ENCOUNTER, in partnership with FORM Dance Projects and Sydney Youth Orchestras, presented in Sydney Festival 2020
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
GABRIELLE ROSE
Gabrielle is the Executive Director of FLING, following her tenure as Co Artistic Director with Rob McCredie since 2016, having joined the organisation in 2013. Her leadership is guided by a desire to create innovative, relevant and inspiring work, that supports artists in all stages of their career, enabling FLING to become a regional hub for independent dance. Gabrielle holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Performance Creation (Choreography) from the Victorian College of the Arts, a Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Education (Dance and Theatre Studies) from the University of New South Wales and was a participant in the Solo Performance Residency at Victoria University. In Australia, UK and Europe Gabrielle has presented her own choreographic work, facilitated learning and making processes, performed, and produced events that served as a platform for other artists. Gabrielle’s practice is influenced by artists she has trained and collaborated with including Rob McCredie, Kate Denborough, Rosalind Crisp, Andrew Morrish, Caroline Bowditch, Gunilla Heilborn, Helen Herbertson, Wendy Houston, Jess Devereux, and Samara Hersch. Gabrielle was the 2007 recipient of the Wilma Firth Award for outstanding achievement in Dance Education.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
BETH LANE
Beth is the Creative Director at FLING Physical Theatre, and joined the organisation in 2021 in the role of Dance Development Officer. A graduate of the VCA/UniMelb, (Bachelor of Dance), she has worked as a dancer, rehearsal director and creator on a range of independent performance projects in Australia, NZ and Berlin. Beth is an established and sort after teacher in dance education, youth and community projects throughout Australia. Creating, teaching and facilitating program development has taken her into university, school, higher education and company spaces.
Beth worked with choreographer Russell Dumas ‘Dance Exchange’, maintained a regular studio practice with the Company and was exposed to the wealth of knowledge held by Dumas and his creative associates around the world.
Fascinated by the body, her teaching is influenced by a range of somatic movement practices. She facilitates spaces to move which are thorough and specific, playful and imaginative. She considered the experience of the nervous system at the centre of her practice when making, dancing and facilitating. She continues her own learning in somatic practice with practitioners Shona Innes and Wendy Smith.
Beth worked with choreographer Russell Dumas ‘Dance Exchange’, maintained a regular studio practice with the Company and was exposed to the wealth of knowledge held by Dumas and his creative associates around the world.
Fascinated by the body, her teaching is influenced by a range of somatic movement practices. She facilitates spaces to move which are thorough and specific, playful and imaginative. She considered the experience of the nervous system at the centre of her practice when making, dancing and facilitating. She continues her own learning in somatic practice with practitioners Shona Innes and Wendy Smith.
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Anne Corcoran
After discovering backstage theatre in her teens Anne went on to train in Stage Management, Lighting and Sound at the then Centre for the Performing Arts in Adelaide. On graduating she travelled to Scotland where she spent 10 years working in lighting at Edinburgh Festival Theatre, touring with Scottish Opera and finally as Deputy Electrician/ Technical Training Tutor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Relocating to the Bega Valley in 2005 with a young family Anne held a variety of jobs before joining the FLING team as bookkeeper in 2013. As Producer / Operations Manager Anne combines all her skills and experience to manage the smooth running of the office and support productions in anyway possible, from managing Front of House to Lighting Design and anywhere in between.
Relocating to the Bega Valley in 2005 with a young family Anne held a variety of jobs before joining the FLING team as bookkeeper in 2013. As Producer / Operations Manager Anne combines all her skills and experience to manage the smooth running of the office and support productions in anyway possible, from managing Front of House to Lighting Design and anywhere in between.
ASSOCIATE artist
Patrick meessmann
Growing up in the Bega Valley, Paddy thrived in his family connection to dance. His mother Colleen (Finneran) Meessmann, a local teacher and former dancer with Pina Bausch, instilled dance and creativity in daily life. Paddy joined Lee Pemberton at FLING Physical Theatre from the company’s beginnings.
