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ABOUT |
Lewis Major is an award-winning choreographer, director and creative entrepreneur with a background in sheep shearing and a foreground in contemporary dance theatre.
He honed his skills in dance-making over a decade spent working with seminal contemporary dance makers Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Russell Maliphant, Hans van den Broeck (Cie. Soit/Les Ballets C de la B), Hofesh Shechter and Aakash Odedra, amongst others. Unabashedly audience-driven, the ethos that drives his work is local focus, global outlook.
His company Lewis Major Projects presents surprisingly real dance works in multiple mediums to diverse audiences across the world, having created 17 different works both independently and on commission and having presented them on 6 continents to widespread critical acclaim.
His work has been presented at, amongst others, Darwin Festival, HOTA, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Arts Centre, Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre, Sadler's Wells, The Royal Opera House, Latitude Festival, Southbank Centre, The Place (UK); Firkin Crane, Baboró International Arts Festival, Midsummer Festival and Galway International Arts Festival (IE), Festival Cidade da Cultura em São Paulo (BR); Hawaky Festival (Egypt), Festival de Mayo (Mexico); La Comete, Centre des Arts Enghien Les Bains, La Maison de la Musique de Nanterre, Maison des Arts de Creteil (France); Florence Dance Festival (IT); Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg (Luxembourg), PUSH Festival (Canada); Impulstanz Festival, Ars Electronica Festival (Austria); TED Global (Brazil) and TEDx London; Esplanade Theatres (Singapore); and the Baryshnikov Art Centre (NYC).
Lewis’ choreography is intensely physical, original, and theatrical, giving audiences a distinctly visceral total-art experience. His process is focused on rigour, collaboration, openness and experimentation. The artists that we work with are inspired by the vibrancy, sophistication and inventiveness of Australian stories and the exhilarating challenges they pose to creating dance and dance theatre of genuine relevance in this modern time. In meeting this challenge we position our work in a dynamic national and international conversation that is helping to define the future of dance practice.
He honed his skills in dance-making over a decade spent working with seminal contemporary dance makers Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Russell Maliphant, Hans van den Broeck (Cie. Soit/Les Ballets C de la B), Hofesh Shechter and Aakash Odedra, amongst others. Unabashedly audience-driven, the ethos that drives his work is local focus, global outlook.
His company Lewis Major Projects presents surprisingly real dance works in multiple mediums to diverse audiences across the world, having created 17 different works both independently and on commission and having presented them on 6 continents to widespread critical acclaim.
His work has been presented at, amongst others, Darwin Festival, HOTA, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Arts Centre, Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre, Sadler's Wells, The Royal Opera House, Latitude Festival, Southbank Centre, The Place (UK); Firkin Crane, Baboró International Arts Festival, Midsummer Festival and Galway International Arts Festival (IE), Festival Cidade da Cultura em São Paulo (BR); Hawaky Festival (Egypt), Festival de Mayo (Mexico); La Comete, Centre des Arts Enghien Les Bains, La Maison de la Musique de Nanterre, Maison des Arts de Creteil (France); Florence Dance Festival (IT); Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg (Luxembourg), PUSH Festival (Canada); Impulstanz Festival, Ars Electronica Festival (Austria); TED Global (Brazil) and TEDx London; Esplanade Theatres (Singapore); and the Baryshnikov Art Centre (NYC).
Lewis’ choreography is intensely physical, original, and theatrical, giving audiences a distinctly visceral total-art experience. His process is focused on rigour, collaboration, openness and experimentation. The artists that we work with are inspired by the vibrancy, sophistication and inventiveness of Australian stories and the exhilarating challenges they pose to creating dance and dance theatre of genuine relevance in this modern time. In meeting this challenge we position our work in a dynamic national and international conversation that is helping to define the future of dance practice.
VISION |
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Local Focus, Global Outlook
"The work that we create springs from an acute awareness that people can be put off by contemporary dance if they feel they don’t grasp what is unfolding in front of them and are failing a type of test. We steadfastly reject opaqueness in what we put on stage and our work is unabashedly audience driven.
My work is purposefully, and persistently, non-didactic. I don't want to lecture to audiences or people who come to see our shows; our work is there to act as a mirror. The mirror is a reflection that says: this is who you are, this is what you look like – if you don’t like what you see, why don’t you try and change it?
