 |
DANZ QUARTERLY Issue 17
October, November, December 2009
REVIEW
Christchurch Festival of the Arts 2009
Reviewed by Anna Chapman
Finders Keepers, choreographed by Raewyn Hill, opened with a stark black stage relieved by a red string curtain. As the piece progressed, the space was softened and transformed by feathers, placed as part of the work by and around the dancers. Birds in captivity and under great stress have been known to pull their feathers out, or to moult, just as we often shed trappings under stress.
The interrelationships between the characters, a mother, father, son and pet bird were examined in this piece. Although the obviously captive participant was the bird, the constraints on others became apparent, the love of a husband, mother, parent, child provide both freedom and boundaries to behaviours and feelings.
The initial pas de deux of reluctance introduced the intensity that was maintained throughout the piece. Cho Tak Po (Hugh) was the stand out dancer; his solo was sparse but precise and fluid, with superb extension and tension to the tips of his fingers. Duncan Sarkies characterisation was excellent, and his tenderness with the bird (Jessica Jefferies) was beautiful, but challenging, given the subtext of dominance. Jessica Jefferies danced beautifully; the choreography and costume capturing the essence of a bird. Her struggle against and in the bindings was heart wrenching. Communicating barely restrained emotions, Trisha Dunn danced with intensity but somehow lacked the finesse of both Jefferies and Po.
There was a clear underpinning story for this piece of work, and this was delivered coherently in the choreography. However, there were two elements that jarred the performance significantly. The first was the use of dialogue between the father (Sarkies) and mother (Trisha Dunn), as the tension discussed had already been communicated with great clarity in dance. The second was the use of props (prosthetic breasts and noses). This last device, during a part of the performance that was particularly intimate, detracted from the impact of the dance and was a noticeable distraction for others in the audience.
Winded, presented by Scrambled Legs, brought together kinetic art, dance and film. The style of this work, whilst identifiably Fleur de Thier’s, was an evolution and extension of her dance vocabulary. Fleur’s strength has been the conceptual frame underpinning her work, and Winded is another example of this. There is a clear intent to this work and the scope of the piece was kept tight. Fleur has assembled a strong community of artists to produce Winded, many of whom have worked on her previous projects.
There was a strong sense of ownership of this piece by all the dancers, engendered by the work-shopping process that produced it. Working without narrative to sustain a performance can be difficult, so an intellectual connection with the work is essential. Erica Viedma, Paul Young and Julia Milsom have all danced for Fleur previously and their ease with her process was apparent. Liana Yew, who is new to Scrambled Legs, worked in well and her physicality complemented the company, producing an ensemble work that was beautifully constructed and executed. Individual dancers were challenged by the choreography that included moments of stillness punctuated by subtle movement and frenetic sequences, challenging the dancers to move around and through one another and at times the set.
Working in and through space, the dancers were moving through and against wind – initially communicated through moving, ever changing skyscapes, and subsequently, by the use of fans within the sculpture. Although the dancers all have their own distinct style, these differences were minimised by the use of a variety of configurations and combinations which allowed the audience to focus on the dance.
Paul Young and Erica Viedma’s duet was beautiful, involving balance and counter-balance, and moving against one another in unexpected ways. The duet was reprised in front of the fans which added another dimension to the balancing movements, as the wind was a strong destabilising influence. Erica is a fabulous dancer to watch, each move is dynamic and complete, while her stillness within the piece was complete.
With a reputation for creating intelligent, strong works, good houses for this festival season show that audiences appreciate this Christchurch based company,
Shining by the Sydney Dance Company has been a vivid personal memory and benchmark for the last twenty years. 360̊, Rafael Bonchela’s first piece as artistic director for this company, was a total experience that lived up to those expectations and was enormously satisfying to see. This piece was about movement. That said it was a complete theatrical experience.
The opening video projection on a tinsel curtain drew the audience in, without pre-empting the dance to come. The end of this video was the start of the dance. The stage was revealed with dancers placed amongst lowered lighting bars. As the lighting bars rose, one after the other, the opening solo introduced sequences that were expanded upon as the focus was passed from dancer to dancer.
As the lights ascended, the effect of the two large mirrors was revealed. This simple set device reflected the dancers back at one another, whilst ensuring that the audience saw everything, albeit that each person’s perspective was determined by their seat.
This is a company of excellent dancers. Sadly it was not possible to indentify individual dancers from the programme provided, as there were standout performances worthy of recognition. The women were a coherent group, executing demanding technical sequences with ease. The men were more diverse in their physicality; however they also worked well together.
The pace was intense throughout the piece, but the choreography was carefully crafted so that the audience wasn’t overwhelmed or left behind. Dancers worked individually and in groups to develop the initial themes without the constraint of an obvious resolution.
The production values were slick with each element considered and integrated to create a satisfying whole that allowed dance to be the star.
This work is a triumph for the Sydney Dance Company and a coup for the Christchurch Arts Festival.
|
