wanted to give our cast of LINK dancers that same opportunity we had, to feel like they have that growing time in a way."

Drawn towards a more theatrical style of choreography, Unkempt's new work includes text, props and some interesting costume decisions while examining human relationships and the small rituals of day to day life often left unnoticed.

"It might not be what they�d expect from contemporary dance," Armstrong said.

�There definitely is dance movement in it but there's a lot of humour and it's playful, which is great because the other two works are quite physically demanding and technical for the dancers.

"Having the triple bill allows them to have a range of all the different aspects."

Wiseman admitted there had been some trepidation before entering the rehearsal space with the nine LINK dancers.

"We started off as strangers and we weren't sure how they would take this on as a young group of dancers," she said.

"But they embraced the silliness and were really generous in their responses to what we asked of them."

THE ESSENTIALS

What: Tipping Point

Where: Geoff Gibbs Theatre

When: May 20 to 23

Tickets: www.waapa.ecu.edu.au