All posts tagged: performance arts

Eleanor’s Story: An American Girl in Hitler’s Germany (Review)

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Going into this show, we wondered how heavy the content would be as the storyline centered entirely around a young German / American girl and her traumatic experience in Hitler’s Germany, during World War II. We needn’t have worried.  Before the performance began, a gentleman came out and addressed the audience… “despite the serious nature of this piece, it’s important to know that some parts will, in fact be lighthearted in nature – and we encourage you to laugh, it’s actually ok.” This announcement set the tone perfectly for what we found to be an entertaining, fast-paced and emotional account of the true story of Eleanor Ramrath Garner between the age of 9 to 16, when her family, filled with promises of a more secure future, packed up and left America for Berlin in 1939. No sooner than they had boarded their ship – than war was declared and they were trapped in Germany – thus setting the tone for this incredible tale of strength, survival, and optimism during one of the most harrowing times …

Table of Eight

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Featuring some of Melbourne’s most impressive performers, Lion Heart Dance Company will be making its debut with a contemporary dance work “Table of Eight”. Under the direction of Benjamin Curé (So You Think You Can Dance Australia, The Scarlet Trace) this is an exciting addition to the Melbourne dance scene. Curé is passionate about creating “Art that moves the heart”. Table of Eight weaves the tale of a tight-knit circle of friends that begins to unravel after the untimely death of a member. It is a narrative designed to start conversations, about grief, connection and modern communication. Curé deeply believes “Art has a profound capacity to make people engage with things on an emotional level.” When: 10 March – 12 March Where: Chapel Off Chapel Visit the website here.

Melbourne lights up for White Night

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White Night Melbourne has become a favourite event on the summer calendar for over 3 years now and in just over 2 weeks White Night Melbourne will return for it’s fourth year from 7pm to 7am to transform Melbourne’s city streets, major cultural institutions, public spaces, gardens, landmark buildings and laneways. Get your comfy shoes ready and pack a camera for the all-night party will feature performance, illuminations, art installations and music throughout the city and in and on some of Melbourne’s most iconic spaces including the Royal Exhibition Building, Federation Square, Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne City Baths, Arts Centre Melbourne, State Library Victoria, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Museum and ACMI. Some of the highlights that we’ve got marked down include: Some of the highlights that we’ve got marked down include: The Dresses – Queen Victoria Gardens French artist Tae Gon Kim’s ethereal work, The Dresses, shapes hundreds of fibre-optic strands into the form of three beautiful and extravagant gowns suspended in darkness – apparitions, shimmering from the realms of fantasy. Slowly the illuminated …

Bogan Bombshell

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On Friday night we were welcomed into what felt like Janeen from Clarinda’s lounge room where she told us of her exploits from scrubbing bathrooms as a Sanitation Engineer – with her secret weapon BAM, through an ill-fated attempt at burlesque dancing (where she ‘couldn’t get them out’) to finally playing the role a phone sex operator – all to raise money for her McDonalds Preston manager husband, Johnno’s bail.  Hares and Hyenas was the perfect setting for this show, it felt intimate and personal. At one stage a lucky door prize was drawn, and the winner awarded a family-sized Aero bar which was then passed around the audience, everyone sharing chocolate to the aptly named song ‘An Aero Comes Along’ – definitely a fun vibe, unpretentious and all-inclusive. Susie McCann brought a huge amount of energy to one-woman role of Janeen, and the songs were pretty darn catchy to boot – the tunes of some of your old favorites, matched with witty, ironic bogan pride lyrics. Ultimately a winning combo. If you are a …

The Village Festival

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Celebrating it’s 10th birthday, The Village Festival returns to Edinburgh Gardens this October. Part old-school circus, part village carnival, and part edgy arts festival, the festival is the perfect one to welcome in the summer festival season. The birthday festivities will feature  four days and nights of creativity, curiosity and craziness. With a program full of interpretive dance, theatre, and kids performances, this is truly an event with something for everyone (and their dog!). When: 29 October – 1 November 2015 Where: Edinburgh Gardens, Fitzroy North Visit the website here. 

Summersalt Festival

Summersalt Festival

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Launching this year, the Summersalt Festival will celebrate the arts over five extraordinary summer weekends. This outdoor arts festival will take place across various locations from the city laneways and courtyards through to the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art and Malthouse Theatre. The event includes some of Melbourne’s leading arts organisations such as Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Victorian College of Arts, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and many more. Highlights include: GENTLE IS THE POWER “Choreographed by Chunky Move Artistic Director Anouk van Dijk, gentle is the power is an exploration of contained power. Created specifically for, and with, dancers James Vu Anh Pham and Niharika Senapati, gentle is the power merges Van Dijk’s physically challenging movement language with Pham and Senapati’s refined virtuosity.” NGV SUMMER SUNDAYS “Spend Sunday afternoons soaking up the sun in Melbourne’s best backyard – the NGV Garden.” Acts include British India DJs, I Oh You Djs, World’s End Press, Clubfeet DJs, Alpine and many more. THE GIANT OPERA DRESS UP BOX Dress yourself up in Opera Australia’s elaborate collection of costumes and take to the …