Brand new Day

Melbourne choreographer Matthew Day is set to present the final instalment of his solo series Trilogy to Sydney audiences this month.

The work, Intermission, continues the dancer’s creative obsession with themes of transformation and builds on the minimalist feel of previous works in his series, Thousands (2010) and Cannibal (2011).

“The works connect in strange and mysterious ways,” Day told the Star Observer of the three pieces.

“Each work in the Trilogy series uses a singular physical state to explore themes of ‘becoming’ and transformation in real time.

“The structure of each work might be compared to a film that is shot with a single take — there are no edits or scene changes, it’s about being here, now, and experiencing our eternally transformational bodies.”

Intermission, which opens at PACT in Erskineville on June 20, will be quite an immersive experience for audiences, as they’ll enter a striking blue-black chamber to watch the performance.

Day described it as “the darkest, most esoteric and emotional of the works. I am exploring notions of surrender and release, loss and discovery and want to create an environment that is soft and immersive”.

And with Cannibal proving a hit at the 2011 Sydney Mardi Gras, Day said he hoped this follow-up would hold a similar appeal for queer audiences.

“With the Trilogy series I approach the body as a site of infinite potential and continual becoming,” he said.

“In each work the body is released from any single definition or easy relationship with the viewer and I think this is very much influenced by queer theories of subjectivity and the fluidity of queer sexualities.

“I do believe that I am proposing a kind of queer body in my work, for sure. And it matters to me that queers engage with the work, and that it enters and contributes to queer discourse.”

INFO: Intermission, June 20 – 30, PACT. www.pact.net.au