Alexandra Knox

“[Alexandra's work] shows promising and adept young artists negotiating their respective technologies and each other with sensitivity and conscience” – Dianne Reid

Cor is a new choreographic work by Alexandra Knox, for two emerging dancers Rebecca Fletcher and Tae-li Andrew Haycroft, with new music by Tim Rodgers and original designs by David Roberts.

Originally signalled to undergo three creative development phases, Cor was successful in obtaining Ausdance SA Choreolab In Theatre funding of $17,330 - however was unsuccessful in obtaining Arts SA presentation funds in a very competitive round.

The second development phase culminated in an exceptionally well-received presentation at Leigh Warren and Dancers Studios on November 29th 2012. The project team were enthused to go ahead with the presentation of the work during Adelaide Fringe, despite funding difficulties. A new budget has been drafted to see the projects to a successful season, with an increased sponsorship and benevolent support amount to be gained.

About the work

Cor, meaning ‘heart’ investigates Chinese, Indian, and Native American viewpoints of our bodies’ energy systems and seeks to validate these viewpoints as tools in contemporary practice. I began to feel connections with the teachings of Eastern medicine and Chakras, which hooked my interest through Becky Hilton’s classes (developed from work with Lucy Guerin and Stephen Petronio). These classes led me to become intrinsically aware of forces and pathways within our body. My 2008 visit to the Native American Museum in New York began an investigation into a similar vast wealth of healing medicine, plant medicine and animal totems. As a choreographic work, Cor investigates similar notions within these three disciplines, and examines the pathways as triggers/blocks to impulse.

Cor is a choreographic ‘debut’ for emerging South Australian dancer Alexandra Knox - in that it represents her first choreographed work where Alexandra will not also perform. Trained in classical and contemporary dance at Victorian College of the Arts, Alexandra has performed in self-choreographed works and presented successful seasons at Melbourne Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, and Choreolab 2011. Cor sees Alexandra working with two emerging performers, Rebecca Fletcher and Tae-li Andrew Haycroft, who have recently graduated from AC Arts. Throughout the development, Alexandra has engaged Kialea Nadine-Williams (formerly ADT) as mentor. Kialea has been specifically sought to bring diversity of experience to the project.

New music for the project is composed and developed during rehearsal by Tim Rodgers. The resultant composition will involve pre-recorded percussive loops and samples that will be ‘performed’ live during performance by the composer. The composition will explore Yah’s theories of sound frequencies’ relationship with chakras, and is intertwined with the choreographic inspiration for the project.

Designs for the project, by David Roberts, will draw on ideas of animal totems, spirit guides, and chakras. Images in connection with the project can be found at http://www.davisbrowne.com.au/ and follow the links to Cor/Alexandra Knox.

Public presentation will take place at the X Space at AC Arts, promoted as part of Adelaide Fringe 2013 with five ticketed performances marketed through the Fringe programme and also externally towards dance-oriented audiences,those interested Reiki, Chinese Medicine, Feldenkrais and Kiniesiology, and also to a wider dance audience by appealing to a current trend of interest in animal totems/spirit guides.

Budget

The revised budget for the project spans three stages with funds from Choreolab Development Residency Grant (17,300), Personal Funds (2000), Box Office from the season (7,000), donations / sponsorship target (4,000), in kind contributions (4,500) = 34,800

Expenditure includes dancers and musicians wages (15,000), designer/mentor/collaborators fees (5,500), administrative costs and insurance (1,500), marketing and promotion (6,300), theatre hire and presentation costs (6,500) = 34,800

Vimeo Page / Prior Work