Paul Zivkovich
Francesca Rendle-Short
Paul Zivkovich is a wonder to watch. He flies. He is unafraid. He’s got something to say, and not only as a dancer but now as an emerging choreographer. Born in Canberra, Zivkovich trained as a gymnast for 4 years and in 1999, aged 16, he began to dance with The Australian Choreographic Centre’s Quantum Leap Youth Choreographic Ensemble, as well as performing in Luke Hockley’s Folding On Forever. Last year Zivkovich completed his studies at Queensland University of Technology where he worked with choreographers such as Csaba Buday, Tiina Ali-Haapala and Anna Smith. During this time he also danced with Opera Queensland and appeared on singer Darren Hayes’ video clip Crush 1980 Me. This year Zivkovich joined the Australian Dance Theatre as guest artist to perform in Nothing, choreographed by Garry Stewart for the Womad Festival in Adelaide, and The Age of Unbeauty for the Adelaide season and Melbourne Festival. Circling back to his Quantum Leap roots, he is now commissioned emerging choreographer for The Australian Choreographic Centre (and the first Quantum Leaper to do this). Zivkovich choreographed The Pull of Weight for Quantum Leap’s season Out of Bounds at the Canberra Theatre Centre’s Playhouse in July/August. This delicate and sensitive moment of grace, near stillness, but with all the gravitas of knowledge, was beautifully rendered for and by the boys of the ensemble. It shone like a jewel, spoke volumes: there go I.
RealTime issue #57 Oct-Nov 2003 pg. 45
