A Forbidden Love Story Told Through the Dance of Two Blood 雙血
A gold rush-era tale of forbidden romance comes to The Art House Wyong told through dance, spoken word, TV screen projection and a score combining traditional instruments with electric beats.
Two Blood 雙血 tells the story of a Tagalaka (NW Queensland) woman and Chinese man who’s love crossed borders, language, culture and time. Inspired by a pair of archaeological entwined skeletons forever locked in love, it is based on the family history of co-creator Jasmin Sheppard.
Explosively physical dance collides with a script that encompasses five languages that is both spoken, whispered and displayed through onscreen text. These giant on-stage screens are like dancers themselves, moved around by the ensemble and acting like portals to the various countries and times of this love story’s DNA.
“Two Blood is a work that’s full of collisions,” says ADT’s Artistic Director Daniel Riley, “you see the collision of dance and text, of a variety of different cultures, of love and violence, of duelling identities, of pre-determined and self-determined identities.”
This bringing together of different elements is at the heart of the work by Australian Dance Theatre, exploring the many facets of Australian history, migration and identity, and the “dual blood” of First Nations and Chinese culture. The score reflects this as musicians combine guitar, cello, flute and Chinese zither, with heavy electric beats.
Australian Dance Theatre is Australia’s oldest continuing contemporary dance company, founded in Adelaide in 1965. The company is led by Wiradjuri man, Daniel Riley, who was appointed as Artistic Director in 2022 and is the first First Nations Artistic Director in the companies near 60-year history.
The Art House presents
Two Blood 雙血Thu 20 June 8PM
Tickets https://www.thearthousewyong.com.au/whats-on/two-blood
Adult: $39.00 | Concession: $35.00 | Encore Member $30.00 | Under 30: $25.00