Demo | Branch Nebula
DEMO parachutes into the middle of the city with a team of champion skaters, BMXers, parkourists and dancers, as Branch Nebula’s signature street-style choreography transforms a major public plaza into a skatepark.
DEMO is tightly choreographed within a compact set of custom-built portable ramps, creating a 3D space in which vertical and horizontal planes are spectacularly traversed. With ramps launching bikes high into the air and bodies in motion drawing lines and impossible arcs, they leave visual traces in their wake: charcoal lines on the ground, and trails of FX smoke, evoking fragile images that blow away in the wind. The performers’ freakish skills pit the speed of wheels vs. the vulnerability of bodies on foot.
Branch Nebula has collaborated with street-style artists and dance practitioners over 12 years, developing a unique and distinctive practice, unparalelled expertise in this field, and an acclaimed and much-travelled body of four major productions.
These have been created for diverse contexts: theatres (Paradise City), skateparks (Concrete & Bone Sessions and Snake Sessions), and urban industrial spaces (s.l.o.a.p.).
DEMO premiered as a short 20-25 minute work for outdoor spaces, welcoming passers-by as well as audiences responding to event promotions.
The company is now working on a full length version for more controlled environments, such as medium to large theatres, as well as industrial or exhibition spaces. Outdoor presentation in a ticketed context is also possible. The new work will have a lighting design for night-time presentation.
We are seeking development partners as well as presentation partners, for a premiere in early 2021, with touring to follow.
Production History
City of Sydney Art and About season, Customs House Square, Oct 30 – Nov 3, 2019
Photography Credits
Mark Metcalfe and Adam Scarf.