How often does a new dance company open in Australia? Rarely, and then with great trepidation, and and not often with government funding up front. In the middle of a coronavirus pandemic, how could that possibly work? Project Animo, a collaborative platform for diverse artists to create new works and seasons across the nation, has managed to do just that against all odds, and with good supports and state government funding too. It may not have a home or its own studios, but its small, enthusiastic audience welcomed its inaugural show by a cast of illustrious dancers from the ballet and contemporary dance worlds.

Alice Topp (left) with dancers at rehearsals for And Now We Move On. Photo © Kate Longley

Project Animo is the brainchild of prize-winning choreographer Alice Topp and lighting design wizard Jon Buswell, (both resident at The Australian Ballet) who watched their professions and their colleagues heading towards a creative vacuum after COVID-19 arrived here in March 2020. (Read our interview with Alice Topp). With only a quibble or two, And Now We Move On is an indication of what is possible in a...