Whether on the stage or the circus arena, choreographer Meredith Kitchen is at home. Formerly a performer with the Australian Dance Theatre, Dance North, Chrissie Parrot Dance Company and One Extra, Meredith left the dance world and Australia to work with Compagnie Philippe Genty in France. Returning in 2009 after more than 12 years collaborating with the company in such roles as creator, performer, teacher and rehearsal director, she is currently working as a circus trainer/ choreographer and co-director on NICA’s exciting Circus Showcase 2010. The showcase, currently showing at the NICA National Circus Centre on Melbourne’s Green Street, Prahran, features an eclectic mix of solo and duo acts by the country’s finest up-and-coming circus stars. Despite juggling a hectic schedule (terrible pun, I know!), Meredith was fortunately able to take some time out to Trespass with us about the circus, dance and life.
Name: Meredith Kitchen
Occupation: National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) showcase 2010 co-director and choreographer
1. The concept of 2010 Circus Showcase is… there is no real concept; it’s about each graduating student presenting themselves in a way they wish to be seen; however there are a few ‘animals’ in the show…
2. Were you a circus-lover as a child? No I was never a circus lover; I spent my whole childhood in a ballet studio.
3. So, how did you become involved with the circus, given your dance background? I fell in love with a circus performer in a moving bathtub 16 metres in the air, during a show in Expo ‘98.
4. What do you think attracts individuals to the circus life? I think it’s the challenge to achieve extraordinary things and communicate to an audience through a heightened physicality. Audiences, I think, are attracted to the circus because it’s exhilarating, breathtaking and fun.
5. How does choreographing for the circus differ to choreographing dance? Most circus performers, although highly skilled, are not used to linking movement in any kind of organic way and in general, they are not as well-behaved in class or rehearsals!
6. Which circus act best mirrors your own personality and why? I think ultimately I prefer the clowns. Let me rephrase that — I prefer any act that incorporates both humour and irony. Why? Because anything truly funny is often truly tragic, or has a heightened sense of reality.
7. Like dancers, circus performers must undergo extensive specialised training before becoming professional performers. What does tertiary-level circus training involve at NICA? It involves gruelling hours of physical activity, torn ligaments, rope burns, mat-moving, frustration, sometimes disappointment, copious amounts of ice packs, interpreting Russian and Chinese trainers… and balancing these with some academic classes.
8. What does free time mean for you? Unemployment.
9. Something you might not know about me is… I turn into a princess after midnight… if I manage to stay awake!
10. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Be careful what you wish for. Guaranteed it will happen, but never in the form that you imagined.
*****
As the only institution of its kind in Australia, NICA provides professional training for the nation’s next generation of circus performers. Since 2001, graduates have gone on to work for Circus Oz, Cirque du Soleil, Tokyo Disney, Cavalia, Circa, Spiegeltent, La Clique and Silvers Circus, and have also formed their own circus companies.
“In Circus Showcase 2010 we are seeking to stretch the membrane between reality and fantasy, as high octane circus artists unlock the human mysteries of desire, memory and dreams. My hope with this show is to present our audiences with an unforgettable experience of ‘circus on the edge’ and I think the passion and talent of these artists has truly made this a possibility.” – Megan Jones, Director
National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) Circus Showcase 2010.
NICA National Circus Centre, Green Street, Prahran
Evenings: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11 Dec @ 7.30pm
School Matinees: 3, 9 Dec @1.30pm
Saturday Matinees: 4, 11 Dec @ 1.30pm
Bookings: www.nica.com.au
Enquiries: NICA: (03) 9214 6975