A graduate of the VCA/UniMelb (Bachelor of dance), Paddy has worked professionally as a performer and dance educator across Australia. He was a member of The Australian Ballet’s Dance Education Ensemble, delivering the ‘Out There’ program, designed and mentored by Helen Cameron. He has co-directed dance programs, devised performance, and worked as an artist in residence in schools throughout Australia.
Paddy has performed with Opera Australia as a dancer and actor, worked with Delia Silvan on ‘La Pellegrina’, directed by Rodney Hall for Woodend Winter Arts Festival. In creative collaborations, he has designed and created set and costuming, choreographed and presented work independently at ‘You are Here” in Canberra, PAVE in Emerald and Dunedin Fringe in New Zealand.
Paddy is excited by the potential in dance to open a dialogue and pass information through bodies. He is looking forward to reconnecting with his home community to share his passion for movement, creativity and body awareness.
A graduate of the VCA/UniMelb (Bachelor of dance), Paddy has worked professionally as a performer and dance educator across Australia. He was a member of The Australian Ballet’s Dance Education Ensemble, delivering the ‘Out There’ program, designed and mentored by Helen Cameron. He has co-directed dance programs, devised performance, and worked as an artist in residence in schools throughout Australia.
Paddy has performed with Opera Australia as a dancer and actor, worked with Delia Silvan on ‘La Pellegrina’, directed by Rodney Hall for Woodend Winter Arts Festival. In creative collaborations, he has designed and created set and costuming, choreographed and presented work independently at ‘You are Here” in Canberra, PAVE in Emerald and Dunedin Fringe in New Zealand.
Paddy is excited by the potential in dance to open a dialogue and pass information through bodies. He is looking forward to reconnecting with his home community to share his passion for movement, creativity and body awareness.
emerging artist
Jarrah Cattlin
Jarrah is the Emerging Artist at FLING, following from their period as FLING Intern.
Jarrah has recently undertaken a secondment with Legs on the Wall, and has performed in a range of works including My Black Dog film, ENCOUNTER RECOUNTER, and have performed in the Australian Youth Dance Festival Gala Performance, and in Gather as part of Meet Up.
Since a young age Jarrah has been drawn to dance as a different means of connecting to, exploring and communicating with our selves and bodies, each other, and our experiences.
Jarrah has recently undertaken a secondment with Legs on the Wall, and has performed in a range of works including My Black Dog film, ENCOUNTER RECOUNTER, and have performed in the Australian Youth Dance Festival Gala Performance, and in Gather as part of Meet Up.
Since a young age Jarrah has been drawn to dance as a different means of connecting to, exploring and communicating with our selves and bodies, each other, and our experiences.
FLING TUTOR
Harry Haggar
Harry is a young dance artist in the FLING Company.
For Harry, dance is an outlet to use his body in a way that is freeing, mentally and physically. He loves the feeling of high energy moving and sweeping through space. Harry also plays base guitar and sings in a band. They've played gigs across the Bega Valley including Wanderer Festival 2023.
Harry works with our youngest performance companies, YFLING & FLUX as a collaborator and mentor, and with FLING Community in our Parkour program. Harry really enjoys helping younger people discover how their bodies move, and support their development into great humans with big creative voices. Helping young company members turn their ideas into a fleshed out performative thing is the greatest part.
Harry has a playful ability to draw our youngest artists out of their heads and into their most expansive selves in the studio.
For Harry, dance is an outlet to use his body in a way that is freeing, mentally and physically. He loves the feeling of high energy moving and sweeping through space. Harry also plays base guitar and sings in a band. They've played gigs across the Bega Valley including Wanderer Festival 2023.
Harry works with our youngest performance companies, YFLING & FLUX as a collaborator and mentor, and with FLING Community in our Parkour program. Harry really enjoys helping younger people discover how their bodies move, and support their development into great humans with big creative voices. Helping young company members turn their ideas into a fleshed out performative thing is the greatest part.
