‘In the Round’ at Melbourne Recital Centre

In The Round is an immersive improvisation led by 2025 Green Room Award Winner Melinda Smith, a trailblazing dancer, musician, poet and collaborator. The work blurs the boundaries between sound, movement and play, bringing together musicians with and without disability in a shared circle where listening, turn-taking and spontaneous interaction guide the flow of music.

At its heart are the AirSticks – gesture based instruments created at Monash University’s SensiLab – that transform movement into sound, opening radical new possibilities for expression. Through shifting combinations of duos, trios and larger ensembles, performers invite audiences into surprising textures, intimate exchanges and exhilarating collective energy.

Bold Stage is generously supported by the Margaret Lawrence Bequest, and donors to the Learning and Access Consortium.

For one night only Thursday 04 December 2025, 6:00pm at 31 Sturt St, Southbank. Book tickets HERE.

Dr Melinda Smith is in a wheelchair onstage, illuminated by dramatic lighting with pink and purple hues. The background is dark highlighting the performer. Mel is photographed mid dance move caught in a strong, expressive pose: one leg slightly extended from the chair, their left hand clenched into a fist at their waist and the other arm raised and pointing over her head. Her facial expression looks intense and focussed. Mel is wearing a black t shirt under white overall onto which she has painted designs across the shoulder, stomach and down the legs. She is also wearing artist bands which contain motion sensors which are used to control the visuals and music onstage during the performance. — Photo by Nic Tsourlenes.

https://www.melbournerecital.com.au/whats-on/current-productions/bold-stage-three

https://melindasmithcreative.com

https://www.connectedphotography.com.au

https://loom.org.au/artists/melinda-smith/

https://loom.org.au/artists/nicole-tsourlenes/