DANZ QUARTERLY No 4 June 2006

Reflections on Touch Compass Dance Company
Still here today - nine years on

SUE CHEESMAN interviews CATHERINE CHAPPELL

Touch Compass was founded in 1997 by Manager/Artistic Director Catherine Chappell. Her tenacity, vision and dogged determination has seen the company flourish, survive and contribute greatly to the broadening of horizons; who can dance, what does dance look like and who can be a professional dancer.

With the approach of their 10 year anniversary it is a time to reflect back and project forward. I was interested to document some of Catherine’s thoughts in regard to the company’s journey.

Looking back over nine years what would you say have been major achievements?

“Still being here today. The amount of people who have seen the company perform; the power of the work - how it has developed and grown from strength to strength; finding our niche as well as pushing the boundaries each time. The dance theatre aspect of the work has been challenging and amazing; of course a company is only ever as good as its performers”.

What you would count as milestones?

“Touring Australia twice, introducing other choreographers to the company, giving different flavours; opening up another avenue in the form of film. Working with Christian Penny to develop the dance theatre aspect and creating a major work, - Lighthouse, for the large stage at the Aotea Centre - something that not all companies have the opportunity to achieve”.

Can you speak about the perception of artistry and disability?

“Personally I have a range of choreographic ideas which are too wide and working with mixed ability narrows these down, honing me, to then be able to branch out. This is helpful to me as a choreographer. Working with the individual and drawing out different strengths - what movement performers can do and expanding on that - it comes down to how skilled the choreographer is.“

What are some of the issues this company faces?

“How to promote the company clearly to the media and audience. We have had a good amount of press coverage recently but people do not understand it as a visual image. There are always comments that it must be so nice and exhilarating for “those disabled people” - this applies equally to the able-bodied. Everyone gains in a different way. Perceptions are that if disabled are involved it could not be as professional. I am a bit over this after nine years.”

Acquisitions 06 is the first performance the company has presented in a while. There has been a lull in the visibility of the company – why?

“I now have a son Joshua. Also, although the company has not been in the public eye, a great deal of work has gone into consolidating the infrastructure. These include professional development training; lab projects and informal sharings; repositioning managers and producers; and strengthening the board with the addition of Suzanne Cowan, a choreographer, and Philip Patston as Chair; and employing Jeanine Gribbin as our first CEO. This has meant that the pool of people with the necessary skills has widened and the board has disabled representation. If the company had kept going with only me at the helm, burn out was inevitable and the subsequent progress of the company would have been severely limited. The intensity level required to work with the company is demanding.”

“The new development plan includes strengthening the organisation, making the company more visible, implementing an education unit and providing more integrated dance work nationwide.”

“It has been frustrating not to be able to fulfill all the needs, such as more consistent national touring, so people are able to see and participate in our work. There has been a lack of individuals with experience to teach mixed ability dance which has meant many requests have been unfulfilled. One way we are going to address this is to train more teachers when tutors from Australia’s State of Flux run a workshop later this year.”

You have long-standing members of the company who return session upon session. Why do you think that is?

“If you could bottle what Touch Compass has, we would all be millionaires - it is something unquantifiable. There is a sense of community which is lost for some people in this day and age - a general camaraderie of having to work together. The company has to communicate with each other to make the show happen. Despite this there are still at times tensions which make it real. These can be minimised by support structures put in place to mount the show. These include long enough rehearsal periods, suitable venues with disabled parking, access and toilets facilities.”

You have powerful vision – what are you most proud of?

“The level of professionalism that is always paramount. The ethos of the company and organization stayed strong with the sense of honouring people. We endeavour to acknowledge each individual and meet their needs, which can be taxing in high pressure situations. We are an improvisation-based company which keeps the company alive and the work fresh. The creation of platforms for our own choreographic development and, of late, encouraging disabled performers to choreograph. “

What are your thoughts for next year and the future?

“Celebrating our tenth anniversary. Achieving stable sponsorship and financial security so we can achieve an ongoing programme; consolidating and expanding the necessary skills to sustain the organisation; producing and touring - and forming brilliant partnerships. Finally to provide an environment of inclusion and build different possibilities.”

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