Drumming

Monday afternoons I have "Djembe" improvisational lessons with Jordan Scotney.  These sessions have become incredibly inspiring. Jordan is not only a good teacher, musician... but he has a way of "copying" my body/hand movements and then teaching me something that works, for both of us.  This kind of teaching method puts my body at ease, to be comfortable with what I am doing, and enjoy the journey whatever that is.  Feeling the rhythm, memorising the beat and coming to every sense, every realisation and that for every movement I do or create, there is a unique and positive outcome.  I hear the slowness in my "bounce" and I feel the response swell inside me, then it releases with a wonderful new energy that spurs me, to repeat the pattern or patterns. When ever I choose tracks for dance - it is always I go for the ones with more drums.  

Video installation - Force of Nature Exhibition

I worked with Akasha Temple (film/video artist) during July and developed a video installation as part of Gretel Taylor's exhibition in Lilydale.  Akasha has been great to collaborate with - she made life seem so much fun on that freezing cold afternoon at Lilydale lake where she filmed my "defined" sand movements.   The video installation will be at the Lilydale Museum until October 13th - so check it out and let us know what you think...   Music Jordan Scotney.   Words (poetical) me.

c Gretel Taylor's exhibit work
Lily Upfield on a show trip with her mentor (me!)

 c Akasha Temple video artist/ediror 

Lily listening to the soundscape 

Interactions With Sand - Force of Nature exhibition opens

Force of Nature curator Gretel Taylor - Lilydale Museum/Art gallery September

i performed my sand-scape "interaction with sand" at the opening. it was great to develop this piece as a solo improviser. Music by Jordan Scotney, Words by me and editing by Libby Price. Sand installation by Gretel Taylor and the museum staff.  Lighting arranged by Gretel Taylor.  

c Laki Sideris

c Laki Sideris

c Laki Sideris

c Laki Sideris

Sand... (the development)

While in Queensland for a conference in July - I snuck in some creative moments to explore photography and video play with Nicole Tsourlenes.  I find Nicole quite incredible to work with - she gets me and I get her. (the cp duet). Nicole's work has inspired me greatly - and i will be performing with some of her imaging later this year (November).   For now I will let the images below do the talking.     

c Nicole Tsourlenes 

c Libby Price

c Libby Price

Doco NEWS

A lot has moved on since my last blog update. One exciting piece of news is, Dianne's documentary "Nothing but bones in the way" had its first Premier Screening in Hobart at the Moonah Arts Centre, September 1, 2018.   I can not help but feel incredibly proud of this journey and the way the documentary has come tell the story as it is. About our collaboration and relationship with each other, that has pushed boundaries and shifted pathways to find alternate ways, to celebrate our bodies capabilities and explore new possibilities, beyond the norm or stereotyped. The 35 minute documentary is still to be release for general viewing - but hopefully that's not too far away.

c Damien Hinds 

c Damien Hinds

 Inclusive Performance Workshop

Sometimes the word "Inclusive" bothers me - what does it all mean, Inclusive? I believe in just Being, but I hovel around what it feel like to have inclusion...My one word short 1 moment solo, is PLAY...  My body is cold and my movements are at risk against my wonderful playful imagination... A huge box of amazing dresses, hats and paper flowers, and a  gorgeous game of hide n seek.  I want to laugh with this room full of artists with disabilities.

Sand
move my senses
create a world,
I can feel
each grain
run through
the shape of my heart
the letters of my name
this is how i relate to sand
and the moving earth
under my knees...

I have been MOVED by Jordan Scotney's music for a few years now - and have used a number of tracks in performances with Dianne Reid (her work Dance Interrogations). When I "accidentally" bumped into Jordan early this year at a music event in the Ranges, I was able to simply say that, "I am inspired by your music to dance." Jordan's response was not to say, oh that's nice and keep walking - he was keen to know, which tracks i liked and why they worked for me and so went the conversation. I took a bold step then and suggested that could meet in a space some day and try some collaboration.

Four months later - it happened last Thursday afternoon, on my 56th Birthday. I found the space and invited Jordan, and a small crew of song makers and sound creators to join me.

I certainly found myself totally absorb in my creative experience of movement. The connection was there from the first note to the last. I was comfortable to explore, move without any hesitation, listening closely to the piano and the African drums. I was in my zone of images, moving in and out and around the space.

Emotions.
my happy place
is alive and well.
Just Being
Doing my thing,

Yes... I pushed temptation to try my hands on the drums. Percussions on my wrists and taking the sounds from my voice, to echo into the sound of other voices in the space. There were moments and more moments, creative moments as well as safe and no need to try too hard moments. Libby and i have a very professionally driven relationship to write papers for conferences. Today we explore other areas. Wonderful.

I am.
feeling the movement,
of drums,
heart beats
of travelling places,
mountain
beaches
hills
valleys of running water,
talking with elephants,
big cats and little cats,
why can't the freedom
stay awhile...

Thanks Jordan, Libby and Jordan's friend Chantelle