TANTRUM for 6 by Harrison Ritchie-Jones

Next date: Friday, 21 February 2025 | 07:30 PM to 08:30 PM

Four people wearing colourful wrestling outfits squat one in front of the other. The person on the left of the cluster sits on legs facing in the other direction. A person also wearing a colourful wrestling outfit stands to the left of the group.

Presented by Darebin Arts Speakeasy

Thunderstorm, baby born…dun dun

Breakout choreographer Harrison Ritchie-Jones (CUDDLE) is making waves with his eclectic and unconventional approach to dance. Clashing forms and styles with high technical skill, he’s using dance as a frame for absurdity, physical virtuosity, and surreal storytelling.

TANTRUM for 6 thrusts us into a parallel universe where 6 babies are born from a thunderstorm, each with a natural ability to dance together. Like young goslings learning to fly, they dive straight into the challenges of their choreographed destiny.

Featuring an ensemble of expert dancers, TANTRUM for 6 becomes a guttural primal scream—a mesmerizing storm of movement that captures raw emotions, chaos and grace. This dynamic dance work considers what it is to be human, twisting and reshaping 6 paths in a choreography of elegance, danger, ecstasy, sadness, and exhaustion.

"the inauguration of a whole new aesthetic.” - Andrew Fuhrmann, The Age

This performance is designed for audiences to sit either on seats or on the floor. If you require a seat, please speak to the Front of House ushers on arrival.

If you have any questions please contact ticketing@darebin.vic.gov.au.

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Content Warnings

This production uses strobe effects, loud noises, haze and baby powder.

Running Time

Approximately 60mins, no interval

Special Performances

Preview Performance: Wed 12 February, 7.30pm
Opening Night Performance: Thu 13 February, 7.30pm
Post-show Artist Talk: Wed 19 February, 7.30pm

Creative Team

Choreographer: Harrison Ritchie-Jones
Dancers: Anika Deruyter, Rebecca Jensen, Harrison Ritchie-Jones, Georgia Rudd, Oliver Savariego, Michaela Tancheff
Composer: Nick Roder (bonus track by Robin Fox)
Lighting Designer: Ashley Buchanan
Costume Designer: Andrew Treloar
Cinematographer: Alex Walton
Visuals Operator: Jordan Kaye
Production Manager: Siobhan (Shiv) Geaney
Producer: Michaela Coventry

Image by: Jo Duck

About the Artist

Harrison Ritchie-Jones is an independent dancer, choreographer and filmmaker based in Naarm, Melbourne. His choreographic practice celebrates dance and is fuelled by a curiosity in techniques from a range of physical practices. Upskilling and blending forms, he uses dance to carve out spaces for absurdity, humour and physical virtuosity to work together in surreal and expressive explorations of storytelling.

A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, Harrison has worked with many of Australia’s most renowned choreographers including Stephanie Lake, Antony Hamilton, Jo Lloyd, Lucy Guerin, Melanie Lane, Graeme Murphy, Alistair Macindoe, Prue Lang and Shelly Lasica.

Recent works created by Harrison and his collaborators include: CUDDLE (Chunky Move/Frame Festival 2023, Arts House 2024, Sydney Dance Company’s INDance 2024), CLUBBLE (RISING 2024, MONA 2024), Cold-Tooth (Gertrude Contemporary 2024), BIG WIG SMALL GIG (Stephanie Lake Company’s ESCALATOR 2023), Banshee Cried Silver (The Substation/Frame Festival 2023, Dancehouse/Dance (Lens) 2023).

Awards and accolades include a Victorian College of the Arts Undergraduate Most Outstanding Creative Scholarship in 2013 and a Green Room Award Nomination for Best Male Performer for Stephanie Lake’s Pile of Bones in 2018.

www.harrisonritchiejones.com

CUDDLE is a uniquely original piece of contemporary dance that dazzles, entertains, and inspires in equal measure… a truly unique and unforgettable experience that showcases the best of Melbourne’s contemporary dance scene. Dance Life Australia Feb 2024 -Brendan Daynes.

This project received additional support from Creative Australia, Creative Victoria, Chunky Move - Minimax, and Lucy Guerin Inc.

Creative Victoria logo Black and white version of Lucy Guerin Inc. logo