All images courtesy of (it’s no) drama. Photographer Lauren Murphy © 2025
Dance of the Leaves is an exciting and daring new community dance project from (it’s no) drama. While it builds on previous projects developed by Artistic Director Samara Cunningham, Dance of the Leaves, blends the experience and skills of two distinct dance groups into a rare spectacle.
The group of dancers from South Gippsland that have performed in earlier, much acclaimed original works—Fill The Void, Action Station and Front Front * Back Beat—has been joined by a new ensemble of extraordinarily talented dancers from Melbourne called Creeping Cat. The melding of these two groups into a spellbindingly unified and fluid performance has been a remarkable feat, both on the part of Samara Cunningham—whose instinct for innovation and boundary breaking is formidable—and from each and every member of the cast and crew, who committed themselves to bringing a bold and risky idea into reality.
I was tasked with creating an original soundtrack for the work. This always involves conjuring something new out of thin air, before any choreography has been conceived, or any particular dynamic, form, or emotional arc has been envisaged. It is therefore up to me to imagine a sonic shape for the work, with a sensory range that moves me, and that I hope will challenge and consume the dancers’ collective (and individual) imagination. While this is always a terrifying process, it is also such a rare privilege to be given such freedom, and creative latitude. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Samara Cunningham, who, for some bizarre reason, trusts me enough to take the idea somewhere new and interesting.
The ultimate thrill, for me, is to watch a beautiful group of human beings put their heart and soul into animating the music I’ve given them. I hand it over, and it’s not mine anymore. I become a spectator in a remarkably alchemic process of transformation. And there is an element of a tightrope walk as they rehearse and rehearse, making sense of the music, developing their body memory, merging their individual movements into a remarkable, single piece of magic. Always leaves me speechless.
You can listen to the soundtrack here …
© 2025—Music composed by Michael Shirrefs
Performers & Creators
Hosanna Ball
Hannah Bradsworth
Mikayla Caracciolo
Wing Yi Chan
Avalen Costin
Elowen Costin
Lynden Costin
Bev Cowan
David Eap
Tiffany Friday
Desiree Katakis
Celine Marli
Kim McDonald
Joseph Newton-Keogh
Kate Russell
Jasmine Susic
Marg Watson
Director
Composer
Costume Designer
Stage Designer
Lighting Technician
Cinematographer
Photographer
Samara Cunningham
Michael Shirrefs
Mayumi McPhee
Kate Russell
Mark Harrison
Luke McNee
Lauren Murphy
