Contemporary dancer living with down syndrome is making history

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Disability is no barrier for Chris Dyke, a dancer living with down syndrome. As a director and a star in the contemporary dance world, he is making history.

Transcript

00:00As far as we can tell, and we've done a bit of research, this is the first time that a

00:15choreographer living with Down syndrome is creating a main stage work on a contemporary

00:24dance company.

00:26First time ever, anywhere.

00:29Which is kind of crazy to think that this is the first time that this is happening.

00:36You'll start kind of going down one path with an idea with him and then he'll have a moment

00:59of genius and cut through and we're going that way and so we're literally just being

01:04led through this labyrinth of brilliance.

01:07It's like a bit of a roller coaster in the best way.

01:12Chris just has such a direct, amazing ability to create and be with the room and super creative

01:22and wacky.

01:23Some things will range from being very dense dance to theatrical sort of funny things or

01:30very beautiful, poignant, tender moments.

01:42I always refer to Chris as a teacher.

01:45He has reminded me of what passion is, like authentic passion that's not egocentrically

01:54driven.

01:55It's like, just needs to do it.

01:59He just brings everyone up so beautifully and yeah, you just, you feel great.

02:06And yeah, he also just like really celebrates everyone in the room, which is like so rad.

02:13Chris is such a beacon of love and positivity and such a reminder for me that can get caught

02:24and tangled in the stories or the worry or the judgment in my mind.

02:30If I just allow that to settle and come back into my heart, then the world makes a whole

02:36lot more sense.

02:37The ideas are so incredible.

02:50You always offer something wildly unexpected.

02:56And the creativity, it just doesn't stop.

03:00Even in the lunch break, you're still making, there's no pausing the creative energy of

03:04Chris Dye.

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