Australian Calisthenics Theatre Company Returns With New Production ‘Mother Nature’
The 90-minute performance stars Ten Tenors vocalist JD Smith and features original music by Adelaidean Chloe Castledine.
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The Australian Calisthenics Theatre Company (ACTC) has announced its latest arena spectacular, Mother Nature – a 90-minute performance blending several elements of dance that tells the story of Mother Nature.
Taking over Adelaide Entertainment Centre on July 4 (tickets on sale now via Ticketek), Mother Nature features the vocal talents of Ten Tenors star JD Smith and local singer Chole Castledine (who also contributes original music to the production alongside David Goodwin from The Cast Score).
An exhilarating production combining acrobatics and live music, the production explores themes of beauty, artistry and creation. Stacked with a cast of 120 elite dancers from across Australia, Mother Nature is split into six acts across two massive stages, with performers accompanied by a live orchestra and incredible special effects courtesy of Adelaide’s own Novatech – a company committed to the arts.
The cast of dancers ranges from eight-year-old Aria Trestrail through to 30-year-old Rachel Sheldon, with one of the principal dancers being acclaimed Indigenous performer Ayanna Burgan-Minniecon, a legit triple threat who excels at dancing, singing and acting.
The production also features a whopping 580 costumes with around 150,000 hand-sewn gems, highlighting the dedication of the behind-the-scenes crew.
ACTC Artistic Director and Co-Owner, Brooke Brown, claims Mother Nature is like nothing seen before across the Australian sport. “Calisthenics is normally a sport based on rigid competition, and we’re breaking through that by highlighting its theatrical side in an arena setting. Mother Nature is about showcasing the strength and power of this predominantly female sport.
“Creating an opportunity where any calisthenics dancer across Australia can participate is our way to bring calisthenics out to the wider community. It also presents an opportunity for the elite in the sport, after their extensive years of training in all facets of dance, to do what they love on a commercial stage in front of a much bigger audience, without the pressure of a competition.”
Brown, along with ACTC Co-Owner, Carly Aherne, are doing their bit to put the spotlight on calisthenics with Mother Nature. The duo are passionate about spreading awareness of calisthenics to those outside the sport’s immediate community and are dedicated to training and developing their SA cast members.
Both Brown and Aherne have extensive experience as calisthenics athletes, with Brown’s career in the sport spanning more than 35 years, and Aherne proud to have represented SA in both state and national teams six times during her career.
Mother Nature marks ACTC’s second production and will be held at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Friday, July 4. Tickets range from $49 to $189 and are on sale now via premier.ticketek.com.au.
