Rime of the Ancient Mariner inspires young dancers

“WITH my cross-bow I shot the albatross.”

Ql2 Dance’s Quantum Leap youth dance ensemble takes the epic poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” as a starting point for its new work This Poisoned Sea, which will play Canberra’s Playhouse Theatre on 27-29 July.

Exploring feelings of belonging, ownership and responsibility, This Poisoned Sea asks, “Do we have an albatross to lead us out of trouble? Have we already killed it? Can we un-poison the sea?”

“This Poisoned Sea will be epic, thoughtful and physical,” says artistic director Ruth Osborne. “Our aim is to make contemporary
dance for all audiences. The dancers are working collaboratively with the choreographers: setting off from this epic, archaic text to find their own truths, their own stories of our place in the natural world. And to make a compelling contemporary performance
from that place.”

Choreographer Jack Ziesing worked with a small group of dancers to present an excerpt of This Poisoned Sea at the Australian Youth Dance Festival in Melbourne, in April. The young dancers are also working with West Australian choreographer Claudia Alessi and Ql2 alumnus Eliza Sanders to create the piece.

The work will be performed by dancers aged 14 to18 from the Canberra region, as well as visiting dancers who will join the
ensemble for a month in July from as far afield as Bangkok and Perth.

See www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au for ticket info.