Longing, an abstract contemporary dance work set in a distant future, explores the consequences of human detachment from the body and emotional self. The work imagines the final remnants of a human on Earth, moving slowly, uneasily, and laboured. It searches for hope, connection, and a sense of belonging.
Bathed in green light and draped in flowing fabric, the body morphs between human and non-human states. This work reflects how, as a society, we are increasingly disconnected from our own sense of self, relying on technology to regulate emotion and distancing ourselves from bodily experience. Through durational, subtle, and transformative movement, Longing invites audiences to consider their own relationship to their body, emotions, and environment, creating space for reflection.
This residency is in memory of the late Jack Mannix (co-founder and previous Artistic Director of PACT) and his son George Mannix (previous Board member), with a donation in their memory from Lance Stewart of Creative Lighting.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Ashleigh (Ash) Veitch (She/Her) is an independent dance maker and artist based in Eora/Sydney. Ashleigh is a part of The Young Folk, an emerging artist group supported by ReadyMade Works, which gives emerging artists opportunity to explore ideas in a no-outcome environment. As a performer she has worked with Simone Forti, Cloé [F] Projects, Dance Makers Collective, Ella Watson-Heath and Marc Brew Company. She has had choreographic residencies with March Dance Festival, Critical Path, ReadyMade Works’ Constant Relay and was a previous participant in PACT LAB: Process, Play, Experiment. In 2023, she presented her own work ReRun in Dance Makers Collective’s Big Dance 2.0 season. In 2024, her solo work Longing premiered at Sydney Dance Company’s Neilson Studio as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival, and featured in DMC’s Future Makers show MOVE FM. In 2025 she had a solo exhibition at Airspace Projects in Marrickville, performing a durational work titled RERUN Xtended. Ashleigh holds a BFA in Dance from The Victorian College of the Arts (2020) and a Cert IV in Dance from Ev&Bow Dance Centre (2017).