A stage performance called Nothing to Lose premiered during Sydney Festival earlier this year, but this week, men and women with plus-sized bodies will be flaunting their stuff and showing off the beauty and the athleticism of their bodies.
Too often, plus-size bodies are synonymous with poor health, and exposed flesh is often met with ridicule and fat-shaming. Being overweight is often linked to physical health or lack thereof; bigger bodies are something to hide, behind layers of clothing, kept away and out of public view because they are unhealthy, unappealing and unappreciated.
But thanks to director, Kate Champion, and associate director, Kelli Jean Drinkwater, plus-size bodies are in the spotlight and, damn, they look good. They look strong, powerful and beautiful.
Image: Heidrun Lohr/Malthouse Theatre
Image: Heidrun Lohr/Malthouse Theatre
"It's still a bit rigid, the body type we tend to have in dance — even in contemporary dance," Champion said to the Saturday Paper.
"I know dance needs a certain level of athleticism and shape — there are a lot of lifts and things — but still."
And it was from that thought process that the idea behind Force Majeure's Nothing to Lose came about.
But Champion's fascination with the human body extends further than weight — she's also created productions that explore the body's journey through age and disability.
"I love seeing what time or age does to a body," she says. "Or disability. Or strength." And several of these factors make an appearance during the production, which this week features both professional plus-size dancers and actors.
Not being a plus-size woman herself, Champion sought to collaborate with Drinkwater, who has worked as a plus-size model, to get a better understanding of what it is like to be plus-size.
"I had no idea the level of abuse that a lot of [the show's dancers] experience daily and how they have to prepare themselves to go out in public all the time," Champion said. "That's quite shocking."
Nothing to Lose stage show
Video: Sydney Festival
Take a look at the video from their performance in Sydney or head along to the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne from March 11-16 to check out their performance.
Share your thoughts and opinions about the show in the comments section below.
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