In creating the work, I don’t have an agenda or overarching political philosophy that I am trying to push through the images, atmosphere or messages that I or my collaborators create on stage. But, as with everything, there is a political influence: my work, as all art, is created under the pressure of a very politicised world and its discontents."
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"Collaboration is vital to my creative process. I form creative partnerships with like-minded artists across design, dramaturgy, sound & light to build an environment/atmosphere that is palpable & visceral. The environment we build is integral to the investigation of how the body relates to it, both physically & emotionally.
Being raised in the rural southeast of South Australia, there was a scarcity of art being made available to regional audiences as I was growing up; as an artist I am therefore passionate about making dance accessible. I consider myself a quintessentially Australian choreographer, making work that is relevant and revelatory to Australian audiences, whilst maintaining an international attitude and global outlook as a citizen of the world."
My work is purposefully, and persistently, non-didactic. I don't want to lecture to audiences or people who come to see our shows; our work is there to act as a mirror. The mirror is a reflection that says: this is who you are, this is what you look like – if you don’t like what you see, why don’t you try and change it?
In creating the work, I don’t have an agenda or overarching political philosophy that I am trying to push through the images, atmosphere or messages that I or my collaborators create on stage. But, as with everything, there is a political influence: my work, as all art, is created under the pressure of a very politicised world and its discontents."
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"Collaboration is vital to my creative process. I form creative partnerships with like-minded artists across design, dramaturgy, sound & light to build an environment/atmosphere that is palpable & visceral. The environment we build is integral to the investigation of how the body relates to it, both physically & emotionally.
Being raised in the rural southeast of South Australia, there was a scarcity of art being made available to regional audiences as I was growing up; as an artist I am therefore passionate about making dance accessible. I consider myself a quintessentially Australian choreographer, making work that is relevant and revelatory to Australian audiences, whilst maintaining an international attitude and global outlook as a citizen of the world."
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LEWIS MAJOR PROJECTS |
Incorporated as an independent, project-based company in 2016 as a vehicle for Lewis Major’s creative work and to initiate cultural exchange and international partnerships, Lewis Major Projects (LMP) exists to deliver exceptional creative experiences for audiences and to address the divide that sometimes separates live performance from regional Australia.
We are based in rural South Australia and create our work here, work that can be seen across the world but is deeply rooted in our connection to local community. Empowered by a vision to be a leader in the creation of new Australian dance, the company has been consistently recognised with major awards and significant commissioning and touring opportunities that highlight the esteem in the company that is held throughout Australia and the world.
We are guided by six key pillars: Entrepreneurship, Aspiration, Sustainability, Integrity, Compassion, and Collaboration.
We are based in rural South Australia and create our work here, work that can be seen across the world but is deeply rooted in our connection to local community. Empowered by a vision to be a leader in the creation of new Australian dance, the company has been consistently recognised with major awards and significant commissioning and touring opportunities that highlight the esteem in the company that is held throughout Australia and the world.
We are guided by six key pillars: Entrepreneurship, Aspiration, Sustainability, Integrity, Compassion, and Collaboration.
- Entrepreneurship drives our commitment to resource innovation, imagination, and creativity in our artists, arts workers, and audiences. By embracing new ideas and approaches, we aim to be at the forefront of the arts sector, creating work that is truly innovative and impactful.
- Aspiration is about attracting the world's best to the regions and sharing the region's best with the world. We believe that rural South Australia has a wealth of talent and creativity to offer, and we are committed to showcasing this to a global audience.
- Sustainability is essential to ensure that our organisational capacity aligns with our vision and ambitions. We recognise the importance of being a sustainable and viable organisation, and we are committed to new and innovative ways to adapt to a changing operating environment.
- Integrity is about embedding excellence, authenticity, and accountability in all areas of our practice and operations. We believe in doing the right thing, no matter what, and in being transparent and honest in all of our dealings.
- Compassion is about recognising that our people are our greatest asset. We believe in treating our artists, arts workers, and audiences with respect, empathy, and kindness, and in supporting them in their work and their lives.
- Collaboration is about prioritising co-creation, generosity, and abundance within our organisation, among our stakeholders, and across the broader arts sector. We believe in working together to achieve common goals and in sharing resources, ideas, and expertise to create something truly exceptional.
Lewis Major Projects is grateful to be supported by CreateSA, the South Australian Department of the Premier and Cabinet and House of Oz, the award-winning philanthropic powerhouse championing Australian creative arts on international stages and screens.