Serena Chalker
Serena Chalker is an independent artist and co-director of Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre. Named “Most Interesting Australian Artist” in the 2016 Dance Australia Critics Survey, she holds an M.A: The Body in Performance with Distinction from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. Serena works in improvisation, text and site-based dance practice, questioning and re-defining the relationship between site, performance and audience. Interested in modes of mobile performance and their interplay with the canon of site-specificity, Serena’s practice is concerned with how space is experienced, remembered and understood, and experimentation with modes of viewing and interacting with performance.
Serena’s works have been performed and presented in Europe and Australia, including at Saaren Kartano (FI), Barker Teatteri (FI), Sofia Underground International Performance Art Festival (BG), Festival Alternativnog Kazališnog Izričaja (HR), Water Tower Art Fest (BG), Process – Space Art Festival (BG), One to One: Charting the Personal Terrain (UK), Springhouse (DE), Fringe World Perth (AU, Best Dance Award 2015); Noted Festival (AU); YouAreHere Festival (AU); PSi #21 Performing Mobilities Symposium (AU), MoveMe Festival (AU), Sydney Fringe (AU), Crack Theatre Festival (AU), Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (AU); Adelaide Fringe (AU, Best Dance Award); In Short; 12-12-12 (curated by Chrissie Parrott); Hyperfest 2011 (with Disability and Disadvantage in the Arts WA); and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
With AIVDT, Serena is currently developing a new site-specific work examining ageing and dementia in the family home with renowned performers Elizabeth Dalman and George Shevtsov. Later this year Serena will be participating in the residencies Water Tower Art Residency in Sofia (BG) in July, Month of Research at UferStudios Berlin and The School in Hasselt (BE); presenting her solo show every/nowhere at Sydney Fringe and Crack Theatre Festivals (AU) and will be presenting at the Dementia Partnership Project Symposium in Perth in October.