Biography with Choreographer Stephanie Lake

When Stephanie Lake first walked through Queensland Ballet’s doors in 2017, she was choreographing for the inaugural season of Bespoke. Now in its fifth year, Stephanie is returning to choreograph for Queensland Ballet once again. We sat down with Stephanie to discuss her time with the Company and the creation process behind Biography.

You choreographed Chameleon for Queensland Ballet’s 2017 Bespoke season. How has it been returning to choreograph for Queensland Ballet five years on?

It has been fantastic. The invitation to return to Queensland Ballet came out of the blue. I was hoping I would get invited back at some point, so it is lovely to return. I was part of the inaugural Bespoke season and Chameleon was the first commission I had ever choreographed for a ballet company, which was exciting and challenging. The first season was very successful, and I am so happy that the program has continued to grow because it’s so important for ballet companies to support new work.

I have only had one day of rehearsals so far, but it has been so nice to see familiar faces and see how much the dancers have developed and progressed.

When choreographing Biography how did you approach the creation process? How did you start visualising the movement?

I work collaboratively with the dancers and talk to them about my intentions and way of working at the outset of the creative process. I let the dancers know that we are making the piece together. The work grows, ferments, and becomes itself through our collaboration.

I am keenly interested in the dancers; what their quirks and idiosyncrasies are, their personalities, and their way of moving. That becomes the work. It is kind of scary because I go in not really knowing what the work is going to be. I don’t have a fixed idea of what the piece will become, but I think that is exciting because the dancers are with me on the journey from day one.

How do the strengths of a company influence your approach to movement when you’re creating a piece for them? Do the qualities of Queensland Ballet impact your vocabulary as a choreographer?

Absolutely, in a big way. I have a contemporary background – I trained in ballet but that is not my strength. I was never a particularly good ballet dancer, so I am in awe of the dancers and their technical capabilities.

The dancers have a different approach to movement, but I am really delighted by that. We find common ground in the collision of contemporary and ballet. I bring my movement invention and contemporary style to their set of skills. I will give them my movement pathways, tasks, and stimulus to create movement, and the outcome is fascinating because their training background and approach to movement are different. I find that clash of style productive; challenging in a way, but you end up with something unique. As a maker, that’s what I want – I don’t want to be comfortable. It’s a joyful discomfort.

Can you tell us about the music for Biography?

It is going to be a jukebox of styles, like a big eclectic mix tape of music. There’s everything from Ugandan hip hop, to classical, to electronica, to Ukrainian choral music.

How do you stay inspired to create, especially over the last few years?

The last two years have been an absolute roller coaster. I come from Melbourne where at one point we were the most locked down city in the world. We endured months of lockdown where we couldn’t dance anywhere. The bottom of the roller coaster was a long isolation and difficult time, but on the upside, there was a lot of space for imagination. By the time we were out of lockdown, I was totally raring to go. Since lockdowns have ended, I have been working on back-to-back projects including big international works. I feel really inspired and I don’t think any of us are taking for granted a single day in the studio. I am grateful to be back and with dancers again.

Is there something you want the audience to take away from watching this piece?

I am never particularly didactic with what my pieces are about. I like the audience to come away with their own interpretation. Dance is such a uniquely affecting art form – that’s what I love about it – it can reach people in the guts, heart, and muscles. I just want people to have an experience and be transported somewhere during the show. I don’t mind where it takes them, but I hope it is to a place of imagination and makes them want to squirm in their seats. I hope audiences are also amazed by what these dancers are doing because they are incredibly versatile and out of their comfort zone.

Witness the premiere of Biography at Bespoke, 20 – 30 July, at Talbot Theatre Thomas Dixon Centre. Find out more here.

By Meg Collins