About

Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre (AIVDT) specialises in site specific and improvised performance. The company was founded under the philosophy of taking dance out of the theatres and onto the streets to increase audiences for the artform.

Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre (AIVDT) is dance performance company that encourages audiences to expect the unexpected. AIVDT specialises in performances in non-traditional and public spaces, and aims to contribute braveness to the world and to keep breathing culture into places where you would least expect it. AIVDT hopes to surprise, intrigue, confuse and inspire those who manage to catch a glimpse of their beautiful, strange and engaging performances.

AIVDT's 2010 season of UNEXPECTED-microclimates, set in Wolf Lane, Perth, debuted to a sell-out crowd. They have also performed many works in the streets of Perth, Hillarys Boat Harbour, Fairbridge Festival, Joondalup and Fremantle Festivals, flash-mobbed their way through the opening of the City of Perth Winter Arts Season and Christmas in the City and with propel Youth Arts WA and were the original “swordfish girls” for electro-pop band Empire of the Sun.

Directed by Serena Chalker and Quindell Orton, AIVDT are preparing for their Perth and Adelaide Fringe Festival Debut in 2012 with a new work entitled "Life in Miniature"

Serena Chalker

Serena Chalker is a choreographer, improviser and performer, and the co-director of Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre. She is a 2008 WAAPA Dance graduate with a B.A. Dance and is currently studying a Graduate Diploma in Arts Management. Serena is a current STRUT Dance Inc Board member, and was also a 2010 Australia Council for the Arts Artstart recipient.

Serena has worked with and performed works by Jo Pollitt, Emma Sandall, Kathryn Puie, Carol Brown (Tongues of Stone), Ashleigh Berry, Quindell Orton, Tristan Sharp (PIAF 2008), The Fondue Set (Sydney Festival First Night 2009), Alice Lee Holland, Brooke Leeder and Physical TV Company. Serena has also performed nationally as a choreographer and dancer for electro-pop band Empire Of The Sun, including the 2009 ARIA awards.

Serena has choreographed for the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, STRUT Dance Inc Short Cuts season, City of Perth Winter Arts Season Launch, Kim Baker Ballet Academy and DADAA WA (Hyperfest 2011). She was the co-director of the 2010 AIVDT season of UNEXPECTED-microclimates and was mentored by Kathryn Puie to create a 10 minute solo for the work.

Quindell Orton

Quindell Orton graduated from WAAPA in 2009 with a BA in Dance (Honours) and is the co-director of AIVDT. She has performed locally and internationally with Link Dance Company and worked independently with Rachel Ogle, Marnie Orr, Chrissie Parrott for The Garden, Brooke Leeder for Throw You Eye Over and has performed with Buzz Dance Theatre. Quindell has also worked with special needs arts groups through DADAA and Kensington Secondary School.

With AIVDT, Quindell has directed and performed in pieces for numerous festivals and events. Over 2010, AIVDT put together their first full length work UNEXPECTED-microclimates performed in the Wolf Lane complex of Perth's CBD, which Quindell co-directed and performed a 10 minute solo, mentored by Sete Tele.

In 2011 Quindell received funding from the Department of Culture and the Arts to intern with Netherlands dance company, Club Guy and Roni and to undertake workshops with various European dance artists. She returns in September having just performed in the dance theatre work Three’s Company, Two Is A Party at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Other Dancers

Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre operates on a project basis, working with a core group of dancers tailored to suit the project. All dancers are highly trained, with a particular interest in improvisation and choreography.

The dancers of Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre wish to acknowledge Olivia Millard for constantly telling the girls that Anything Is Valid so often that it stuck with them and became their mantra. They also wish to acknowledge Jo Pollitt for asking the hard questions, for teaching them that whilst anything is in fact valid and the possibilities are endless, not every choice is a good one and for helping them to make the most of bad decisions!