Interview with the artists from 두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet)
Introducing the artists from 두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet)
두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet) is an electrifying bill of contemporary dance from Australia and Korea that showcases the compelling voices of four distinctive choreographer-performers: Alisdair Macindoe and Michelle Heaven (Melbourne); Haneul Jung (Seoul); and Chosul Kim (Daegu).
Fresh from a tour to three Korean cities and a season in Melbourne, this program of evocative solo works pulses with vibrancy, precision, and experimentation. Be transported by movement that transcends borders - where artistry speaks across cultures, uniting us through shared experience and dissolving boundaries.
Conceived and curated by Brendan O'Connell, this is the first iteration of a multi-year intercultural exchange with Australian and Korean artists and institutions, fostering deeper artistic dialogue between the two nations’ dance communities.
"Performance for me, is not an outcome but a residue of thought. Each work leaves behind not pride, but a vibration – a moment of self-questioning that shifts my artistic direction." - Hanuel Jung
What can audiences expect from your performance?
Haneul: My work explores the fragility and possibility of human existence within the Korean word 만일, man-il (“what if”). The audience stands between reality and imagination, witnessing the moment when one person’s choice ripples into another world. Movement becomes a question, silence becomes an answer — the work does not offer conclusions, but plants new “ifs” within each viewer.
Chosul:Rather than analysing what each movement means or how the narrative unfolds structurally, I hope the audience experiences the overall atmosphere and emotions just as they are — feeling them directly and intuitively.
Michelle: I’m not too keen on setting expectations or deciphering what audiences may or may not gain from the work. I invite them to come with an open mind and sense of curiosity.
Alisdair:Cutting edge contemporary dance where the performer is being told what to do in front of the audience by a computer algorithm.
What is the role of performance in your life?
Haneul: Performance for me, is not an outcome but a residue of thought. Each work leaves behind not pride, but a vibration — a moment of self-questioning that shifts my artistic direction. That subtle trembling is what keeps me imagining the next “if.”
Chosul:I feel grateful that the movements I have researched and practiced over a long time, combined with the experiences I’ve lived, have come together to create something unique, something I can now share and connect with many people through performance.
Michelle: Performance has played an important role throughout my life, often providing a way to navigate and process reality.
Alisdair:I have worked professionally in contemporary dance for over two decades; performing, creating music, and more recently choreographing across Australia, America, Asia and Europe. My parents both held long lasting careers as musicians, so performing is in my blood. I live and breathe dance, it is a lifelong passion that began at the age of three. I am more focused on creating dance these days, so this project has been a great opportunity to return to the stage in both roles of dancer and maker.
What are you most looking forward to at Liveworks?
Haneul:I most look forward to the moment IF breathes again on stage. At the same time, I’m drawn to witnessing other artists’ “what ifs.” When those worlds collide and dissolve into each other — that is when art truly exists in the present.
Chosul:I’m excited about all the other performances, and I’m also looking forward to seeing how audiences will perceive and respond to my own work.
Michelle: I look forward to the opportunity to share an aspect of my work with Sydney audiences at Liveworks - it is an honour. I am equally excited to see as much work by other artists as possible - the added bonus of presenting within a festival context.
Alisdair:I am really hoping to make it to Rhiannon Newton’s show. I worked with her last time I presented in Sydney; she is a gem of a human, and has a wonderfully curious mind.
Photography by HanFilm.
Chosul Kim, 두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet), Liveworks 2025, Carriageworks. Photography by Lucy Parakhina
Alisdair Macindoe, 두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet), Liveworks 2025, Carriageworks. Photography by Lucy Parakhina
Haneul Jung, 두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet), Liveworks 2025, Carriageworks. Photography by Lucy Parakhina
Michelle Heaven, 두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet), Liveworks 2025, Carriageworks. Photography by Lucy Parakhina
Alisdair Macindoe, Haneul Jung, Michelle Heaven, Chosul Kim,,두물머리 Dumulmeori (where two rivers meet), Liveworks 2025, Carriageworks. Photography by Lucy Parakhina