Harry has a playful ability to draw our youngest artists out of their heads and into their most expansive selves in the studio.
FLING TUTOR
Jasper Clarke
Jasper is a young dance artist in the FLING Company.
Jasper plays piano, loves drawing animals and landscapes, climbs anything in sight, and feels most at home in the outdoors, he's an animal guy! It's not unusual at FLING to find Jasper flying through space and defying gravity. Jasper loves the opportunity to be physical and dive into expansive movement. It's fun, it feels great, he enjoys the challenge and moving with his friends is the best bit!
Jasper works with our FLING Community in the Parkour program as a tutor and mentor. He's wonderfully patient and has a knack for gently encouraging people to try something new. For Jasper it's magical to see the progression in the young people he's been working with for ages. He feels privileged to be part of helping other young people find a community at FLING and discover what their bodies are capable of.
Jasper plays piano, loves drawing animals and landscapes, climbs anything in sight, and feels most at home in the outdoors, he's an animal guy! It's not unusual at FLING to find Jasper flying through space and defying gravity. Jasper loves the opportunity to be physical and dive into expansive movement. It's fun, it feels great, he enjoys the challenge and moving with his friends is the best bit!
Jasper works with our FLING Community in the Parkour program as a tutor and mentor. He's wonderfully patient and has a knack for gently encouraging people to try something new. For Jasper it's magical to see the progression in the young people he's been working with for ages. He feels privileged to be part of helping other young people find a community at FLING and discover what their bodies are capable of.
FLING TUTOR
alfie tait
Alfie is a young emerging artist who dances in the FLING Company.
As well as dance, Alfie has a passion for filmmaking, being involved in the local film community and making his own short films. Alfie was a recent recipient of the Regional Award for Short Sharp Dance.
Alfie works with FLING Community as a tutor, and loves sharing movement and Parkour skills with young people. He's a joyful mentor in our Parkour spaces.
Dance lets Alfie be in his body and escape everyday life while soaring through space.
Alfie enjoys science and maths, and in his spare time he goes surfing.
As well as dance, Alfie has a passion for filmmaking, being involved in the local film community and making his own short films. Alfie was a recent recipient of the Regional Award for Short Sharp Dance.
Alfie works with FLING Community as a tutor, and loves sharing movement and Parkour skills with young people. He's a joyful mentor in our Parkour spaces.
Dance lets Alfie be in his body and escape everyday life while soaring through space.
Alfie enjoys science and maths, and in his spare time he goes surfing.
FLING TUTOR
Isha constable
Isha is a young dance artist in the FLING Company.
Isha works with our FLING Community as a tutor in the Creative Dance program, sharing her love of moving and mentoring our next generation of future FLINGERS.
Isha is passionate about science and in her spare time she loves writing. There is a relationship for Isha between the storytelling in her writing and the capacity to tell stories through the body in dance.
Isha works with our FLING Community as a tutor in the Creative Dance program, sharing her love of moving and mentoring our next generation of future FLINGERS.
Isha is passionate about science and in her spare time she loves writing. There is a relationship for Isha between the storytelling in her writing and the capacity to tell stories through the body in dance.
FLING TUTOR
perdita brydon
Perdi is a young dance artist in the FLING Company.
She works as support in our FLING Community program and loves working with younger people. Perdi started her dance adventure early in ballet classes. She's found creative freedom, voice and expression s a young contemporary dance artist, but loves the nostalgic, anchoring feeling she still finds when she returns to ballet.
She works as support in our FLING Community program and loves working with younger people. Perdi started her dance adventure early in ballet classes. She's found creative freedom, voice and expression s a young contemporary dance artist, but loves the nostalgic, anchoring feeling she still finds when she returns to ballet.
FLING TUTOR
Amalia-grace thompson
Amalia-Grace is a young dance artist in the FLING Company.
