The contemporary dance show Hyperfantasia shines a light on the trailblazing flapper women, who shunned societal norms in the 1920s to embrace a more liberated lifestyle.
Known for their short dresses and bobbed hair, the young flappers typically listened to jazz, partied hard and became rebellious icons of the Roaring Twenties.
Giorgia Schijf and Minni Karamfiles are bringing the flappers back to life in an atmospheric dance performance that is inspired by the silent films of the era.
“After previously setting a piece in the 1950s, we were drawn to the 1920s – speakeasies, flapper women, and of course, silent films,” Schijf says.
“We were fascinated by silent film stars like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, who relied solely on their heightened physicality and facial expressions to tell a story – much like dancers.
“We used their body language and story-telling capabilities as a starting point for the work.”
• Hyperfantasia, a tribute to the flapper women of the 1920s, is a contemporary dance performance.
Aside from the dancing, Amy Ehlers will add some vocals to the sultry jazz music playing in the background.
“As an all-female cast we are drawn to telling diverse stories of womanhood, using the past as a lens for audiences to reflect on what’s changed since then, what hasn’t, and why,” Schijf says.
“Like a lot of contemporary art, it’s open to interpretation—we invite audiences to piece together their own storyline or simply enjoy each scene as a bite-sized moment in this ‘feminist rebellion meets 1920s film noir’ world.
“But at its core is a powerful exploration of the female experience of 1920s flapper women—figures who often lived behind carefully crafted disguises, their true selves only revealed in speakeasies or private spaces; where their bold fashion choices of short hair and skirts and liberated lifestyles of dancing, drinking and smoking were deemed dangerous, even transgressive.”
Schijf graduated from LINK Dance Company (WAAPA) in 2019 and Karamfiles graduated from WAAPA with a Bachelor of Arts in 2018.
In 2021 they teamed up with seven other friends to form Enneagon Movement, a contemporary dance company.
Since forming they’ve created several full-length shows and performed at numerous festivals including Fringe World.
“We have just performed in the Joondalup Festival as a part of THE CUBE program, in a show titled IN:VISIBLE, and coming up at the end of the year we are presenting a short-works program called Pilot which supports early career makers and choreographers,” Schijf says.
They also hold weekly classes for professional and amateur dancers.
But right now they are busy preparing for the opening night of Hyperfantasia.
“We love creating works that transport audiences to another time and place, especially eras that influence today’s pop culture, fashion and music,” Schijf says.
Hyperfantasia is at the Blue Room Theatre in Northbridge from May 27-31. For tix and more info see blueroom.org.au.
by STEPHEN POLLOCK