Australia Dancing - Cullen, Philippa (1950

Cullen, Philippa (1950 - 1975)

Ozolins, Alex: Philippa Cullen with wireloop aerials in 'Homage to Theremin 2', 1972

Born in Melbourne, Philippa Cullen was educated at Queenwood and Loreto Convent, Sydney. At the age of eight she became a pupil at the Bodenwieser Dance Studio. During her dance studies at the Bodenwieser centre, Cullen appeared in works choreographed by Margaret Chapple, Keith Bain and Jacqui Carroll including Bain's Primitive Suite, first performed at Ballet Australia's second workshop performance on 9 August 1964 at Cell Block Theatre, Sydney, and Jacqui Carroll's Entangled, first performed in another of Ballet Australia?s choreographic workshops on 5 October 1969, also at the Cell Block.

One of Cullen's earliest choreographic works, Electronic Aspects, was performed in Ballet Australia?s 1970 choreographic competition. The work was set to music composed by Nicholas Lyons, co-ordinated by Lyons and Sue Butler. It featured nine dancers including Jacqui Carroll, Kay Dunne, Christine Koltai, and Geoffrey Cichero. In 1971 Cullen performed in Kay Dunne's Ballet Australia competition work " ... we bled inside each other's wounds". Cullen's second and final entry to a Ballet Australia choreographic competition was Utter (1972) created for five dancers and with music 'performed, and words spoken and sung by dancers, arranged by the choreographer in collaboration with the writer George Alexander'. Utter received a special mention from the judges.

In 1970 Cullen graduated from Sydney University with a BA degree, majoring in English and Italian with sub-majors in Fine Arts and Medieval History. During her studies at Sydney University, Cullen initiated dance classes and improvisational performances for Sydney University students. This period also saw Cullen come into contact with the theremin, an electronic musical instrument in which tone is generated by two high-frequency oscillators and pitch controlled by the movement of the performer towards and away from the circuit.

Cullen's first performance integrating the theremin, Homage to Theremin II (1972), was a collaboration with composer Greg Schiemer, electrical engineer Phil Connor and architecture student Manuel Nobleza. This work utilised four theremins, each differing in shape and size and each with its own antenna, allowing the dancers to control the music accompanying their movements. Connor, an engineer, designed the theremins and frequency-to-voltage converters that allowed an interface with two VCS-3 voltage-control synthesisers, and architect and sculptor Nobleza designed the antennae.

In May 1972 Cullen applied for an overseas travel grant to explore 'the medium of electronics and its potential for extending dance as an art form'. Cullen's trip took her to Europe, Africa, and India between August 1972 and early 1974. During her travels Cullen spent time at the Instituut voor sonologie (The Institute of Sonology), Utrecht University, The Netherlands, working with composer-in-residence Otto Laske. As a result of their contact Laske produced a graphic score for Cullen, Vitre, after a text by Rene Char, for one or more dancers. Laske composed a score in Labanotation describing gestures and positions as well as vocal and body sounds along a flexible timeline of about 20 minutes.

Returning to Australia in early 1974 Cullen continued her investigation into the possibilities of electronics and dance, presenting a series of seminars over nine days at One Central Street Gallery, Sydney, giving workshops and demonstrations of the findings of her travels. In September 1974 she presented a 24 hour concert, 24-Hour Chess, with Ian Robertson and Aleks Danko at Hogarth Gallery, Sydney. Subsequent performances include the 1975 Computers and Electronics in the Arts exhibition in Canberra. Cullen died unexpectedly while travelling in India in 1975.

In 1976 dancers Jacqui Carroll, Brian Coughran, Helen Herbertson and John Salisbury presented the dance work Body Sonata, which they dedicated to Cullen's memory.

Bibliography:

Philippa Cullen, 'Towards a philosophy of dance', Writings on Dance 4 (Spring 1989), pp. 18-25; Jilba Wallace, 'A life's work: Philippa Cullen 1950-1975', Writings on Dance 4 (Spring 1989), pp. 8-15; George Alexander, 'The hot electron: some notes on the single-dance of Philippa Cullen', Writings on Dance 4 (Spring 1989), pp. 26-31.

