DANCE MASTERCLASS

Following their presentation of Common Place at the Chutzpah! Festival, Australian dance duo Omer Backley-Astrachan and Jana Castillo will lead a masterclass for emerging and professional dancers. This 3-hour session will draw on the choreographic and improvisational methodologies developed in Common Place, offering participants the opportunity to engage directly with the artists, explore their creative processes, and dive deeply into the work’s themes.

About the Artists

Omer Backley-Astrachan is a dancer, choreographer, producer, and educator whose work has been presented across Australia and internationally. Omer’s choreographic practice is marked by its intimacy, physical rigour, and deep collaboration with performers and communities. He has been commissioned and supported by leading arts organisations including Sydney Dance Company, FORM Dance Projects, Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub, and Bundanon Trust. His recent works, developed with long-term collaborators, have been praised for their poetic physicality and emotional resonance.

Jana Castillo is one of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary dancers, acclaimed for her extraordinary physical expressiveness and magnetic stage presence. An Australian Dance Award–winning performer, she has collaborated with leading choreographers and companies across Australia, bringing both technical mastery and emotional depth to her work. As a dancer with disability, Jana is a passionate advocate for accessibility and visibility in the arts, her practice is informed by a wealth of embodied knowledge and experience that is both unique and universal. Chutzpah! presents the North American premiere of Common Place by Australian power-duo dancer/choreographer Omer Backley-Astrachan and multi-award winning dancer Jana Castillo. Drawing on folkloric vernacular, this work evokes something that unites us all - the communal power of dance and movement. 

Date: November 21, 2025 from 10:00am-1:00pm

Price: $40