Campbelltown Arts Centre proudly presents MSTM, a new full-length dance work co-created and performed by Martin del Amo, Sue Healey, Tra Mi Dinh, and Mitchell Christie.
Named after the artists’ initials, MSTM is a layered and inventive collaboration between two choreographic pairings – Martin and Sue, longtime collaborators, and Tra Mi and Mitch, frequent partners from a younger generation. Together, they form a quartet for the first time. Spanning decades of experience—from established to mid-career—MSTM offers audiences a rare opportunity to witness artists of different ages, careers, and life experiences sharing the stage as equals.
Returning to the stage for the first time in a decade, Sue Healey reflects, “MSTM explores lineage and how dance and ideas echo through time, carried by bodies across generations. It’s about choosing what to hold onto, what to release, and what to inherit from others. Even as things shift, traces remain. Nothing is ever entirely new; we are always in the act of passing something on.”
This intergenerational element extends to the creative team, featuring acclaimed sound designer Gail Priest, emerging lighting designer Frankie Clarke and seasoned costume designer Aleisa Jelbart.
MSTM delves into the essence of collaboration, exploring what unfolds when four unique dance artists co-create a piece from the ground up, seamlessly shifting between choreographer and performer roles. How do they preserve their individual identities while building a unified collective presence? The work evolves through fluid formations and dynamic tensions, probing compatibility, embracing contradictions, and tracing the delicate balance between chaos and harmony.
The audience is woven into the experience. Mirroring MSTM’s choreographic themes of negotiation and realignment, spectators enter the theater through the backstage, passing through an immersive threshold of projections, soundscapes, and intimate performances. They emerge into a constantly evolving theatrical landscape. As the dancers observe one another, the audience is drawn into a vibrant interplay of watching, perceiving, and responding, becoming part of the performance’s living dynamic.
Martin del Amo shares, “This work explores how we see each other and how the audience sees us. By meeting the audience at eye level, we are investigating the meaning of dance and collaboration. We have just as many questions as the audience.”
With only four performances this November, MSTM promises a rare and resonant experience that speaks across generations.
“We’re proud to present the debut season of MSTM, an evocative new work developed by four remarkable artists during their residency at Campbelltown Arts Centre. This unique collaboration fuses diverse performance techniques exploring how we connect across varied lived experiences and respond to the world around us.”– Mouna Zaylah, Director, Campbelltown Arts Centre
MSTM comes to Campbelltown Arts Centre 6 – 8 November, 2025, 7:30pm, with an additional Matinee + Q&A on 7 November. Tickets begin at $15. Book now at https://c-a-c.com.au/mstm/
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