Alec Katsourakis, Bjorn Aslund, Alessia Augello
Feb – March 2020
Toi Pōneke Arts Centre are proud to offer our 4th dance residency to choreographers Bjorn Aslund, Alec Katsourakis, Alessia Augello and Producer Mattias Olofsson. They will produce a triple bill dance show titled Situations in Play at the NZ Fringe in 12 - 14 March 2020.
This dance residency offers dance studio rehearsal space, financial and practical support for the production, and access to experienced mentors.
Situations in Play is an immersive dance performance involving the premiere of three ground breaking new works; 'Play As You Go' By Alec Katsourakis, 'Plato's Atlantis' by Bjorn Aslund and ‘There is Only the Situation’ by Alessia Augello.
Inspired by site specific dance performance, all three emerging artists will challenge audiences pre-conceived notions behind choreography and performance.
Alessia is exploring performance as a sense, a consciousness that exists within the relationship between audience and performer.
Bjorn is drawing on their experience as a drag artist and queer performer, to investigate the future of gender and the androgyny of the human condition.
Alec is exploring choreography as a consciousness, a state of awareness, with a sense of play at its core.
Biographies:
Alessia Augello
Alessia will graduate from New Zealand School of Dance this December. Recently she choreographed a durational improvised performance at Playstation Gallery, as well as new work in the NZSD 2019 choreographic season. She recently worked with NYC based choreographer Miguel Guttierez and was inspired by Guttierez’s research to explore the basic situation of performance. Alessia is looking forward to using this residency to develop her choreographic and performative concepts further.
Bjorn Aslund
Bjorn Aslund is a contemporary dancer, burlesque performer and queer drag artist based in Wellington. He will graduate from the New Zealand School of Dance this year and is looking forward to pursuing a career as a professional performer, artist, and choreographer. Choreographically, Bjorn is interested in finding the middle ground between contemporary dance and drag performance.
Alec Katsourakis
Alec will graduate from New Zealand School of Dance this December. Alec has been dancing Ballet and Contemporary for 16 years. He recently devised a durational improvisation piece for Playstation Gallery, as well as creating a work in the 2019 NZSD choreographic season ‘Orbiculus’.
Mattias Olofsson
Producer and Lighting Designer
After graduating from Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School with a Bachelor of Performing Arts Management in 2019, Mattias jumped at the opportunity to work in dance - his passion since moving to New Zealand three years ago.
In 2017, he worked with New Zealand School of Dance as the Technical Operator for their 50th-anniversary show Once. During 2018 he took on the role of Technical Director and Lighting Designer for the 2018 Fringe show Sub Presents Blueprint (Winner of San Diego International Fringe Exchange Award & the PANNZ touring award). This show also received the award of Outstanding Dance Performance at the San Diego International Fringe Festival. In 2019 Mattias was the Lighting Designer for the NZSD choreographic season show Orbiculus where he started the collaboration with Bjorn, Alessia and Alec.
Through Situations in Play, Mattias is hoping to build both his producing and creative craft, while taking on his first project as a producer.