Dream Engine to drive Womad

BRITISH aerialist troupe The Dream Engine will bring its giant inflatable show to Adelaide as part of next year's Womadelaide world music festival.

Womadelaide has also revealed its 2006 poster design, which features its lion logo made up from stars on a blue background, shining above the Southern Cross.

The Dream Engine was formed in 1995 by Tim Petter, who came from a background in contemporary circus and music, and Steve Edgar, who worked in stand-up comedy and musical cabaret. It combines the talents of musicians, performers, designers and inventors to create aerial events.

At Womadelaide, which will be held at Botanic Park from March 10 to 12, the company will perform its new show The Conedancers, described as "a 21st Century maypole".

A male and female dancer are hoisted up opposite sides of an 8m-high, air-filled PVC cone. A sound system inside the structure forces them to dance, bouncing around the outside on harnesses. The two dancers realise they are soulmates, but cannot reach each other. As the cone begins to glow with lighting effects, the dancers finally meet by climbing to the top. The dancers then sink down as the inflatable cone structure collapses around them. The Dream Engine – a self-funded company – has performed at public street arts festivals in the UK and Europe, as well as at corporate events and launches around the world.

Womadelaide will announce highlights of its musical line-up as part of next year's Adelaide Bank Festival program, which will be launched at the new Adelaide Airport terminal on Monday.
Adelaide Bank Festival artistic director Brett Sheehy will reveal a 72-event strong program of which two-thirds is international acts and 81 per cent is exclusive to Adelaide.

The full list of Womadelaide performers will be released in January. Tickets for the 2006 event will be on sale online from Monday and at VenueTix outlets from Tuesday.

By PATRICK McDONALD 08oct05