The excellent Sydney Dance Company’s new production features two contrasting works that make up a challenging double bill with the umbrella title, COUNTERMOVE .
Alexander Ekman CACTI, created for Nederlands Dance Theatre in 2010 and an instant hit, opens the evening and is given a thrilling, joyous revival.
This is a witty, thought-provoking audience charmer that questions the philosophy of art; how we observe and feel the need to analyse creative works, and dance making. The work also examines the ebb and flow of artistic collaboration between dancers and musicians. The piece is reminiscent of Matthew Bourne in choreographic style with flashes of Forsythe and Killian.
The first half of the work, starting with the cellist and the three other musicians to a slithering, crawling entrance by the dancers, features tightly choreographed percussive rhythms, with the dancers emerging from behind small, white, raised platforms.
Extremely precise timing is required as there are lots of slaps, complex beats, sound effects – birdlike calls, laughs, hisses and sinuous poses in frozen tableaux , as well as birdlike arm movements and a terrific featured pas de deux towards the end where the dancers ( Chloe Leong and Cass Mortimer Eipper) wittily comment (their thoughts in voiceover) about the audience, their performing relationships, and the work they are in.
Holly Doyle stalks imperiously across the stage like a leading film star at the beginning and end of the work. Yes, there are very prickly cacti and plenty of visual in-jokes as the dancers pose longingly with and dance around their individual, various-sized and shaped succulents.
The four terrific musicians who open and close the work are dressed in elegant orchestral black and the dancers in skin coloured tops with loose-fitting black trousers and tights caps, giving them a martial arts look. The work was performed with great relish and precision, deconstructing modern dance theory.
I am afraid I was quite disappointed in Rafael Bonchela’s LUX TENEBRIS. The choreography was stunning ,but the work was completely overwhelmed by the lighting effects and the soundscape.
Yes, the work was based on the idea of Light in Darkness, travelling through light and shade, but the audience was assaulted, at times almost blinded and deafened by the effects. At other time it was so dark and gloomy one couldn’t see the dancing properly. It felt more like perceiving writhing sculptural shapes perhaps in pin pricks of light .
The lighting was stark, dramatic and emphatic, with shadowy squares interrupted by corridors of light through which the dancers hurl themselves with laser sharp, incredible energy. A sort of mirroring effect took place as movements were repeated by different dancers in varying squares. Frenzied, writhing dancing was at times fractionally glimpsed through the flashing, swinging light globes.
A major highlight of the work was the sinuous, elegant , yet extremely difficult and acrobatic duet for Charmene Yap and Todd Sutherland who move unconcernedly and impassively into almost impossible sculptural shapes, There were glorious snippets of mini solos, duos and trios throughout with magnificent dancing full of high octane energy and fascinating ensemble work showcasing Bonachela’s extraordinary, very demanding choreography.
Nick Wales’ soundscape pulsated and hummed, at times painfully so.
Bonchela’s new work had a strong opening but then thematically and structurally petered out towards the end and diminished in mood, leaving one unsure as to its aims and objective. It felt a little like a missed opportunity
Running time 1 hour 40 including one interval.
Sydney Dance Company’s COUNTERMOVE is playing the Roslyn Packer Theatre until 12th March 2016