Chunky Hippie

Went to possibly the strangest contemporary dance class I've been to in a long time.  And I have had my fair share of strange times in the dance world. 

• Performing the Herve duet amongst stuffed animals at the Aylesbury Museum.  The duet was made for a mid-scale size venue and we did it in the space of a cupboard.  
• Many performances in fields across the English countryside (often competing with farm animals and tractors - and farmers!).
• Doing a solo on a rock in Norway.
• Shooting a dance video on haystacks.
• Leaning against endless walls in a contemporary-dance fashion - in 1940s costumes - and being told off by tourists.
• Watching from the wings whilst David Hudson squirmed around on the stage, his legs caught in the ridiculous upstage curtains, which were decorating a backdrop which could only be described as a painting of sperm.
• After teaching a group of Year Two children for a week it was question time.  "Are you a dwarf?" one little boy asked.  The teacher came to my rescue.  "Don't be silly Nathan!  Nickely's all in proportion.  If anything she's a midget!".

Anyway, the teacher of the aforementioned class sported a handlebar moustache, decorated leggings, a v-necked yellow jumper and a disarming smile.  But somehow it worked.  The class was a series of release exercises.  There were only four of us in the class, but at one stage we did have to run around together holding hands.  We found ourselves lying with our bums and legs against the wall ready for some relaxation after wall-related jiggery-pokery.  But then came the moment I had been dreading - "we are now going to use our voices".  Smirk?  I almost choked, because anyone who knows me, knows that I cannot be within three feet of David H. whilst doing voice exercises.

ESPECIALLY when you have to end on a "mmmmmmmm" or "aaaahhhhhh".  Because it always turns to cackling laughter.  Red-faced, trying-to-hold-it-in mirth.  So all I could think about when we started on the voice stuff was "Thank God David isn't here..."  And that made me laugh.

Refreshing to experience beautiful strange in Melbourne.  Strange versus traditional, give me left-of-centre always.