The books, films and music moving Melbourne choreographer Tra Mi Dinh
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE ARTS AND CULTURE
WORDS BY MARYEL SOUSA
“My brain is just full of what the show is.”
Award-winning Melbourne choreographer Tra Mi Dinh is constantly on the move – whether on stage or during her international travels. Right now, she’s working on a duet titled Seven Dances for Two People for PIECES 2024, an upcoming showcase of contemporary dance by Lucy Guerin Inc (LGI) and the University of Melbourne Arts and Culture (UMAC). In her piece, Tra Mi explores the ‘lucky’ number seven and its cross-cultural connection to ritual and rhythm.
Since winning the Keir Choreographic Award in 2022, Tra Mi has brought her talent to stages in Seoul, Madrid, Châlons-en-Champagne, Auckland and Melbourne. Her distinct choreographic voice subverts expectations and excites audiences, delving into deep questions about the relationship between humans, time and our experiences. Pretty cool, huh?
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It comes as no surprise then, that behind her fascinating work lies an equally interesting person. Below, she shares what she’s been reading, watching and listening to as she preps for the opening of PIECES 2024.
Reading
You Beauty by Mish Grigor
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I just started a novella called You Beauty by Mish Grigor. It’s this really meta take on the play, Class Act, by Aphids. The play’s director (also Mish Grigor) draws parallels between her Western Sydney upbringing and My Fair Lady, using it as a commentary on class. At the show, you can buy more expensive tickets and think you’re getting the VIP experience. Then the performers tease you for it and show how money gets you extra stuff, and you become the butt of the joke, which is just hilarious. The book is from the perspective of one of those people who accidentally bought one of those tickets.
Instagram poetry by Tamara Natt
Tamara Natt posts poems on Instagram and they’re always just so gorgeous and beautiful. It has taken me a long time to realise I’m into poetry – I realised by reading Tamara’s stuff. I was shuffling from tile to tile, reading these small bursts of gorgeous text, thinking, “This is poetry.” I was knocking myself on the head like, “Oh, okay, you do adore this.” Tamara’s writing is really clever.
Mythos: The Greek Myths Reimagined by Stephen Fry
My partner and I have been reading myths retold by Stephen Fry. I was on tour earlier this year in Madrid, walking around in one of the big galleries and noticing all of the myths were in all of the paintings. It’s very silly and a bit crass but it’s really cute to learn about. My partner and I read it to each other while we make coffee. Now that we’ve finished this book, I’m keen to learn about the Norse gods.
Watching
Mary and Max
I recently rewatched an animation called Mary and Max. It’s a claymation about a pen pal relationship between a young girl in Australia and an older man in New York. It’s a heartbreaking, interesting, stunning story. Mary’s got a problematic mother and she just randomly starts sending letters to this old Jewish man in New York who, during their unfolding pen pal relationship, discovers that he has Asperger’s.
PIECES 2024, cult content, and the number seven
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I haven’t been watching much because I’ve been hibernating and really thinking about our show. My brain is just full of what the show is. I’m making a work for the show about the number seven. I’ve been watching these interesting YouTube videos of people talking about the mythology of the number seven. I’ve also been watching some content on cults, and that’s definitely informing the work a bit. Whatever the cult is, there are [usually] elements of sacredness and spirituality within it.
In creating this work, I’m purposely looking into what it means to use ritual as a way to transcend. The number seven dictates the number of times we do something or creates a rhythm structure from which we then do a particular movement. For so many people, seven is seen as this mystical, special number that means totality, completeness and wholeness, so I’m attempting to show that through dance.
Fantasmas
I also watched a few episodes of Fantasmas the other day. It’s really surrealist and follows someone looking for a golden oyster earring that they lost when they were out clubbing. It’s really absurd and interesting, I need to keep watching.
Listening
Tilman Robinson
I’ve been listening to unreleased music by my partner, Tilman Robinson, who’s actually working on PIECES as well, making the sound for the work. He’s got some music he made last year. I keep trying to push him to release it because I love it. He makes acoustic experimental music, it’s really expansive and kind of intense but I’m really enjoying it, so hopefully he lets the world in on that soon.
Little Simz
I keep coming back to Little Simz’s EP, Drop 7, from earlier this year, It’s not long, but I’ve been enjoying it. My favourite tracks are ‘SOS’ and ‘Mood Swings’.
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Buttechno
I moved into my partner’s place and the soundtrack to me moving was this artist I recently discovered, called Buttechno (I don’t know whether it means ‘ass’ techno or ‘also’ techno), I listened to that all day.
To see Tra Mi Dinh live on stage in PIECES 2024, secure your ticket here.
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