IN CONVERSATION WITH KATYA GRAY, CONFIGURATION CO
'TO ME, CONTEMPORARY MOVEMENT IS FREE OF JUDGEMENT, WHILE BEING A DETAILED RESEARCH, A FORM OF COMMUNICATION, A QUESTION AND AN ANSWER OR A HINT PERHAPS TO THE LAYERS WE ARE MADE UP OF.
KATYA GRAY
BORN OUT OF AN ALL ENCOMPASSING LOVE OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE, CONFIGURATION CO IS A STUDIO BUILT ON THE NOTION OF ARTISTIC COLLABORATION AND CREATIVE UNION. THE EDITION SPEAKS TO CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND DANCER, KATYA GRAY, ON ITS CONCEPTION, WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, AND HOW COLLECTIVE TRUTH ALWAYS RESULTS IN THE MOST AUTHENTIC OF ART FORMS, IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR RECENT DEBUT SYDNEY PERFORMANCE.
ENTER KATYA'S WORLD HERE AND NOW.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF CONFIGURATION CO AND YOUR JOURNEY TO THIS PLACE.
CONFIGURATION WAS BORN OUT OF A SIMPLE IDEA TO BORROW DEAR FRIEND AND EX TEACHER OF MINE MANDI WHITAKER’S DANCE STUDIO ON A SUNDAY. IT WAS JUNE 2020 MANY OF MY CONTEMPORARY DANCE PEERS HAD JUST FLOODED HOME TO SYDNEY FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES DURING COVID - MYSELF INCLUDED.
FROM THERE MANDI (OWNER OF DANCE NORTH ACADEMY) THOUGHT COULD WE DO SOMETHING THAT INVOLVED HER STUDENTS TOO…
HENCE, CONFIGURATION COMPANY WAS BORN - A TWO TIERED CONTEMPORARY DANCE PLATFORM CONSISTING OF 12 PROFESSIONAL DANCERS (19YRS >) AND 12 ELITE DANCERS STILL IN TRAINING (14 - 18YRS).
MY ROLE AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR INCLUDED, AUDITION PLANNING, WEEKLY SCHEDULE ORGANISATION, CREATING A MENTORING PROGRAM, CHOOSING PERFORMANCE VENUES, SOURCING COSTUMES, FINDING GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS, DIRECTING DANCE PIECES MYSELF AND DANCING IN SOME TOO. WRITING THAT OUT MAKES ME REALISE THAT IT WAS REALLY QUITE A BIG JOB HOWEVER NEVER REALLY FELT LIKE ONE! IT GAVE ME THE UPMOST FULFILMENT BRINGING A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO THESE DANCERS.
WHAT DOES CONTEMPORARY DANCE MEAN TO YOU AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR ORGANISATIONS LIKE CONFIGURATION CO TO EXIST?
DANCE IS ONE OF THE FEW THINGS IN LIFE THAT IS ALL ENCOMPASSING - IT CONNECTS OUR MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT IN ONE SINGLE MOMENT WHICH I THINK IS SOMETHING TO REALLY CHERISH. TO ME, CONTEMPORARY MOVEMENT IS FREE OF JUDGEMENT, WHILE BEING A DETAILED RESEARCH, A FORM OF COMMUNICATION, A QUESTION AND AN ANSWER OR A HINT PERHAPS TO THE LAYERS WE ARE MADE UP OF.
I BELIEVE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR CONTEMPORARY DANCE TO STAY ALIVE. IT IS AN ART FORM THAT GIVES US (THE DANCERS AND THE AUDIENCE) THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIMPLY PAUSE AND CONNECT TO A DEEPER PART OF OURSELVES, A PART I BELIEVE IS VERY PRIMAL IN THE SENSE THAT IT DEMANDS PRESENCE YET INFINITE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY, INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL - IT IS TRULY LIFE IN MOTION.
WHERE DO YOU DRAW YOUR INSPIRATION FROM WHEN CHOREOGRAPHING AND PERFORMING?
PERSONALLY MY INSPIRATION FOR THE PIECES I’VE CREATED HAVE ALWAYS STEMMED FROM DIFFERENT THINGS. SOMETIMES IT’S PURELY A SCORE OF MUSIC I FIND THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO ME, OR A SIMPLE QUESTION SUCH AS DOES YOUR NAME DEFINE YOU?, ONCE I CREATED A PIECE INSPIRED BY THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF MAN-KIND’S POSTURE; FROM PRIMAL TO PRESENT…. A CONSTANT I DO HAVE IN MY CHOREOGRAPHIC PROCESS THOUGH IS DEEP DISCUSSION AND WRITING SESSIONS WITH THE DANCERS I’M WORKING WITH. THIS WAY THE DANCERS FEEL JUST AS MUCH A PART OF THE CREATION AND CAN USE THEIR TRUTHS TO CREATE AUTHENTICITY IN THEIR ART. I AM ALWAYS FASCINATED BY THE ANSWERS, FEELINGS AND INSIGHTS WE FIND THROUGH THIS WAY OF WORKING.
RECENTLY MOVING BACK TO LONDON, WHAT’S NEXT ON THE HORIZON FOR YOU?
FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE I WILL BE MODELLING UNDER ESTABLISHED MODELS, DANCING & CREATING WITH FRIENDS AND AIMING TO START MOVEMENT DIRECTING HERE TOO. I AM KEEN TO CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTEMPORARY DANCERS IN SYDNEY WHILE I RE- ENTER THE CREATIVE HUB OF LONDON…I AM EXCITED TO WATCH THIS CITY IN FULL SPEED EACH DAY, FIND NEW COLOURS, NEW LIFE AND NEW INSPIRATION.
