It’s easy to see why the legendary performer inspired this solo work by one of Australia’s foremost contemporary dance exponents, Larissa McGowan.

Starting with the obvious, both are recognised for long manes of curly dark locks. (Although McGowan’s is natural, while Cher’s look is one of her many wigs.)

Larissa McGowan in Cher. Photo © Tim Standing

On a deeper level, what resonated with the dancer and choreographer as she contemplated her career path in approaching her 40s, was Cher’s professional longevity spanning seven decades, forged through artistic diversification, reinvention and defying expectations. The 19-year-old who sang I Got You Babe with husband Sonny Bono in 1965 has had hits in every decade since, as well as becoming an Oscar-winning actress, social activist and LBGTQIA idol.

Now 76, Cher has managed to be both an icon and an iconoclast. McGowan is staking a claim to the anomalous double in our dance sector. This 50-minute exploration of self-identity and expression pushing back against societal conventions surrounding ageing female artists could be subtitled Unbreakable. Just as the woman she calls her totem symbolises resilience, so too does McGowan: her body survived more than...