The House Special: Wholy Ish

VENUE: 107 Redfern

Come and witness the third edition of The House Special, Sydney's first Open Styles dance competition exclusively to House music.

We are bringing down two-time Summer Dance Forever winner Marie Kaae all the way from Copenhagen to judge our event!
There will be also be an exhibition dance battle featuring the different generations of Dancers who have pioneered the House Dance scene in Sydney.

Expect a day of celebration full of masterful dancing followed by a night of soulful, deep House music featuring DJ Diola where you're free to let go and dance the night away.

Door sales are also available for $40

Marie Kaae:

Marie Kaae (She/her) is a choreographer, dancer, curator and event producer with an extensive international experience and relevance. The body of her work is connected to house -culture and -dance in a multitude of ways. Since childhood Marie has worked within entertainment industry and performance art as a dancer, but found home in the independent freestyle & battle culture in Paris in 2005, closely tied to the original house scene from NYC.

She's known for being a two-time winner of House Dance forever in (Amsterdam/Japan 2015) and has spent many years focused on performance, teaching, organizing and pursuing a cultural dance life all around the world.
As a cultural activist and entrepreneur, Marie has been co-founded several platforms, events and sessions including Tap water Jam (Paris), Juste Debout Nordic (Copenhagen), Divercity (Cph), Nordic Unity (2014-2017) and currently hosting the club nights All We Need together with her team of extraordinary local Dj’s in Copenhagen.

More recent years her activities are centered around choreographic work in the performing arts sector and is actively addressing the need for structural changes to have club- and street dance genres more included in the official art world with appropriate funding and research opportunities and has since 2022 been curating the official training program for professional dancers in Denmark.
Her work tends to evolve around the the relation between music and dance and the modern expressions of rhythmical art forms tied to electronic music and soul.

Marie is a mature and experienced teacher of housedance and continues to educate the new generations in professional dance programs, in the independent scene, and at her own intensive training course Wholy Shit, which incorporates a holistic approach to the practice.

Caya:

Caya (Come As You Are) was established in 2021 from a mutual love of House music, dance and culture, specifically the community and expression that emerged during the late 70’s and early 80’s in underground clubs in New York and Chicago.

Members include Florence Wai Ling Cheng (Saiki), Karen Reyes (Mirage) and Jessica Tingting He (Jemz).

To deepen their understanding of rhythm and movement, Caya has travelled to Africa and New York, the birthplace of House dance, and learnt from the pioneers of the culture themselves.

They continue to explore and share the richness of House culture through a spiritual lens emphasising community building and passionate expressions of female identity, culture and heritage.

DIOLA:
For over a decade, Krystel Diola—or DIOLA (she/her) as she is more commonly known—has been contributing to the local music community across different iterations from events showcasing emerging electronic soul musicians under Behind The Front, publicity, artist liaison, radio (FBi radio alumni), co-founding a record label to sharing the bill with some of the best local and international DJs.

With her effervescent enthusiasm for music, culture and emerging artists, DIOLA specialises in curating thought-provoking events that are founded on community, belongingness and understanding; all of which illuminate our many variations of self-identity. Her events often build on meaningful experiences, creating a sense of intimacy and connection that often test boundaries, ultimately creating an unforgettable experience.