This document provides a satirical summary and commentary of a dance performance called "Nothing to Lose" being featured at the Sydney Festival. The performance features six fat dancers, both male and female. The author questions the need for this type of "dance theatre" and pokes fun at some of the descriptions and goals outlined on the performance's website, such as celebrating large bodies and reshaping expectations. While meant to be comedic, the summary does so in a way that comes across as mean-spirited and discriminatory towards plus-sized people.

1. As fat as fat can be
Russell Grenning
The SydneyFestival –thatdeliberatelyself-consciouslyavant-garde artisticeventis,despite
considerable fundingfromthe NSWGovernmentandthe SydneyCityCouncil,alwayslookingfor
philanthropicsponsors.
The January 2015 programme isyetto be finalisedbutone reallyprogressive workalreadyflagged
as a major event– Nothing to Lose– wouldprobablynotaccepta cent fromweight-lossoutfitslike
JennyCraig.
If you are blatantlydiscriminatoryandprejudicedandthinkthatdance isthe domainof the young,
the fitand the lithe then Nothing to Losewill certainlyopenyoureyes.
This“dance theatre”eventwhichhasbeencommissionedbythe Festival featuressix –five female
and one male – fat dancers.AndI do meanfat.I was remindedof aquote fromArnold
Schwarzeneggerthat, “It’ssimple,if it jiggles, its fat.”
Judgingfromthe on-line videosof these sixperformersinaction,Ican assure youthat there isan
awful lotof jigglinggoingon.
Force Majeureseemstobe the outfitbehindthisground-breaking(perhapsinmore waysthanone)
production.
The website forthis“dance theatre”spellsitout.There isnounnatural embarrassment,nonervous
self-denial andandcertainlynotanylack of artisticpride.Afterall,itisground-breaking.
“‘Fat’ is a powerfullittle word,fullof baggageand judgement.Thisundaunted production delvesinto
real-life experiencesand stories to challenge aestheticnormsand reclaim a performativespace for
peoplewith large bodies,”itboldlystates.
Why “undaunted”?Didsomebodytryandsuppress,subvertorsabotage it?You wouldhave tobe an
extremelydauntingpersontotryanythinglike thatwhenyousee the dancers.Andwhatis
“performativespace”? Inits adjectival use “performative”isdenotinganutterance thatconstitutes
some act, especiallythe actdescribedbythe verb.Thenagain,I’mnotthe absolute trendiestof
personssoif these people canchallenge perceptionsaboutdancers,muckingaboutwiththe Mother
Tongue forthemis mere child’splay.
Theycontinue, “ArtisticDirector Kate Champion collaborates with artist,filmmakerand fatactivist
Kellie Jean Drinkwaterto celebrate theabundance,strength and creativecapacity of these
undeniablephysicalforms.”
Gosh,really!Soenergeticis “fatactivist”Ms Drinkwaterwiththisand,I’msure,otherartisticand
activistactivitiesthatIam worriedsickthatshe couldbe workingherself tothe bone –andthen
what?“Anorexic activist”?
Yes,there isno denyingthatthese dancershave “undeniablephysicalforms”and,whateverother
featurestheymayhave, “substance”wouldbe prettynearthe topof the list.

2. To go back to the website: “Unseen,unexpected and unapologetic,Nothing to Lose will investigate
the relentless fascination withthefatbody while abandoning stereotypesand reshaping
expectations’,”itboasts.
Well of course it’sbloody “unseen”forthe simple reasonnobodyhasseenit – well,nobodyoutside
of Ms Champion’sandMs Drinkwater’snearestanddearest. Iam justthe tiniestbitjealousbecause
nobodyat all has seenmyversionof Shakespeare’s King Learwhichissetto country and western
musicand inwhich all the cast are Thai transvestites and,further,inthe rousingclosingscene,Lear
iscarried triumphantlyaroundthe stage byhisthree adoringdaughtersall singing, “Daddy, daddy,
daddy – weall loves ya daddy.”
PerhapsI mightrunit by the Festival organisersandsuggestadouble bill eventwith Nothing to Lose
– itwouldn’ttake all thatmuch to change the cast to sumo wrestlers.
Justwhat musicisproposedfor Nothing to Lose remainsatightlyguardedsecretalthough,inthe
spiritof generositythatonlyustrulyartistictheatre typeshave,mightIsuggestthe 1994 album
releasedby FatWreck Chords,FatMusicforFat People. No,I haven’thearditbut I betitis a
collectionof toe-tappersthatwouldevengetskinnyfolkscuttingarug.
Thenagain,theycoulduse the soundtrackof the movie called Nothing to LosestarringMartin
Lawrence andTim Robbins whichwasa deliberatelyreal –as opposedto an inadvertent–comedy.
Incidentally,the soundtrackwentgoldinthe USA,the filmmade more than$44 millionforacost of
$25 millionandnotone centof taxpayers’doshwasused.Ms ChampionandMs Drinkwaterhave a
lotto live upto.
Nowplease don’tgetme wrong;there isnothing – and I meannothing – wrongwithfat people who
wantto dance. WhyI can rememberbeingtransfixedataweddingbreakfastby the sightof the
bride’saunt,a ladyof considerable substance,rockingand(mainly) rollingacrossthe floor.Gleefully,
she was askingthe audience,theirmouthsagape, “Aren’tIonehotmamma?”
It’sa shame she couldn’thave auditionedfor Nothing to Loseashas gone to hermaker andI
rememberthe funeral well –the sightof tenbeefy builders’labourersinblue singlets,shortsand
workboots strainingmightily ascoffinbearers leftanindelible impressionon mythenyoungmind.
She wouldhave beenatrulyfabulousmodel forthe DutchpainterPeterPaul Rubenswhohada
fascinationwiththe largerwoman - hence the term “rubenesque”.
I happenedtosee one of hispaintings once portrayingAdamandEve inthe Gardenof Edenand
wonderedwhyAdamfoundhersodesirable but,thenagain,she wasthe onlywomanaroundand
beggarscan’t be choosers,can they?
I don’tknowwhatcareer opportunitiesawaitthese six Nothing to Loseperformersaftertheirshow
sadlycomesto an end.Perhapsif anAustralianversionof the Americansit-com, Mikeand Molly was
made there couldbe openings.Indeed,large openings.

3. In the goodold US of A – as youmightexpect – there isNAAFA (NationalAssociation to AdvanceFat
Acceptance) whichbeganlife backin1969 as the NationalAssociation to Aid FatAmericans until
some marketingguru – no doubta big man inhisindustry – suggestedthe new name.Iunderstand
that theirmembershipisswelling. Ithasthe potential tobe the biggestlobbygroupinthe country.
Incidentally,youmightthinkthatMikeand Molly wouldbe role modelsfor NAAFA until you
rememberthatthisjollycherubiccouplemetata Chicago OvereatersAnonymousGroup whichis
evidence of flagrantself-hatredatitsworst.
While Iam the veryfirstto applaudinitiativesthatseekgeneral acceptance fromthe communityfor
minoritygroups,Iam still abit of a traditionalistwhenitcomestodance theatre.Idon’thave to pay
to see fatpeople jigglearoundatthe Festival of Sydneyoranywhere elsefor thatmatter;I see them
for free everySaturdaymorningatColes.
Somehow,Ican’tsee the nextafterparty forthe AustralianBalletservingUltraMega Big Macs with
double cheese andfriesforcastmemberswhowanttotake theircareerto the nextlevel.Irather
thinkthat dancing,unlike equine events,will neverbe weight-for-age events.