A short, three-letter word may not be the most attractive phrase in dance. To call someone fat, though, may not carry with it the same connotation it used to. At least, that is the case for Kate Champion, artist Kelli Jean Drinkwater in their upcoming production Nothing to Lose, where fat is exactly what they are looking for.
"We did say fat. We asked for people who identify as fat, larger, big-bodied," says Champion about an ad she posted to social media.
Perhaps the word may offend, but that is the opposite of her magnum opus. Instead, she claims, the production celebrates the body and those who do not identify with the social norm.
The idea, while controversial, resonated with enough people to where they were sending audition tapes in droves. An idea that may seem exploitative, sure, but this concept is honed at authenticity — owning that you are comfortable in your own skin.
"I'm very careful that it's not a freak show. We want there to be humor but we don't want the dancers to be laughed at. And if they are laughed at, we want to turn that back on the audience and question it," says Champion to The Independent.
"We want to be intelligent about how we use the audience's gaze on this body shape ... and all the opinions and judgements that seem to be inherent in that," she continued.
A collaboration with artist Kelli Jean Drinkwater, the show will premiere in January at Sydney Festival. The resulting production should bring down the barriers of what it means to be comfortable in your body, pushing the line beyond the norm of today.
But for now, we have a preview of the show below:
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