CHOREOGRAPHER Talitha Maslin will be dancing from the heart when she performs her eight minute solo in Short Cuts 2016, presented annually by STRUT Dance.
The 26-year-old WAAPA graduate has collaborated with composer Dane Yates on a work inspired by the fly-in, fly-out culture experienced by many WA families, from the viewpoint of the stay-at-home partner.
“The idea came about when my partner started working away,” Maslin said.
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READ NOW“Although he only went on a short contract, I found it so incredibly hard to deal with the constant departures and the seemingly short time he spent at home.
“I found the emotional journey to be completely consuming, so I decided to look online to see what advice I could get to help me cope and there was so much information in forms of forums and blogs that I thought it was a fabulous concept for a solo work.
“I hope to highlight that the Fifo way of life is not always about getting rich. I want to demonstrate the challenges the stay-at-home partners face and the emotional turmoil they endure when the working partner is away.”
It is Maslin’s first time choreographing for Short Cuts, a season which provides the opportunity to choreographers, especially young or emerging artists, to try out new ideas or simply put their own creative works in front of an audience.
This year’s program will feature 15 choreographers across two programs and three days, delivering everything from solo works to 14 dancers ripping up the stage.
Maslin, who has received a Department of Culture and the Arts Young People and the Arts Fellowship, said she hoped audiences found the works entertaining and educational.
“For people who are new to watching contemporary dance, I hope they gain a better understanding of just how broad the genre is and why it can be hard to explain at times,” she said.
“I hope their perception of the world or specific topics are challenged or they see something from a new perspective.
“I hope they leave feeling a greater connection to the contemporary dance genre and are inspired to see more shows or start taking dance classes.”
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Short Cuts 2016
Where: King Street Arts Centre, Perth
When: April 21 to 23
Tickets: www.trybooking.com/KZTS