Alisdair Macindoe
Alisdair Macindoe is an award-winning, multidisciplinary choreographer and Dance Theatre maker exploring Artificial Intelligence; new musical technology; trans-humanism; climate change; death; and identity in the age of narcissism.
Biography
Macindoe is an independent multidisciplinary choreographer living on unceded stolen Woi Wurrung country (Melbourne, Australia).
With an interest in extending the boundaries of choreographic practice, Alisdair’s work spans dance, sound, electronics, coding and text. Recent works have seen him explore automated dance and Artificial Intelligence; new technology for music expression; trans-humanism; waste and climate change; and identity in the age of narcissism.
Macindoe's independent and collaborative work has been commissioned and presented widely, including Forgery (2021, Australasian Dance Collective & Brisbane Festival); Progress Report (2023 & 2021, with co-director Alison Currie for Vitalstatistix & Frame Biennial at The Substation ); System Error (2021, co-created with Chamber Made & Tamara Saulwick for Arts House); Reference Material (2021, Darebin Speakeasy); Noncompete (2018, The Substation); Meeting (2015, with co-creator Antony Hamilton, commissioned by Arts House, presented across 35 international seasons) and Bromance (2010, Next Wave, Arts House & Performance Space).
Over 2019-21, Alisdair developed the training and creation tool, A.I.D., to facilitate computer generated choreographic instruction. Collaboration with presenting partners and educational institutions influence the design of each new project and the system is also available as a remote, online experience, A.I.D ONLINE.
Alisdair has received 5 Greenroom awards; an Australian Helpmann Award and a New York Performing Arts Award ‘Bessie’. He was the 2019 Resident Director for Lucy Guerin Inc; the 2019 Ausdance Peggy Van Praagh Fellow; the 2020 Dancenorth NO-SHOW resident; a 2020-21 Sidney Myer Foundation Creative Fellow and a recipient of the 2022 Chloe Munro Mid-Career Fellowship. He is a current board member of Ausdance Victoria.
Alisdair has an extensive history of almost 20 years working as a dancer (36 works) and sound designer (48 works) for some of Melbourne's most celebrated choreographers, including his career spanning mentor Lucy Guerin.
Image credit: Sam Roberts
Media
“Alisdair Macindoe is one of the most significant choreographers working in Australia at the moment. I have been following his work for over a decade and am consistently delighted by the rigour and intelligence of his enquiry. He has an open and curious mind and takes his research into contemporary concerns with a sidelong approach that fills his works with discoveries and surprises. As an exceptional dancer, composer, maker and coder, he has a complete vision for his work that makes it coherent and compelling. He brings out rare idiosyncrasies in his dancers and understands the power of the well-tuned ensemble. I am always energised and enthusiastic after experiencing his work and follow his trajectory keenly.””
“Macindoe brings an outstanding array of choreographic artistry to the piece.”
“...a perfectly executed work that interrogated, at its heart, humans’ love of consumption and the ugly side to our consumerist addiction….★★★★☆”
“This is improvisation on steroids It utilises not only imagination, but also disinhibition, curiosity and trust, in conjunction with fine motor control and spatial awareness. … Forgery certainly has nailed a brilliant concept with maximum intrigue appeal for audiences, tapping into the zeitgeist.”