www.javadancecompany.co.nz

Java Dance Company

“A rich and playful world that offers us an opportunity to visit the home of these precious creatures.”

Down Beneath Below

Down Beneath Below explores Antarctic creatures on a quest to find themselves and their true home. This interactive adventure takes the audience from an urban environment to the expanse of Antarctica. Teenage hip hop penguins Squeak and Penny, feisty, funky sea lion, CC and uncoordinated albatross, Alby begin as best friends. Their friendship is put to the test as they discover the unknown.

Commissioned by the Capital E National Arts Festival in 2013

Choreography - Sacha Copland in collaboration with the cast

Composer – Thomas Press (all original music)

Designer – Meggan Rollandi

Cast Alby the Albatross – Emma Coppersmith

Squeak the Penguin – Michael Gudgeon

Penny the Penguin – Sarah Gatzonis

CC the Sea-lion – Sacha Copland

www.javadancecompany.co.nz

Inspirations

Down Beneath Below

is inspired by Our Far South, a Morgan Foundation project aimed at raising New Zealanders’ awareness of the area south of Stewart Island.

50 New Zealanders travelled on a ship from Stewart Island, through the sub-Antarctic islands to Antarctica.

They gave their research to Java Dance Company to create a dance show.

http://www.ourfarsouth.org/

Research Tasks

Describe the sub-Antarctic islands. What are the environmental issue there? Who looks after the islands?

What is happening to the ice in Antarctica? How do Antarctic penguins live and what is different about each species? You can see go and see albatrosses in Dunedin. Where else in the world

can you find albatrosses?

www.javadancecompany.co.nz

The Research Process

The characters in Down Beneath Below are inspired by urban and street culture and the Antarctic creatures…

The dancers all researched their creatures and created urban versions of them, in collaboration with the choreographer, designer and composer.

Down Beneath Below was created through an intensive 2 week ‘workshop’ followed by a 6 week rehearsal process in 2013. The designer and the composer were at rehearsal the whole time and created everthing from scratch.

In 2014 Java Dance Company spent 6 weeks refining Down Beneath Below to tout to schools all around New Zealand.

www.javadancecompany.co.nz

Java Dance Company

Java Dance Company is a company of dance theatre professionals creating

performance experiences that clamber into the senses. We explore the

boundaries of the unexpected. It’s a 3D experience where the audience is

essential. We perform in shops, theatres, schools, buses, parks – anywhere

where life happens.

Java was founded by artistic director Sacha Copland in 2003 and has since

performed to over 80, 000 New Zealanders and Australians. In 2014 Java will

tour to Edinburgh with Back of the Bus, a character based dance show on a

moving bus.

http://www.javadancecompany.co.nz

Photo – Jarrad Seng. Back of the Bus. Perth 2012