Amalia-Grace started dancing at a young age with ballet class at FLING, and since then her interest in all styles, in particular contemporary dance has exploded. The joy when Amalia-Grace is carving through space at FLING Studio is infectious!
She enjoys all aspects of dance and hopes to continue this passion in the future. She loves the story telling potential in dance, and this is so delightfully present in Amalia-Grace's performances.
Amalia-Grace has recently begun working with us as a tutor and is a well loved face in the FLING Community.
Amalia-Grace started dancing at a young age with ballet class at FLING, and since then her interest in all styles, in particular contemporary dance has exploded. The joy when Amalia-Grace is carving through space at FLING Studio is infectious!
She enjoys all aspects of dance and hopes to continue this passion in the future. She loves the story telling potential in dance, and this is so delightfully present in Amalia-Grace's performances.
Amalia-Grace has recently begun working with us as a tutor and is a well loved face in the FLING Community.
administration trainee
Darby Rosenbaum
Darby is a young dance artist in the FLING Company, and completing an Administration Traineeship with FLING over years 11 and 12.
Darby started dancing with FLING Community when she was 4 years old and could not get enough!
She joined FLING Company in 2022 and has grown a love for contemporary dance. She loves it for its creative making processes and for the permission to bring her own ideas to the table.
For Darby, dance provides expression and escape from day to day life. It clears her mind, yet fills it with these amazingly creative and inspiring thoughts.
Darby started dancing with FLING Community when she was 4 years old and could not get enough!
She joined FLING Company in 2022 and has grown a love for contemporary dance. She loves it for its creative making processes and for the permission to bring her own ideas to the table.
For Darby, dance provides expression and escape from day to day life. It clears her mind, yet fills it with these amazingly creative and inspiring thoughts.
guest artist
Rob McCredie
The FLING Company at Four Winds Festival, Image Ben Marden
FLING BOARD MEMBERS
Jenni Johnston - Chair
Jenni currently works for Southern NSW Local Health District. With tertiary qualifications in allied health and public health, she brings to the FLING Board her previous experience on committees for community service organisations and statewide health networks. Jenni has a passion for research and is interested in translating her skills to the arts sector through the overlap of the impact of the arts on health. She see's the outputs of FLING in the social capital it brings to the community, and is keen to continue and build on the work of previous FLING Board members in establishing FLING as an integral part of the youth dance ecosystem of rural and regional Australia.
Madison Phillips - Deputy Chair
Madison Phillips is a creative freelancer and marketing manager working on Djiringanj & Thaua Lands on the Sapphire Coast of NSW. Studying a Bachelor of Creative Arts majoring in Dance and minoring in Media Communications, she is a proud board member of Fling Physical Theatre. Madison works with Four Winds Concerts to champion exceptional music experiences in nature; bringing forward emerging young artists, First Nations voices and incredible professional musicians to regional areas.
Her freelance work via ‘Daily Ceremony’, a creative house for the rituals of life, specialises in brand storytelling, audience engagement, marketing and photography. Daily Ceremony blogs have been read by over 5,000 people and speak to the ways we show up, the ways we give up and the ways we live it up. Madison aims to continue her volunteer work within the community, whilst building on her professional connections and being a lifetime believer in the powers of narrative to bring people together.
Peter Harvey - Treasurer
Peter Harvey has had extensive experience in working with people with disability and the Community and has a keen interest in promoting inclusion for people with disability in the community. Previously he has held volunteer and committee roles within community groups such as the Eclipse Film Society, Tathra United Football Club, Mumbulla School Employment Committee, The Far South Coast Football Association and The Bega Valley Data Collective.
Danelle Ayres
Danelle danced her way through life from a young age on the far south coast, traversing the region with the South Coast Regional Performing Ensemble. Danelle holds a Bachelor of Dance from the University of Western Sydney, a Post Graduate Diploma in Choreography from the Victorian College of the Arts, and a Diploma of Community Development from Victoria University.
