‘Celestial’ inspiration

Jeremy Beck is bringing his work Commentary of Dreaming to the Dunedin Arts Festival. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

A creative artist has turned to his home town to develop a ground-breaking dance project.

Ōtepoti-born dancer and choreographer Jeremy Beck is presenting his work Commentary Of Dreaming for one night only at the Dunedin Arts Festival next week.

Beck said the piece was born out of an existential crisis he faced in his late 20s.

"I was introduced to a concept called ‘Saturn returns’, which is a concept of astrology and talks about the celestial orbit of Saturn.

"Saturn returns happens a couple of times in your life, as it is every 27 years."

For his work he focused on the first cycle, which was the death or departure of youth and rebirth into adulthood.

"I see it as like a conscious event where you kind of catch up with the momentum of your youth and find yourself in a position of deciding who you want to be going forward in life and looking back on the habits and memories that you have accumulated so far.

"Commentary of Dreaming looks at the accumulation of memories being conscious memories and subconscious memories or dream states."

Alongside six contemporary dancers, Beck will also connect with his youth spent in Dunedin by including some of his non-dance-trained school friends in the work.

"I’m lucky to have such a good group of friends who are keen to support and jump on and that really enhances the work, having their presence in there."