National Institute of Circus Arts - Rouge Et Blanc Program

National Institute of Circus Arts Presents

CIRCUS SHOWCASE 2014

1 - 5 JULY

PROGRAM

CAST OF 2014 OUR PERFORMERS To book graduate artists contact CircaNICA, Australia’s leading agency for professional circus performers. 03 9214 6056 www.circanica.com.au

Mia Albers

Chelsea Angell

Jon Bonaventura

Phoebe Carlson

Reece Cooper

Patrick Denison

Teame Ersie

Yonnas Gebremedhin

Callan Harris

Melbourne, VIC Specialties: Tissu, Handstands, Flying Trapeze Trainers: Daniel Power, Diana Zhang, Julian Wisdom

Albany, WA Specialties: Duo Corde Lisse, Aerial Rope, Hula Hoops, Bottle Walking, Comedy Acrobatics Trainers: Aaron Walker, Jing Jing Xue, Stephen Burton, Konstantin Ibraguimov

Hoppers Crossing, VIC Specialties: Contortion, Tissu, Trapeze, Comedy Acrobatics Trainers: Aaron Walker, Julian Wisdom, Stephen Burton, Konstantin Ibraguimov

Sunshine Coast, QLD Specialties: German Wheel, Hula Hoops, Chinese Pole Trainers: Arturo Gomez, Donna Stevens, Lu Rong

Perth, WA Specialties: Hand Balancing, Roue Cyr, Chinese Pole Trainers: Lu Guang Rong, Ludwig Schukin, Lu Rong

Ethiopia Specialties: Unicycle, Bounce Juggling, Comedy Acrobatics Trainers: Mathew Daniels, Konstantin Ibraguimov, Stephen Burton

Melbourne, VIC Specialties: Duo Corde Lisse, Aerial Rope, Hand Balancing, Chinese Pole Trainers: Aaron Walker, Charlie Cheng, Lu Rong

Brunswick, VIC Specialties: Chinese Pole, Roue Cyr, Comedy Acrobatics Trainers: Lu Rong, Ludwig Schukin, Stephen Burton, Konstantin Ibraguimov

Melbourne, VIC Specialties: Hand Balancing, Head Balancing, Ladder, Korean Plank Trainers: Jing Jing Xue, Earl Shatford, Vasily Ivanov

Ella Horner

Luke Hubbard

Felicia Lannan

Thomas McDonald

Will Meager

Darcy Meaker

Dylan Rodriguez

Angelique Ross

Lucas Simonds

Rowan Thomas

Ashley Tomasini

Aurora Kurth

Albury, NSW Specialties: Contortion Handstands, Aerial Cube, Korean Plank Trainers: Daniel Power, Vasily Ivanov

Tamworth, NSW Specialties: Chinese Pole, Corde Lisse, Comedy Acrobatics Trainers: Aaron Walker, Tarn Scully, Lu Rong, Stephen Burton, Konstantin Ibraguimov

Melbourne, VIC Specialties: Dance Trapeze, Hand Balancing, Comedy Acrobatics Trainers: Daniel Power, Diana Zhang, Stephen Burton, Konstantin Ibraguimov

Broome, WA Specialties: Clown, Roue Cyr, Comedy Acrobatics Trainers: Ludwig Schukin, Stephen Burton, Konstantin Ibraguimov

Echuca, VIC Specialties: Hand Balancing, Hoop Diving, Korean Plank Trainers: Liudmila Druzhina, Stephen Burton, Vasily Ivanov

Melbourne, VIC Specialties: Handstands, Roue Cyr, Korean Plank Trainers: Lu Guang Rong, Ludwig Schukin, Vasily Ivanov

Fremantle, WA Specialties: Dance Trapeze, Tightwire, Flying Trapeze Trainers: Julian Wisdom, Daniel Power, Martine Howard, Liudmila Druzhina

Narrawallee, NSW Specialties: German Wheel, Hula Hoops, Comedy Acrobatics Trainers: Donna Stevens, Arturo Gomez, Stephen Burton, Konstantin Ibraguimov

Albury, NSW Specialties: German Wheel, Korean Plank, Hula Hoops Trainers: Donna Stevens, Vasily Ivanov, Arturo Gomez

Perth, WA Specialties: Tightwire, Hoop Diving, Chinese Pole Trainers: Stephen Burton, Lu Rong, Liudmila Druzhina

Toowoomba, QLD Specialties: Aerial Straps, Chinese Pole Trainers: Lu Guang Rong, Lu Rong

Mistress of Ceremonies Award winning entertainer, raconteur, comic, MC, and chanteuse! Aurora’s renowned for her impressive vocals, cheeky comedy and sharp wit.

