Crossing Quarters

Crossing Quarters is a work-in-progress and 'four-way’ mentorship, conceived by Natalie Cursio and including Australian dance artists Don Asker, John Utans and Fiona Bryant. The project investigates the flipping of conventional roles in choreography and asks 'What happens when the mentee choreographs upon the mentor?'

Most typically an older ‘more experienced’ choreographer directs a dance work on/with one or more ‘less experienced’ performer/collaborators. In Crossing Quarters we have started by investigating the opposite. Fiona (aged 27) is directing a solo work for Natalie, Natalie (aged 39) is directing a solo work for John and John (aged 51) is directing a solo work for Don. Concurrently Don (aged 64) has begun directing a group work with all three younger collaborators, essentially flipping the construct back on itself.

The artists are connected by a thread of artistic relationships, yet we each have very different choreographic practices and perspectives.

The first stage of development was supported by Arts House CultureLAB (City Of Melbourne).

Lead-up stages of work between Fiona Bryant and Natalie Cursio were supported by Dancehouse, through their Space Grant program and by Lucy Guerin Inc through their Space Residency initiative.