Since 2008, Serena has been co-director of Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre, a site-alternative dance company breathing culture into the places you’d least expect it. You can check out the work Serena has done with AIVDT here

Anything Is Valid Dance Theatre (AIVDT) was founded in 2008 in Perth by Serena Chalker and Quindell Orton and is an award-winning dance company specialising in site alternative performance. AIVDT has presented work both independently and at festivals throughout Europe and Australia.

In 2010 AIVDT premiered their first full length work UNEXPECTED-microclimates, a site-specific promenade performance in the Perth laneways, which debuted to a sell-out crowd. AIVDT went on to create their acclaimed work Life in Miniature (“completely absorbing” (Perth Now) “’you had to be there’ resonates with full force” (Artshub) “highly recommended” (The West Australian)) set inside a caravan for an intimate audience, which was performed at Fringe World Festival (WA), Nomadic Village (UK), MoveMe Festival (WA) and Adelaide Fringe (WINNER Best Dance Award 2013). Life in Miniature was also nominated for numerous awards including a WA Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography.

AIVDT are currently developing Dust on the Shortbread, an intimate portrayal of the tensions between maintaining vitality in an ageing populations and the effects of dementia in the family home. This work grew out of community workshops held in 2015 in Rockingham Council (WA) for seniors with early stage dementia, with the first stage creative development of the work held in April 2016 with Dr Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM and George Shevtsov. AIVDT made their international debut in 2014 at Springhouse Festival (DE), where they performed The Dual Existence of Time. In 2015 AIVDT premiered a one-on-one audio-guided performance, When We First Met at the 24th Process – Space Art Festival (BG) which has since been performed at Water Tower Art Fest (BG), Noted (ACT), YouAreHere Festival (ACT) and Festival Alternativnog Kazališnog Izričaja (HR).

Press quotes

“…completely absorbing” (Perth Now, Feb 2012)

“…’you had to be there’ resonates with full force” (Artshub, Feb 2012)

“Contemplating a trip in the caravan? It comes highly recommended” (The West Australian, Feb 2012)

“…they performed with considerable athleticism and panache” (Artshub, Aug 2012)

“Good things come in small packages” (The Advertiser, Feb 2013)

“…a really intoxicating – and quirky – performance” (Festival Freak, Mar 2013)