WELCOME Circus Showcase 2014 Welcome one and all to our Circus Showcase 2014! I have a great deal of pleasure in presenting to you, our valued friends and supporters, the culmination of three years of study and training by our final year graduands. This year we present two separate shows (Rouge et Blanc) which share elements and themes in a cheeky cabaret style setting. Both shows involve all students supporting each other in their final year presentations. Megan Jones (Artistic Director) is to be congratulated on a superlative effort in pulling this mammoth season together and my heartiest thanks also go to MC extraordinaire Aurora Kurth who brings a certain joie de vivre to the centre stage. I sincerely thank all the students, teachers, creative and production teams involved in this year’s production for continuing the legacy of excellence that is NICA. To all behind the scenes (including our wonderful administrative staff), my appreciation for your team effort to make sure that “all is right on the night”.

To you, the audience, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

-Rose Stephens, Program Manager

Director’s Notes Creating a solo circus act that creatively incorporates each performer’s circus skills into an original artistic expression is a very challenging process. This year our students have risen to the challenge with a wonderfully diverse display of skill, imagination and daring. As always their trainers and teachers are to be commended on their commitment and support in creating these acts. Special thanks go to the industry panel for their feedback, to Kim Baston for her help with the band and to the delightful and talented Aurora Kurth and Meredith Kitchen for their creativity and support. Thank you also to Aaron Walker, Circus Director and to the production crew - especially Andy, Mitch and Bek who made it all possible. We hope you enjoy these fantastic nights of entertainment that the students have worked so hard to create and we wish them well in their future artistic careers.

- Megan Jones, Director

HEAD OF CIRCUS STUDIES Lu Guang Rong

HEAD OF PERFORMANCES STUDIES Megan Jones

PRODUCTION Director: Megan Jones

SPECIAL THANKS Australian Opera, Michelle Cheung, Chumba Concept Salon, Clearlight, Melbourne Polytechnic Live Production course - staff and students, Resolution X, Swinburne Diploma of Photo Imaging – Course Leader Mark Boyle and students: Tara Alexander, Hollie Madden, Jaime Meadows, Maddie Nicholls & Payam Rahini.

Operations Manager: Carmel Duffy

NICA TRAINERS

Production Manager & Lighting Operator: Eduard Ingles

Stephen Burton Tegan Carmichael Charlie Cheng Mathew Daniels Liudmila Druzhina Arturo Gomez Martine Howard Vasily Ivanov Konstantin Ibraguimov Meredith Kitchen Kathryn Niesche

Stage Manager: Rebekah Gibbs Circus Director & Safety Officer: Aaron Walker Rig Design & Head Rigger: Andrew Bright Show Rigger: Mitchel Jones Lighting Designer: Bronwyn Pringle Sound Designer: Guy Dowsett Sound Operator: Lee Stout Set Designer: Emily Barrie Head Electrician: Yasmin Santoso Follow Spot Operators: Jacqui Penn Front of House Managers: Helen Hand & Marisa Cuzzolaro

Andrea Ousley Daniel Power Lu Rong Ludwig Schukin Earl Shatford Tarn Scully Donna Stevens Aaron Walker Julian Wisdom Jing Jing Xue Diana Zhang

Photography: Aaron Walker Graphic Design: Blick Creative Video Documentation: Carnival Cinema Photo documentation: Aaron Walker & Swinburne Diploma of Photo Imaging

NICA BOARD Professor Jennelle Kyd - Chair | Mr Tom Rowan - Company Secretary Ms Sheila Fitzgerald|Ms Kirsten Jeffery|Mr Ross Mollison|Mr Bryan Rossi, Mr Luke Sheehy|Mr Jeffrey Smart|Mr David Stevens|Ms Mary Stuart NICA is Australia’s Centre of Excellence for training in contemporary circus arts. It is one of eight national arts training institutes and offers Australia’s only Bachelor of Circus Arts. The course is accredited by Swinburne University of Technology and attracts applicants from across Australia and around the world.

The National Institute of Circus Arts is supported by the Australian Government