THE COMPANY
Chunky MOV(l is a new modern dance company based in Australia
for the creation of innovative dance and dance/theatre works. The company was formed in early 1995 by internationally acclaimed choreographer and dancer Gideon Obarzanek and Sherridan Green making its debut at the 1995 Melbourne International Festival. Based in Sydney. Chunky MOV(l has attracted personnel from all over Australia. The company seeks to investigate and develop new movement language in dance and theatre and to create works with and by Australian and overseas performers, choreographers and artists to be performed here and abroad.
THE CHOREOGRAPHERS Gid(ZOn Obarzanek. Artistic Director and Choregrapher
Gideon studied at The Australian Ballet School and graduated in 1987 before joining the Old Ballet and later Sydney Dance Co. He choreographed Drift Office for the Old Ballet's choreographic season in 88. In 1990 he created Mr. Crowther and the Wallflower for the opening of the Australasian Drama Studies Assoc Conference. Gideon later filmed the work which won Best Independent Film in the 1989 Old Young Film-makers Awards. In 91 while at Sydney Dance Gideon choreographed Sleep No More based on the story of Macbeth. In early 92 Gideon left Sydney Dance Co. to pursue a career as a freelance choeographer and performer. Within Australia he has choreographed Sand Siren (Aust Ballet), Play Dead C:f,/est Aust Ballet) and While You're Down There (Melb Dance Theatre). He also created Saccharin Suite for Sydney Dance in 1994. In 1993 he created a new work for Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. Slow Me Up, Speed Me Down premiered in Tel Aviv and was later performed by the Kibbutz Company a\ the Melbourne Festival. In September of that year Gideon was invited to create a work for the Nederlands Dans Theatre 2. Petrol Head Lover premiered in The Hague and was performed throughout Holland and on tour in Sweden and Germany followed by a season at the Next Wave Festival in New York. His next work for NDT2 Coo/ White Fridge Knocked Over premiered in January 95 in Germany. Awards won by Gideon Obarzanek include the Martin Bequest Travelling Scholarship for choreography & dance (1990), the Sir Robert Helpmann Scholarship (1994), the Green Room Award for Best Direction in Dance for While You're Down There (1994) and a Paul Keating Young Creative Fellowship (1995).