Choreographer Lucas Jervies brings his piece ‘Epic Fail’ to the Quarry Ampitheatre. OUTinPerth chats to him about his craft, his inspiration and his experience overseas.

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Your piece, Epic Fail is going to be about the place of sport in our culture. How do you make sport fit in to your choreography?

I think Epic Fail makes comment on the difference between striving to be the best you can be and competing against others. To explore this notion we created a farcical world loosely based on a dancesport competition. Ballroom dancers are incredible movers with mind blowing dynamic ability so we have not attempted to actually dance or re interpret their form, instead we created ballet and mime phrases but framed them in a colourful and fast paced world. The work has taken a heightened, grotesquely pantomime form.

What are you most looking forward to about staging this new work?

This work was an experiment for me. I know what I am comfortable making and what is trending in contemporary ballet at the moment. This tone is 90% of the time dark, clean and dramaturgically abstract. I’m very excited and proud that the creative team and dancers went into this process knowing we were taking a risk. I find it amusing and interesting that we are staging this at the time when Strictly Ballroom have gone into rehearsals. We couldn’t resist putting in a shout out to Baz by having a ‘couple number 100’ in the design.

You co-founded the company JACK Productions, which states that it aims to identify with both expert and unseasoned audiences of classical and contemporary dance. How do you make work that can appeal to both seasoned veterans and newcomers?

Creating for JACK Productions was an exciting and challenging period. I learnt a lot about investigating with traditional forms and audience perceptions of form. There are so many elements that contribute to a successful production. It’s always subjective, but there are tested formulas and psychological research into what qualifies as memorable, affecting theatre. No matter how deep I go in with a concept I’ve learnt to respect and value the audience coming along to see the production. The performance audience relationship is one that I am constantly striving to understand better.

What has been the most exciting production you’ve choreographed?

They are all exciting in many different ways. The dearest to my heart is my adaptation of Roald Dahls ‘The Witches’. I loved the book as a child and recently made it a one-man show, for actor Guy Edmonds in 2012 to remind adults what it’s like to be child. At this stage, out of all my work it represents best my desire to understand the importance of the audience’s contract with a performer and production. This production will be presented by both Griffin and Malthouse theatres. I’d love to bring it to Perth at some stage. I’m super excited for my next production, ECOBOTS, which is in development at the moment with Buzz Dance Theatre. It’s a dance theatre work that is a making of a film – ECOBOTS are alien robots sent to earth to fight climate change. We premiere at Perth Town Hall on March 21st!

What experiences have you gained working overseas in places like Rotterdam and how has that changed the way you approach your work?

Living and working in Europe is like being at a festival, all year round. Every single day and night theatres are busy. This type of exposure is paramount in an artist’s development. In Australia my career was in classical ballet but in Europe it was contemporary dance and It was there that I learnt the technique of improvisation and collaboration. It’s crucial that the artists I work with connect with the work through exploration of content in a safe and respectful environment, this all comes down to building and nurturing trust. This is always my starting point.

You’ve also worked as an affiliate director with the Griffin Theatre Company, do you find that theatre and dance integrate nicely and is that something you aim to achieve in your work?

Yes and Yes. Both disciplines are intellectual and physical acts but each sways to one side more. The magic happens when it’s an equal balance between the two, which results in a complete mind body experience for the performer, dancer or actor and observer.

You can catch ‘Epic Fail’ alongside other exciting dance works at the Quarry Ampitheatre until March 1st.

Book tickets here.

Sophie Joske

Your piece, Epic Fail is going to be about the place of sport in our culture. How do you make sport fit in to your choreography?

I think Epic Fail makes comment on the difference between striving to be the best you can be and competing against others. To explore this notion we created a farcical world loosely based on a dancesport competition. Ballroom dancers are incredible movers with mind blowing dynamic ability so we have not attempted to actually dance or re interpret their form, instead we created ballet and mime phrases but framed them in a colourful and fast paced world. The work has taken a heightened, grotesquely pantomime form.

What are you most looking forward to about staging this new work?

This work was an experiment for me. I know what I am comfortable making and what is trending in contemporary ballet at the moment. This tone is 90% of the time dark, clean and dramaturgically abstract. I’m very excited and proud that the creative team and dancers went into this process knowing we were taking a risk. I find it amusing and interesting that we are staging this at the time when Strictly Ballroom have gone into rehearsals. We couldn’t resist putting in a shout out to Baz by having a ‘couple number 100’ in the design.

You co-founded the company JACK Productions, which states that it aims to identify with both expert and unseasoned audiences of classical and contemporary dance. How do you make work that can appeal to both seasoned veterans and newcomers?

Creating for JACK Productions was an exciting and challenging period. I learnt a lot about investigating with traditional forms and audience perceptions of form. There are so many elements that contribute to a successful production. It’s always subjective, but there are tested formulas and psychological research into what qualifies as memorable, affecting theatre. No matter how deep I go in with a concept I’ve learnt to respect and value the audience coming along to see the production. The performance audience relationship is one that I am constantly striving to understand better.

What has been the most exciting production you’ve choreographed?

They are all exciting in many different ways. The dearest to my heart is my adaptation of Roald Dahls ‘The Witches’. I loved the book as a child and recently made it a one-man show, for actor Guy Edmonds in 2012 to remind adults what it’s like to be child. At this stage, out of all my work it represents best my desire to understand the importance of the audience’s contract with a performer and production. This production will be presented by both Griffin and Malthouse theatres. I’d love to bring it to Perth at some stage. I’m super excited for my next production, ECOBOTS, which is in development at the moment with Buzz Dance Theatre. It’s a dance theatre work that is a making of a film – ECOBOTS are alien robots sent to earth to fight climate change. We premiere at Perth Town Hall on March 21st!

What experiences have you gained working overseas in places like Rotterdam and how has that changed the way you approach your work?

Living and working in Europe is like being at a festival, all year round. Every single day and night theatres are busy. This type of exposure is paramount in an artist’s development. In Australia my career was in classical ballet but in Europe it was contemporary dance and It was there that I learnt the technique of improvisation and collaboration. It’s crucial that the artists I work with connect with the work through exploration of content in a safe and respectful environment, this all comes down to building and nurturing trust. This is always my starting point.

You’ve also worked as an affiliate director with the Griffin Theatre Company, do you find that theatre and dance integrate nicely and is that something you aim to achieve in your work?

Yes and Yes. Both disciplines are intellectual and physical acts but each sways to one side more. The magic happens when it’s an equal balance between the two, which results in a complete mind body experience for the performer, dancer or actor and observer.