IN|FORM | A Cowboy in Europe
Contributed by Michael Smith, Independent Dance Artist
Solo work: The intense grind of self-reflection, personal truths and vulnerable pursuits. Combined with overwhelming gratification of discovery, of being met, of sharing, seeing and being seen by your audience.
I am writing this having just arrived back from performing a solo work ‘Cowboy’ in Europe.
‘Cowboy’, while on the surface may seem like fun and games (surfing trains, riding horses and wandering the desert) is a deeply personal work, embedded in the attempt to have complete, genuine and meaningful experiences as an imagined self. By committing entirely to the iconography of a cowboy, I seek to expose desires and vulnerabilities that exist in our pursuit to form identity.
‘Cowboy’s origin of conception is very much Queensland. Initially seeded while bush-walking through Central Queensland, it was then developed and supported by Brisbane’s ‘The Angry Mime’, South Bank’s ‘Flowstate’ and The FarmHouse Residency, with collaborators and friends who I respect, admire and trust whole-heartedly. So it wasn’t until I was about to present ‘Cowboy’ in Berlin, standing alone in a janitor’s closet of a school sports hall, that I realised this is the first time sharing ‘Cowboy’ with people I did not know, across cultures, across continents, across languages. It was like jumping into the darkness with a lasso and a cowboy hat.
However, due to the highly interactive nature of the work, it quickly became obvious what is at the heart of the piece - our want and need for genuine, honest and meaningful connection. It didn’t matter that I was turning people into saloon doors, taking them for rides on my ‘horse’, falling in love or fighting with them. What mattered is that the attempt is real and the fantasy is felt.
For me, this kind of interactive, performative approach requires absolute presence and an ability to listen - to be with the self and others simultaneously. While touring ‘Cowboy’ in Europe over two months, this approach became more than a performative tool. It seeped into my everyday practice. I met with people, experienced different cultures and worlds, listened to stories and created lasting relationships across Berlin, Brussels, Spain and Ukraine. Amidst the whirlwind of new experiences, ‘Cowboy’ became an anchor - a consistency in a transient lifestyle to check-in and reflect. A companion.
The work adapted and changed along the way, each show being an entirely different and new experience dependent on the location and those who interact. It was performed for both adults and children, in schools, auditoriums, sports halls and public squares.
It’s almost ironic that ‘Cowboy’ began as a reflection on my experiences growing up a Queer male in Central Queensland, feeling at times isolated, confused, cut off from social norms - to transform into a piece that demands so much openness and connection. We all figure out how to get through this awkward fantasy together. This is something that exists across cultures.
A huge thank-you to The Farm, TanzZeit, AGITART Festival, Ashleigh Musk, Liesel Zink, Arts Queensland and Brisbane City Council for your trust and support. Image by Anne Moffet - Dance Massive Site-Responsive Showcase