Co3 Contemporary Dance Presents Douglas Wright's GLORIA in September

Performances run 14­–18 September 2022.

By: Aug. 01, 2022
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Co3 Contemporary Dance Presents Douglas Wright's GLORIA in September

Raewyn Hill, Co3 Artistic Director, honours her New Zealand mentor, legendary dancer, and choreographer Douglas Wright, by programming his most iconic dance work GLORIA, a keystone production in Co3's 2022 season.

Accompanying an ensemble of ten Co3 dancers will be the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in their Heath Ledger Theatre debut, alongside a choir of angelic voices from the St George's Cathedral Consort, conducted by Dr Joseph Nolan. This collaboration is the perfect union, befitting the work and honouring the legacy of Douglas Wright with exemplary WA artists.

This beautiful, brave, and innovative work is a homecoming - to joy, to love and to dance. Set to Vivaldi's most famous sacred work 'Gloria' performed live on stage, dancers will fly, twist and turn in a graceful airborne celebration of life. Audiences will relish the cyclical movement and emotional arcs in the work taking them on a journey through serenity to euphoria, fear to calm. Movements full of energy and vigour that were ground-breaking at the time, that have now become the foundation of what has become the contemporary dance art form that we know today.

GLORIA was previously presented in WA by Chrissie Parrott Dance Company in 1991 for Perth Festival at the Quarry Amphitheatre.

Raewyn Hill, Co3 Artistic Director, and Director of the work stated, "This revisitation of the 90's production of GLORIA honours a great mentor, maker, and master of contemporary dance. We are proud that the Estate has given us permission to present GLORIA so it can continue to be shared and celebrated. Our hope is that it will bring a new wave of inspiration to the next generation of artists and uplift the spirits of audiences who are fortunate enough to witness it."

Evan Kennea, Executive Manager, Artistic Planning WASO said, "GLORIA is set to be a stunning and uplifting celebration of life and spirit through dance, music, and voice. WASO is thrilled to join Co3 and the St George's Cathedral Consort in this iconic production - our State Theatre Centre debut!"

Megan Adams, from the Douglas Wright Estate, who is coming to Perth to help stage the work, said - "We are delighted to have Co3 present GLORIA, especially given Raewyn Hill had firsthand experience performing in the work under Douglas Wright in New Zealand. It is a testament to her vision that Co3 is honouring him in this way. The creation of GLORIA marked a turning point in Douglas's artistic journey, and it is a work of great spirit and historical importance to contemporary dance in New Zealand. Audiences were in awe of the work's physicality, musicality, and emotional range."

This new presentation marks the first time the work has been presented since Douglas Wright's passing in 2018.




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