Lucky Lartey is a Sydney-based dancer and choreographer at the forefront of exploring intercultural dance practices as part of the contemporary dance space in Australia.

 

Born in Ghana, West Africa Lucky’s dance and choreographic work draws on a rich history of traditional rhythm and dance whilst engaging with contemporary movement practices and contemporary art forms.

 

Lucky’s work traverse’s themes of social justice, identity, movement inspired by African architecture, the exotification of non-Western bodies and subjectivities and the relationship between hip hop culture and African oral traditions.

 

Lucky’s recent choreographic works include: BlackLux: Perspectives in timelapse (2022) – an interdisciplinary work using dance, photography and animation (Sydney Festival 2023, Sydney Fringe & Art Gallery of NSW, 2022), Exoticism (2022) a solo work developed as part of the Keir Choreographic Award, and Infusion – No Movement No Sound (2021) an intercultural work that premiered at the Opera House.

 

In 2022, Lucky made his debut into the visual arts with his first photographic installation exhibition In Transit (2022) as part of my debut into visual arts at Eden & The Willow Gallery and Articulate Projects in Sydney. Lucky's dance and choreographic work often now features his tape art and installations.

 

Lucky’s other choreographic works and projects include the debut of his solo work Full Circle as part of FORM Dance’s Dance Bites Program 2019 at Riverside Theatre, DirtyFeet’s Out of the Studio Program 2018, Happy Hour 2017 with Ready Made Works, Australian Council’s Singapore Dance Exchange Project Fund in 2017 to work with Ming Poon in Singapore, Keith Bain Travel Fellowship from Ausdance and the Innovating Practice Grant from Ausdance NSW to travel to Burkina Faso to work with Serge Aime Coulibaly in 2017. Works by date: Full Circle (2017, 2018, 2019) INFUSION No Movement No Sound (2017), Made in Ghana (2016), Long Walk (2015), which debuted at the Attakkalari India Biennial and Jamestown! (2015), which premiered at Sydney and Melbourne Fringe Festivals and Meeting Point (2013,2014).

 

Past artistic collaborations include work with Urban Theatre Projects – Trade in Residence (2017 & 2018) and Margie Medlin’s dance and media public art project (2017 & 2018). 2015 FACETS program at Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts in Bangalore, culminating in a performance of the work at the Attakkalari India Biennial 2015. Lucky has also been part of Australia Council Delegations to Portugal (2018) and Singapore (2015), OzAsia Arts Connect 2016 (Adelaide) and AsiaTOPA Connect 2017 (Melbourne).

 

In Sydney, he has been part of choreographic labs and residencies including: at DirtyFeet Choreographic Lab (2014), Campbelltown Arts Centre, Dance and Education Program Mentorship (2013 and 2014), and Blacktown Concession Residency, Blacktown Arts Centre (2014) and a residency at with Urban Theatre Projects at Bankstown (2016). As a dancer he has worked with contemporary and cultural artists such as Annalouise Paul as part of Mother Tongue and Marrugeku and Stalker Theatre’s project Listening to Country Dance Lab.