Research Materials

Ballet Australia. Fourth Choreographic Competition 1972 : Part I, 1972 (Moving picture): J-format videotape, produced by Ballet Australia; black and white, sound, PAL, 70 mins; This tape documents four entries in the 1972 Ballet Australia choreographic competition. The works are Chiaroscuro by Kerrie van Trigt to music by Richard Strauss, Legeti and Katchachurian (21 mins), Goodbye Suzanne by Kai Tai Chan to folk music (12 mins), Winterscape by Dorothy Steanes to music by Xenakis, Bartok, Guillou and Kabelac (19 mins) and Utter by Phillipa Cullen to sound produced by the dancers (16 mins). Utter is incomplete. Poor vision quality.; Ballet Australia ; Chan, Kai Tai; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 300351

Goodbye Suzanne, 1972 (Moving picture): Choreography: Kai Tai Chan; Music: Folk; Cast: Annette Williams (Western woman), James McIntyre (Western man), Helen Fong (Eastern woman), Kai Tai Chan (Eastern man); J-format videotape, produced by Ballet Australia; black and white, sound, PAL, 12 mins; Is part of: Ballet Australia. Fourth Choreographic Competition 1971 : Part I, 70 mins; Goodbye Suzanne is Kai Tai Chan's first major choreographic work. It deals with different cultural responses war. The recording also contains Chiaroscuro (Kerrie van Trigt), Winterscape (Dorothy Steanes) and Utter (Phillipa Cullen). Poor vision quality.; Chan, Kai Tai ; Ballet Australia; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 300351

Interview with Jacqui Carroll, 1990 (Oral history): Interviewer: Shirley McKechnie; Interviewee: Carroll, Jacqui; Audiotape; 330 mins; Jacqui Carroll speaks extensively about her career as a dancer and choreographer. Topics covered include her family background and early life, dancing in musicals and nightclubs, the choreographer Phillipa Cullen, working with Keith Bain, the Bodenwieser dance studios, Jaap Flier and the Dance Company (NSW), the Graham technique, the Armidale Summer Schools, her work for the Queensland Ballet, in particular her production of Carmina Burana, and her application for the position of artistic director of Australian Dance Theatre. She also talks about her travels in the Middle East, Africa and Europe and gives her thoughts on the state of dance in Australia.; Australian Dance Theatre ; Dance Company (NSW), The ; Queensland Ballet, The ; Bain, Keith ; Armidale Summer Schools; Location:; National Library of Australia; TRC 2646
nla.cat-vn2284065; Written permission required for research use

Notated score for 'Vitre: a mimic dance for one or more dancers', c. 1973 (Notated score): Music: Laske, Otto E.; Choreography: Cullen, Philippa; This score in labanotation is for a work devised by Phillipa Cullen for one or more dancers based on the poem Vitre by Rene Char.; Location:; National Library of Australia; MUS N m 792.82 L345
nla.cat-vn3301160

Papers of Philippa Cullen, 1971-1989 (Manuscript): one folio box; This collection contains correspondence, writings, contracts, accounts, choreographic notes, photographs, programs and grant applications relating to the career of Philippa Cullen. Works by Cullen that are documented in the papers include Utter, Homage to Theremin II and Lightless. Her personal writings include a notebook containing diary entries, exercises, reviews and choreographic and rehearsal notes; 'Autobiography'; and a notebook written in Auroville, India.; Location:; National Library of Australia; MS 6820
nla.cat-vn3510737

Ozolins, Alex: Philippa Cullen on pedestal with bonnet aerial, with architecture student and sculptor Manuel Nobleeza, 1972

Ozolins, Alex: Philippa Cullen on pedestal with bonnet aerial, with architecture student and sculptor Manuel Nobleeza, 1972 (Picture): Location:; National Library of Australia; PIC/9032/1
nla.pic-vn3291241

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Find more about Cullen, Philippa in:

Internet - Google
Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
Pictures - Picture Australia