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Prince Alfred Square
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353D Church St
Parramatta 2150
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Fri 10 Jan at 6.00pm
Sat 11 Jan at 6.00pm
Sun 12 Jan at 6.00pm
You’re in a place where the eels lay down and the cars light up. Where the Maccas sign is the biggest moon in the sky. It’s Parramatta. Summertime. Early evening. ENCOUNTER is your invitation to the neighbourhood.
This joyful, site-specific work of music and dance, set in the parklands of Parramatta’s Prince Alfred Square, is an exploration of the everyday extraordinariness and power of young people living in Western Sydney and regional Australia.
Directed by Emma Saunders and developed with a cast of 16 dancers and 48 musicians, in collaboration with award-winning artists, composers Amanda Brown (The Go-Betweens) and Jodi Phillis (The Clouds), writer Felicity Castagna, conductor James Pensini, and associate artist Rob McCredie, ENCOUNTER invites you to celebrate the indomitable spirit of youth and the world they find themselves in.
Arrive early at Prince Alfred Square Park and bring your picnic blankets to enjoy PRELUDE, a warm-up to ENCOUNTER, featuring a rotating showcase of short performances by local dance revolutionaries and community dance leaders.
PRELUDE artists include flamenco diva Pepa Molina; Bharatanatyam dancer Aruna Gandhi; Polynesian Cook Islanders Pacific Dreams; hip hop sensation The Buggy Bumpers; Feras Shaheen and his Dabke dancing mother; Diane Busuttil’s Feisty Femmes; Forge Tap Quartet; the rocking contemporary Dance Makers Collective; and international Sharp Short Dance alumnus Billy Keohavong and more to be announced.
Commissioned and produced by FORM Dance Projects
Supporting Partners: Sydney Youth Orchestras and FLING Physical Theatre
Director Emma Saunders
Choreography In collaboration with the dancers
Associate Artist Rob McCredie
Composers Jodi Phillis & Amanda Brown
Orchestrator Jessica Wells
Western Sydney Youth Orchestra Conductor James Pensini
Writer Felicity Castagna
Visual Artist David Capra
Sarah Kalule, Lawrencea Mateariki, Sabrina Muszynski, Joshua O’Connor, Naomi Reichardt, Feras Shaheen, Caylan Spendlove, Xara Zaineddine
The FLING Company
Esme Barker, Ebony Constable, Gabriela Green Olea, Ebony Ryan-Miners, Lara Scrivens, Bodhi Turner, Rory Warne, Luca Yi
Orchestra: Western Sydney Youth Orchestra
Spoken Word Pola Fanous
Trailer Spoken Word Bilal Hafda
Photography Heidrun Lohr
Video & Trailer Dominic O’Donnel
Production Manager Rebecca Poulter
FORM Dance Projects
Director and ENCOUNTER Executive Producer Annette McLernon
Program Manager Agnes Michelet
Business Manager Sally Ebert
Admin & Marketing Maya Gavish
FLING Physical Theatre
Co-Artistic Directors Rob McCredie & Gabrielle Rose
Sydney Youth Orchestras
SYO General Manager Mia Patoulios
SYO Artistic Program Manager Katie Garman
ENCOUNTER Thanks
Create NSW, City of Parramatta, Riverside Theatres, Packer Family Foundation, Crown Resorts Foundation, Four Winds Festival and all the artists, dancers, musicians and families. FORM Dance Projects’ Board and Staff; Sydney Youth Orchestras’ Board and Staff; FLING Physical Theatre Board and Staff.
Parramatta’s Prince Alfred Square Park opens at 5pm
Welcome to Country: 6pm
PRELUDE: 6.10–7.10pm
ENCOUNTER: 7.10–8.10pm
