The work of Burrows and Fargion radiates delight even as it makes the audience think. Over the past ten years the two artists have built a body of duets which mix the formality of classical music composition with an open and often anarchic approach to performance and audiences, bringing them a worldwide following.
On the second night of their residency Burrows and Fargion present Speaking Dance, a joyous meditation on the limits of the choreographic. Duration 45 minutes no interval.
Both Sitting Duet was the piece that made their reputation back in 2002, setting the tone for an original mix of humour and fierce intelligence that marks out what they do. On the first night in Sydney they’ll follow it with their newest performance Body Not Fit For Purpose. Commissioned by the Venice Biennale in 2014, the piece clashes an angry politics against the empty joy of dancing, unravelling the link between meaning and action and raising questions in the midst of our laughter. Duration one hour no interval.
‘There are few performers who can hold an audience captive like this double act… the timing of every note, shrug, laugh and gesture is awesome. Five stars.’ The Guardian, London
‘…occasionally feeling gloomy during some performance or other, I’ve wished that a fed-up theater goblin would whisk away the show I’m watching and deposit Burrows and Fargion in its place.’ Deborah Jowitt, DanceBeat, New York
Both Sitting Duet was commissioned by Kaaitheater Brussels and Body Not Fit For Purpose was commissioned by the Venice Biennale: all pieces have been supported with public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Jonathan Burrows and Matteo Fargion are co-produced by Kaaitheater Brussels, PACT Zollverein Essen, Sadler’s Wells Theatre London and BIT Teatergarasjen Bergen, and are currently in-house artists at the Nightingale, Brighton England. Management: Nigel Hinds – [email protected]
Burrows Fargion joint biography
More information at:
http://www.jonathanburrows.info/
http://scores.motionbank.org/jbmf/#/set/sets
http://52portraits.co.uk/
A DANCE SITES PROJECT, in partnership with DANCEHOUSE (MELBOURNE) and STRUT (PERTH).
See Jonathan Burrows and Matteo Fargion dates in Australia:
PERTH
28-29 APRIL: Show And Telll and Body Not Fit For Purpose
PICA – Performance Space
MELBOURNE
8 – 12 MAY: Learning Curve Workshop: CROSSING THE FLOOR & OTHER SCORES
Dancehouse Melbourne http://ow.ly/QjxB30azVAs
6 – 7 MAY: Two Double Bills BOTH SITTING & BODY NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE as well as CHEAP LECTURE & THE COW PIECE.
Dancehouse Melbourne http://ow.ly/PQxj30azWUc
Photo: Jonathan Burrows & Matteo Fargion, Speaking Dance, Circulo Ufficiali Bologna 2017. Photo Luca Ghedini
Photo: Jonathan Burrows & Matteo Fargion, Mics drawings. Photo Peter Rapp