Following study Danelle worked on small independent contemporary dance projects in the early 2000's, collaborating and working with a variety of artists such as Antonio Vargas, Bilqis Hijjas and Jrisi Jusakos. Post dance, Danelle's career is in the local and state government environment sector, and for the last 20 years Danelle has specialised in people leadership, strategy development and implementation, community environment programs, community development, consultation and reporting. Danelle joined the FLING Board in 2022 to give back to the Bega Valley dance community and reconnect with her first passion - movement, dance and the arts.
Matt Alterator
Matt is a Koori man who has dedicated his career to working with Aboriginal communities. He has worked in diverse remote and urban Indigenous communities across Australia. Matt's moral purpose is to see the future built with a deeper understanding of and support for Australian Aboriginal cultures. Matt has established strong relationships with communities, schools and various government sectors. Matt embraces the opportunity to support others to create greater connections with their local Aboriginal community.
Jenni Johnston - Chair
Jenni currently works for Southern NSW Local Health District. With tertiary qualifications in allied health and public health, she brings to the FLING Board her previous experience on committees for community service organisations and statewide health networks. Jenni has a passion for research and is interested in translating her skills to the arts sector through the overlap of the impact of the arts on health. She see's the outputs of FLING in the social capital it brings to the community, and is keen to continue and build on the work of previous FLING Board members in establishing FLING as an integral part of the youth dance ecosystem of rural and regional Australia.
Madison Phillips - Deputy Chair
Madison Phillips is a creative freelancer and marketing manager working on Djiringanj & Thaua Lands on the Sapphire Coast of NSW. Studying a Bachelor of Creative Arts majoring in Dance and minoring in Media Communications, she is a proud board member of Fling Physical Theatre. Madison works with Four Winds Concerts to champion exceptional music experiences in nature; bringing forward emerging young artists, First Nations voices and incredible professional musicians to regional areas.
Her freelance work via ‘Daily Ceremony’, a creative house for the rituals of life, specialises in brand storytelling, audience engagement, marketing and photography. Daily Ceremony blogs have been read by over 5,000 people and speak to the ways we show up, the ways we give up and the ways we live it up. Madison aims to continue her volunteer work within the community, whilst building on her professional connections and being a lifetime believer in the powers of narrative to bring people together.
Peter Harvey - Treasurer
Peter Harvey has had extensive experience in working with people with disability and the Community and has a keen interest in promoting inclusion for people with disability in the community. Previously he has held volunteer and committee roles within community groups such as the Eclipse Film Society, Tathra United Football Club, Mumbulla School Employment Committee, The Far South Coast Football Association and The Bega Valley Data Collective.
Danelle Ayres
Danelle danced her way through life from a young age on the far south coast, traversing the region with the South Coast Regional Performing Ensemble. Danelle holds a Bachelor of Dance from the University of Western Sydney, a Post Graduate Diploma in Choreography from the Victorian College of the Arts, and a Diploma of Community Development from Victoria University.
Following study Danelle worked on small independent contemporary dance projects in the early 2000's, collaborating and working with a variety of artists such as Antonio Vargas, Bilqis Hijjas and Jrisi Jusakos. Post dance, Danelle's career is in the local and state government environment sector, and for the last 20 years Danelle has specialised in people leadership, strategy development and implementation, community environment programs, community development, consultation and reporting. Danelle joined the FLING Board in 2022 to give back to the Bega Valley dance community and reconnect with her first passion - movement, dance and the arts.
Matt Alterator
Matt is a Koori man who has dedicated his career to working with Aboriginal communities. He has worked in diverse remote and urban Indigenous communities across Australia. Matt's moral purpose is to see the future built with a deeper understanding of and support for Australian Aboriginal cultures. Matt has established strong relationships with communities, schools and various government sectors. Matt embraces the opportunity to support others to create greater connections with their local Aboriginal community.
The FLING Company in Body and Environment, Image Andrew Norman