Breakout choreographer Harrison Ritchie-Jones (CUDDLE) is making waves with his eclectic and unconventional approach to dance. Clashing forms and styles with high technical skill, he’s using dance as a frame for absurdity, physical virtuosity, and surreal storytelling.
TANTRUM for 6 thrusts us into a parallel universe where six babies are born from a thunderstorm, each with a natural ability to dance together. Like young goslings learning to fly, they dive straight into the challenges of their choreographed destiny.
Featuring an ensemble of expert dancers, TANTRUM for 6 becomes a guttural primal scream — a mesmerising storm of movement that captures raw emotions, chaos and grace. This dynamic dance work considers what it is to be human, twisting and reshaping six paths in a choreography of elegance, danger, ecstasy, sadness, and exhaustion.
Big emotional outbursts are rarely indulged in by adults. Yet in TANTRUM for 6, six grown humans let loose together on a rollercoaster of emotion not usually associated with adulthood, or dance, which is often characterised by neutral expression and formal exploration.
Described as a powder keg of discordant ingredients – clashing and cacophonous with competing possibilities, the performance will be visually thrilling, totally bizarre but energetically exciting. A talented team of artists both on stage and behind the scenes come together to create a truly multi-sensory experience.
Ritchie-Jones is garnering wide praise for the originality of his work. His choreographic practice celebrates dance and is fueled by a curiosity in techniques from a range of physical practices. In blending forms, Ritchie-Jones uses dance to carve out spaces for absurdity, humour and physical virtuosity to work together in surreal and expressive explorations of storytelling.
Featuring a diverse range of choreographic influences, Ritchie-Jones describes the work as “a new movement language that’s a refined technical practice of weaving and blending contemporary dance with inspiration from Rodeo, barnyard dance, wrestling, classical partner dance, martial arts, contact improvisation, figure skating, break dance and other abstract references.”
“the inauguration of a whole new aesthetic.” – Andrew Fuhrmann, The Age
Video by Alex Walton and Harrison Ritchie-Jones.
Creative Team
Choreographer: Harrison Ritchie-Jones
Dancers: Anika Deruyter, Rebecca Jensen, Harrison Ritchie-Jones, Georgia Rudd, Oliver Savariego, Michaela Tancheff
Composer: Nick Roder (bonus track by Robin Fox)
Lighting Designer: Ashley Buchanan
Costume Designer: Andrew Treloar
Cinematographer: Alex Walton
Production Manager: Siobhan (Shiv) Geaney
Producer: Michaela Coventry
Harrison Ritchie-Jones is an independent dancer, choreographer and filmmaker based in Naarm, Melbourne. His choreographic practice celebrates dance and is fuelled by a curiosity in techniques from a range of physical practices. Upskilling and blending forms, he uses dance to carve out spaces for absurdity, humour and physical virtuosity to work together in surreal and expressive explorations of storytelling.
A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, Harrison has worked with many of Australia’s most renowned choreographers including Stephanie Lake, Antony Hamilton, Jo Lloyd, Lucy Guerin, Melanie Lane, Graeme Murphy, Alistair Macindoe, Prue Lang and Shelly Lasica.
Performance Dates
12 – 22 February 2025
Wed – Fri 7.30pm | Sat 2pm & 7.30pm
Venue
Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre
189 High Street, Northcote
Tickets
$38 Full | $30 Conc. | $33 Darebin Residents | $33 Group 4+ | $20 Preview | $10 Blak Tix
About Darebin Arts Speakeasy
Since 2013, Darebin City Council’s Speakeasy program has invested in contemporary dance, circus, theatre and multi-disciplinary work that speaks to issues that matter to the community, celebrate cultural diversity and reflect the times we’re living in.
Darebin Arts Speakeasy offers audiences a dynamic and diverse mix of shows from Melbourne’s best performing artists. To create each production, artists receive an impressive package including cash investment, marketing, publicity and technical support, and space to rehearse and present their work in either the Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre or the Darebin Arts Centre.
Image by: Jo Duck