Chunky Move (Australia) – U>N>I>T>E>D
Duration: 55 min.
IMPORTANT: “U>N>I>T>E>D” contains strobe effects, dynamic lighting, and loud music.
Recommended age range 12+
With thunderous fury, “U>N>I>T>E>D” offers audiences an epic vision of machine mysticism. A synthesis of body, machine and spirit is embodied by six masterful dancers who give life to lurking energies latent within the industrial environment of our world.
“U>N>I>T>E>D” is the latest work in the canon of Chunky Move Artistic Director Antony Hamilton’s ‘speculative future’ performances, following recent innovative dance experiences created by the company, “Token Armies” (2019) and “Yung Lung” (2022).
Drawing from its artists’ individual artistic and cultural practices, “U>N>I>T>E>D” is an exhilarating melding of sophisticated movement, infectious music, science fiction-inspired design, and transcendent performances. The work honours technologies both ancient and contemporary, imagining a world of mythic proportions in which earthly forms commune with the gods of the machine world.
The work is a major international collaboration with leaders in the Balinese experimental music scene, Gabber Modus Operandi, Bali-based streetwear label “Future Loundry”, Australian global leaders in animatronic design, “Creature Technology Co.”, and award-winning lighting designer Benjamin Cisterne.
“Visually arresting and full of possibility.” – Dance Australia
10/10 “Unparalleled! It was breathless to watch and we were in awe of the skill of the dancers, the incredible structure/set/mechanics, and the costuming. A million points out of ten!”— Audience member
Antony Hamilton was appointed Artistic Director and co-CEO of Chunky Move in 2019. His choreographic work examines the elemental and primordial nature of the body, set against intersecting narratives that explore past, present and future. He often employs a sophisticated melding of movement, sound and visual design to collaboratively imagine complete worlds, and develops new choreographic languages to occupy them.
Antony has been the recipient of major fellowships from Bangarra Dance Theatre (the Russell Page Fellowship), the Tanja Liedtke Foundation, the Australia Council for the Arts and the Sidney Myer Foundation. In 2013, he was Resident Director of Lucy Guerin Inc and in 2014 was guest dance curator at The National Gallery of Victoria. He was also the inaugural International Resident Artist at Dancemakers Toronto from 2016 to 2018. He has created numerous national and international commissions, including “Keep Everything” and “I Like This” for Chunky Move, “Black Project 3” for The Lyon Opera Ballet (FR) “Sentinel” for “Skanes Dansteater” (SE) and “They Want New Language” for “La Comète” (FR).
Antony has received four Helpmann Award nominations, winning for “Black Project 1 & 2”, and “Forever and Ever” (Sydney Dance Company). He has won numerous Green Room Awards and has also received a New York Performing Arts Award ‘Bessie’ for Outstanding Production for “MEETING”.
In his time as Artistic Director at “Chunky Move”, Antony has premiered new works including “Token Armies” (2019), “Universal Estate” (2019), “Yung Lung” (2022), “Rewards for the Tribe” (2022), “AB_TA_Response” (2022), “4/4” (2023), “You, Beauty” (2024) and “U>N>I>T>E>D” (2025).
“Chunky Move” create bold, genre-defying contemporary dance. Internationally renowned for ambitious and highly original work, the award-winning company maintains a reputation for being at the forefront of contemporary dance globally. Under the leadership of co-CEOs Antony Hamilton and Kristy Ayre, Chunky Move play a crucial role in driving dance forward in Australia and beyond.
Artists and audiences are at the heart of the company, expressed in a dense program of major works, commissions, residencies and education offerings. Over the last 30 years, Chunky Move has performed in 130 cities in 150 festivals throughout the world, captivating over 610K audiences.
Artistic Direction & Choreography: Antony Hamilton
Performers & Choreography: Madeleine Bowman, Melissa Pham, David Prakash, Samakshi Sidhu, Joshua Faleatua, Jayden Wall
Sound Design & Composition: Gabber Modus Operandi
Costume Design: Future Loundry
Exoskeleton Design & Fabrication: Creature Technology Co.
Lighting Design: Benjamin Cisterne
Production Manager: Ashley Buchana
Stage Manager: Lyndie Li Wan Po
Lighting Programmer: Andre Vanderwert
Set and Costume LED Fabrication, Set Electrician & Audio Engineer/Operator: Shiv Geaney
Executive Director/co-CEO: Kristy Ayre
Senior Producer: Kristina Arnott
“U>N>I>T>E>D” was commissioned by Asia TOPA, Arts Centre Melbourne, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and Perth Festival.
World PremierE: 27 February–2 March 2025, Asia TOPA, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Photos by: Gianna Rizzo, Jootz, Cheng yu Chen, Andrea Avezzu.
Instagram: @chunkymove
Facebook: @CHUNKYMOVE
Twitter: @ChunkyMove
Website: www.chunkymove.com
The festival “New Baltic Dance” is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Vilnius City Municipality, the Lithuanian Culture Institute, and the EU.
“U>N>I>T>E>D” is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body, the City of Melbourne, and the Playking Foundation via a Playking Foundation Travel Grant.
