AUSSIEAUSSIEAUSSIE
Initial development at LGI x Dancehouse Out of Bounds 2025, commissioned for Stephanie Lake Company’s ESCALATOR 2025HELLO NEW CITIZENS!
WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA! <3
⊹ ₊ ⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ପ(๑•ᴗ•๑)ଓ ♡˚₊‧⁺ ₊ ⊹
Come to the land of tomorrow
Come to the land of opportunity
Men for the land
Women for the home
Australia for the White Man.*
The apocalypse approaches yet the song goes on. Worship the militant cuteness of the idol, the unrelenting steps, the pumping BPM of the anthem. Surrender to the falsehood, let your little legs run, work, kick and dance.
Be a loyal... loyal... loyal... fan.
*all slogans are direct quotes from real Australian emigration posters
Reviews
“Before an acidic lime and yellow palette, pushing the ‘green and gold’ national colours to the maximum, Yih operates at unrelenting super speed, a ball of surface-deep optimism in the face of racism. Projected on the screen behind her, as footage of the coronation of King Charles III, and right-wing Senator Pauline Hanson begins to glitch to a ceremonial close, Yih, too, collapses like a dead pixel.”
- Gracia Harby
https://fjordreview.com/blogs/all/stepping-up-1
https://www.danceaustralia.com.au/reviews/review-stephanie-lake-s-escalator
Credits:
Created and Performed by Carmen Yih
Projection Design and Programming: Derrick Duan
Lighting Design: Rachel Lee
Music: Nabii (Grace Kim) and The Song of Australia by Caroline Carleton and Carl Linger
Costuming: Aaron Rueda
