Plight of the exiled revealed in new work

April 1, 2009
Plight of the exiled revealed in 'her-storical' new work
 
Her mother was a refugee form war-torn Poland, her father sought a new life from the ashes of post-war Holland and their stories sparked a voyage of discovery for award-winning choreographer Maria Dabrowska, culminating in her bold new work Carnival Hound.
 
Carnival Hound was inspired by the life story of Maria's mother and the stories of similar women escaping the tyranny of World War Two – and of those exiled from their home country to the abject bitterness of Siberia. It is both a serious look at the position of women amidst male-written histories and a surreal and humorous investigation of New Zealand identity.
 
In Dabrowska's exciting original dance montage, three characters emerge from the remains of an excavated carnival site to confront what is left among the ruins and find their passions and joy amongst their loss and fury at injustice.
 
"What began as a funding application for a different idea became somewhat of an odyssey as I started to simply write about my mother's experiences," says Dabrowska. "In turn, that lead me to want to learn other women's experiences of the War, and what I discovered was just how much of our history is written with a man's eyes, full of war and competition and glory.
 
"That history is nowhere near the real plight of people, so with Carnival Hound I seek to explore women's unwritten histories and their intuitive perspectives through family, war, change, suffering and survival."
 
Carnival Hound will be a bold, creative and playful examination on these ideas, influenced by the female body, place, past, personality and representation. Dabrowska's flair for original choreography drives the production, embodying beauty, style and a love of the ludicrous.
 
With this new production, Dabrowska (Heavenly Burlesque, Sleep Wake) teams up with dancers Mariana Rinaldi and Joshua Rutter (The Settlement) composer Eden Mulholland (Motocade), and dramaturg Jo Randerson (New Zealand Arts Foundation's 2008 New Generation Artist).
 
Designer Stu Foster will transform Wellington's The Print Factory (used for the award-winning production Sleep/Wake) into a macabre post-apocalyptic carnival ground, complete with dismembered mannequins that evoke the most harrowing images of war. Iconic Wellington bar The Southern Cross is supporting Carnival Hound.
 
Carnival Hound
April 23 to May 2 (no shows Mon / Tues)
The Print Factory, 35 King Street, Newtown, Wellington
Tickets: $25 or $18 conc

 
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