Our 2024 Leg Uppers were Anisah Collins, Courtney Allerton, Danni Cook, Joshua Doctor, Kai Taberner, Remy Rochester & Will Bartolo

Leg Up endorsement from Remy;

Applying for Leg Up was easily one of the best decisions I could have made in 2024. 

From our first meeting with Josh, Steph and the fellow Leg-Uppers, I had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and excitement for the year ahead, knowing that I would have the support of their incredible company. The resources of free studio space, mentorship and skills development are very hard to come by as independent artists- to receive all of this support from one company for a consistent year was truly a gift. 

My personal experience with Leg-Up opened multiple, career- elevating doors. Firstly, creating this relationship with LOTW lead to employment with the company as a performer, which allowed me to procure an entire new aerial skill set. This was not only revolutionary to my personal practice , but also very expansive for my employability as a versatile performer. 

Secondly, through conversations/ mentorship with the LOTW staff, I gained an incredible sense of agency, and decided to pursue creating my first choreographic work. With the backing of Legs, I was able to use their studio space for our creative development, receive mentorship from some of the industry’s best creators, and ultimately present our work to critical acclaim in Sydney Fringe Festival. There is no way I would have been able to carry out this momentous career step without the Leg-Up mentorship, resources and support offered, so to the entire company I am very grateful. 

I couldn’t recommend this program more to any independent artist.

Kicking off the start of the year was Phaedra Brown, a 2023 Leg Upper, with her collaborator Haley, working on a cross disciplinary work that explores the multifaceted experience of feminine friendship. Then we welcomed Dorothea Csukai and her collaborators Mim Wheeler & Robyn Simpson to continue on their 2023 residency for Hanging by a Thread. Followed by Emily Lecky and team, integrating their vertical dance learnings into more refined set of movement phrases, before venturing back outside to film on Tasmania's striking sea cliffs

Then, we had Glory Tuohy-Daniell, a proud Indjalandji Dhidhanu and Alyewarre artist centring her work around the expression “let’s just put this conversation to bed“, and Reina Takeuchi asking the question: how can the body become a living vessel of culture, an embodied and breathing site of intangible cultural heritage?

In February, we welcomed Catherine Wait and the Cirque X collective of circus/cabaret performers headed by Missy (Catherine Wait) and J Twist (J Miller). Following on from the success of their show TENDER at Sydney Fringe where they won Best In Circus 2024, Cirque X spent some time in the Red Box before presenting at Adelaide Fringe in March 2024.

Finally, 2023 Leg Upper Sabrina Muszynski had some Leg Room for her project Second Skin which was presented as part of Double Bill, Brand X’s Season 8 of the Flying Nun.

Pictured: Cirque X rehearsing in the Red Box as part of Leg Room 2024