Lauren Langlois on the impact of creating new works with Chunky Move

‘Chunky Move realises that its community of dancers need to artistically evolve and is committed to nurturing their artists in different ways.’ – Lauren Langlois.  

Each year Chunky Move continues its legacy of producing daring and experimental new work with Australia’s leading creative talent. Having worked with the company for seven years, we sat down with company dancer Lauren Langlois to discuss the impact creating new works with Chunky Move has had on her career.   

Why do you think it is important for Chunky Move to continue to create new works? 

It is important for Chunky Move to create new works so that the company and the dance community that surrounds it evolves. Melbourne has always been the hub of groundbreaking and innovative contemporary dance and Chunky Move has a responsibility to the dance community that exists in Australia to continue making art, exploring cultural and political issues, and nurturing its best performers and independent makers. I also think Chunky Move provides something different to what is being made in the independent sector in Melbourne. As hard as that divide can sometimes be for the dance community, a point of difference creates stimulation and provokes interesting discussion around what dance means to all of us and without new work to discuss, we stay stagnant and stuck in the past.

How has being part of a new Chunky Move work impacted your career?

When I first joined the company, it was to collaborate with Antony Hamilton on Keep Everything, which is probably still one of the most popular shows in the dance community. Shortly after, I continued working and performing with the company on four of Anouk van Dijk’s productions. Complexity of Belonging has been the most important work for my career in terms of allowing me to uncover and establish my unique skills as a diverse performer.

Based on your experiences what do you think Chunky Move contributes to wider dance sector? 

Chunky Move creates a community and place for aspiring dancers and professionals of any level to come and take class with Melbourne’s leading dancers, teachers and professionals. It is a home for many dancers and a fantastic meeting point to find out what the company is doing next. In a sense, the public and professional program provides a bridge between the dance community and what goes on during creative developments.

What do think audiences love most about Chunky Move works?

I think audiences that come and see a Chunky Move production never really know what to expect. During my time working with the company, each show I have been involved with has been vastly different from the one before. This has a lot to do with the exceptional performers and the multi-disciplinary artists that Anouk chooses to collaborate with. I believe each work is different because the company allows itself to be informed by the dance community, Australian culture and the world at large. Audiences also love watching the dancers. I have worked with Australia’s leading contemporary companies and independent choreographers and in my experience, I think the movement language you witness in a Chunky Move work is very different to everything else you see in the Australian dance community. The aesthetic, style and movement language of the Chunky Move dancers is still developing and needs time to evolve and more opportunities to be explored.

Chunky Move relies on the support of its generous donors, what does being supported by the Chunky Move community mean to you?

Having worked with the company for seven years, the Chunky Move community has not only supported me through inviting me to work as a performer, but has given me the opportunity to grow as a teacher and dance-maker. This year I will be making my first professional short dance work as part of Next Move. Chunky Move realises that its community of dancers need to artistically evolve and is committed to nurturing their artists in different ways.

Each year we rely on the generous support of our donors to ensure that our impact extends far beyond the stage. We may be small but we dream big and with the ongoing support of our community we can continue to bring unique productions to life and share them with our audiences here in Australia and around the world. Help us take the next step.

Donate today – it’s your move.