SPIN

SPIN is an astounding educational dance experience devised, directed and performed by the contemporary deaf dance artist Anna Seymour and her deaf team creatives.

Seymour’s dance residencies took her across the Americas and through Europe but her time spent at the International Deaf Dance Festival in San Francisco galvanized her experiences, to devise a ‘similar’ show with her fellow creatives in Melbourne, who are committed to raising deafness and music connection awareness.

The DJ (Callum Padgham) spins his records - psychedelic visual projections set the scene - a spectacular simulated dance party atmosphere. Two deaf hosts (Luke King and Robbie Burrows) sit in front of DJ’s deck discussing (Auslan language), the prejudices they face and feel it is their right to proclaim their rights to ‘cool’ dress codes and attitudes, despite their deafness.

The audiences are colour coded and guided into synchronized dance routines by the hosts and intercut with evocative dance performances (Seymour, Amanda Lever, Benjamin Hoopman and Jon Clarke) that reflect a binding intimacy and a yearning connection for meaningful understanding.

The deaf rely on bass beat vibration and physical dance movements to experience music. By the end of the ninety-minute show, audience participants have vicariously gained a confirmed understanding of the visceral connection that the deaf have with music. It is a truly consciousness raising experience that breaks boundaries and offers an appreciation and respect for the deaf community.

Spin is a truly enlightening encounter that lets everyone know music and sound belongs to everyone.

Flora Georgiou

Photographer: Bethany Robinson