Jade Dewi, Choreographer, Opal Vapour
Listen to the wisdom of nature ...
Intuitively knowing how to move to a piece of music from a young age, Yamba-based contemporary dancer and choreographer Jade Dewi dances swiftly about each stage she graces, bringing her routines to life in seemingly effortless movements. Jade began dancing the age of five and by the time she was 11 years old, she was living away from home to pursue her arts education at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts in Sydney, before jetting across to the USA to complete her tertiary dance education. She has danced on stages across the globe, and her own works have been presented by many of Australia’s lauded dance companies. Working with musician Ria Soemardjo for her latest project, Opal Vapour, Jade explores the duo’s combined Australian/Indonesian heritage through trance rituals, shadow puppetry, video projections, traditional Indonesian music and contemporary Australian dance. Ahead of the show’s opening at Brisbane Powerhouse next Wednesday, Jade sat down with The Weekend Edition for a chat about her essentials for a well-spent weekend.
How do you like to start your weekend?
With a quick check of the surf on my bike, then an extended session of surfing, ocean swimming or yoga at the beach.
What’s your favourite thing to do on a Saturday morning?
Playing walking bass on my cello with my boyfriend, who plays jazz guitar. We both enjoy early jazz standards and improvisation.
How do you like to unwind?
Walking along the tideline and cliffs of Yuraygir National Park.
What are your essentials for a well-spent weekend?
Laughter, good food with family and friends, naps in the sun, reading and working in the garden.
What’s something you’ve been meaning to do on the weekend but haven’t got around to yet?
Fishing in the Clarence River.
What’s your favourite thing to do on a Sunday evening?
Walking around the headlands in the golden light of sunset light.
What are you looking forward to next weekend?
Performing Opal Vapour at Brisbane Powerhouse.
What are you reading at the moment?
The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav.
What inspires you?
Life, sunshine, rain, mobius spirals, gems, solitude, dancing in nature where mountain forests meet the sea, dreaming and mythology, the Pleiades constellation, animal stories, anatomy, adventure, ceremony and celebration.
What was your childhood dream?
As a child I was always dancing and singing spontaneous songs with my sister. I dreamed of flying and breathing underwater.
What has been your greatest achievement?
Directing, choreographing and performing in the Australian tour of Opal Vapour. It’s an intercultural dance, song and visual-arts ritual about the roots and roof of ancestry, place of birth and ritual cleansing.
What is success to you?
A percieved sense of connection to a metaphysical reality greater than myself.
What are your words of wisdom?
Create an aphorism whenever you have a moment to yourself. Listen to the wisdom of nature. Practise determination, concentration and elegance to understand dignity. I also try to remind myself of the diamond-water paradox.
Only a local would know … that Spooky Beach in Yamba is protected in a southerly wind and a large tiger shark lives at Lover’s Point.
FAVOURITE WEEKEND SPOT TO:
- Perk up … Lane Seven Coffee, Yamba.
- Relax … Mobius Kiryuho at Back Beach, Angourie.
- Dine … Beachwood Cafe, Yamba.
- Indulge … Wato’s Fish & Burger Bar, Yamba.
- Shop … Op shops for retro, vintage and antique collectables.
- Catch-up … On the deck at my mother’s house in Angourie.
- Be inspired … At the whale-watching lookout at the northern end of Yuraygir National Park.
