Sydney Recital Hall
April 13, 2013

By Elizabeth Ashley.

Combining the Moscow Novaya Opera Company and orchestra with four soloists from the Imperial Russian Ballet, Operamania was devised by former stage director of Novaya Opera, Valery Raku. It offers “a kaleidoscope of many of…the most loved pieces from opera, ballet and symphonic music and reflects their depth and diversity.” The pieces flow without pause from one into the next, incorporating a variety of moods – from tragedy to comedy to lyricism.

The crowd in the Angel Place Recital Hall is decidedly Russian and decidedly enthusiastic. From the opening selections from Bizet’s Carmen, one cannot help but be drawn into the spectacle – the voices are powerful and impressive, the accompanying video series of paintings from diverse Russian artists provides a colourful and ever-changing backdrop.

As with any compilation it’s no easy task to create context. An audience invariably searches for a story. The stage director, Alexey Veiro, explains the creative process of attempting to create story lines out of seemingly incompatible components. “At rehearsals we were able to find a variety of musical numbers and their relationships with some new meanings. We managed to build a performance in which the numbers are related one to the other, and each character is interacting with others.”

Thus we flow from Carmen to a piano medley of Chopin, Liszt and Rachmaninov accompanied by a lyrical pas de deux in the style of Les Sylphides. Yaroslava Arapanova and Alexander Volkov are leading soloists of the Imperial Russian Ballet and, as with all the dance layered within Operamania, their technique and lyrical quality is outstanding. It is not an easy feat to perform on a small slab of stage in front of a full orchestra where the cellists are perilously close to the pointe shoes. It is even more difficult to create context out of nothing, but these dancers know how to create a moment.

Three pas de deux from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite work well in the Operamania context, as they are taken from a ballet divertissement within the ballet, which is not related to the main action. The “Spanish Dance” and Russian “Trepak” folk dance are both perfect vehicles to demonstrate the virtuosity and passion of Anna Pashkova and Igor Davydov.

Part II of the programme opens with music from 19^th century French composer Camille Saint-Saëns and choreographer Mikhail Fokine’s Dying Swan, created for Anna Pavlova in 1905. The exquisite Arapanova portrays this solo – an intense and moving two and a half minutes that evokes the fragility and pain of a dying bird. A further highlight from Part II is the Sleeping Beauty grand adage pas de deux, danced to the tragic strains of oboes in Tchaikovsky’s score, where we are again mesmerised by the lyrical Russian dancers.

Despite the interaction and variety I was nevertheless left with an overriding sense of the comic, which clashed with the pathos of arias such as Nessun Dorma – umbrellas bedecked with gold stars twirling around a tragic soul was just a little too much for my sensibility.

As the show draws to a close with a Strauss Polka, the audience rises to their feet clapping under the conductor’s direction. It has been an evening of high drama, brilliant dancing and Russian style.

Sydney Opera House has regretfully announced that Spring Dance, Sydney’s popular contemporary dance festival, will no longer be held.

Sydney Opera House created Spring Dance in 2009 as part of the centres annual dance program.  For the first three years, it was curated from within the Opera House’s programming team. In 2012, the Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela, led the program.

The 2012 festival was an outstanding success.  Rafael’s inspiring leadership and varied, exciting program were whole-heartedly embraced, giving Spring Dance its most successful year ever. A special delight was the close Sydney Opera House/Sydney Dance Company collaboration that resulted in last year’s world premiere of Contemporary Women.

‘Agwa and Correria’ by Mourad Merzouki, presented at Spring Dance 2012. Photo by Jess Bialek, courtesy of Sydney Opera House

Unfortunately, even after such a successful year, Sydney Opera House has cancelled the Spring Dance program. As part of the Opera House’s current budget planning they have reviewed their projects and deemed Spring Dance as too expensive. Spring Dance was the most high-profile manifestation of the Opera House’s commitment to contemporary dance.

“While we have been happy to make this investment to support an art form that boasts a relatively small but passionate audience, we can no longer continue to commit the funds required to present it on its original scale.  Rather than present a diminished festival, we have decided to end Spring Dance on the wildly successful note Rafael Bonachela achieved in 2012,” explains Louise Herron, CEO, Sydney Opera House.

“It goes without saying that this decision has been made for purely financial reasons. In no sense is it a reflection on the truly outstanding work of Rafael and our close friends at Sydney Dance Company.”

While the dance industry morns over the cancellation of one of the country’s most adored dance festivals,  Sydney Dance Company and the Opera House plan to collaborate again in August of this year to present the Company in a new work.

“These collaborations are just one of the many ways we intend to continue to work together in the future.  And we will continue to present international dance such as Sylvie Guillem and Nederlands Dans Theater,” says Herron.

Photo (top): Promotional image for Spring Dance 2012, courtesy of Sydney Opera House

Sydney Theatre
Opening night – October 29 2012

By Renata Ogayar.

The world premiere of Project Rameau opened at Sydney Theatre, Walsh Bay on October 29th. The collaboration by two incredible Australian performing arts companies, the Sydney Dance Company and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, resulted in an evening of eloquence and sophistication.

Sharing the stage to bring the piece to life, artistic directors Rafael Bonachela and Richard Tognetti together welcomed the spring season with creative ingeniousness and renaissance inspired work to Jean-Philippe Rameau’s 18^th century scores of the Baroque era.

Project Rameau was seamlessly divided into various sections with live music by Rameau, Vivaldi and Bach. The instigated dynamics and nuances of Bonachela’s work were complemented by simple yet sophisticated staging and elegantly understated costumes, allowing movements to sculpture the body.

The contemporary choreography in each section, which consisted of stylish movement phrases in response to orchestrated melodies, created a synergy between the two art forms. Sequences explored fluid circular and connective forms, vibrant lines, segmented and angular anatomical structures that fashioned motion and signature nuances underpinned by hints of classicism.

Kevin Chen’s solo was absolutely beautiful, as was Andrew Crawford’s exceptional extensions and commanding stage presence. Both poised and composed in their performance, contrasting contours to classical executions brought the music to life by form.

Evidently the collaborative work allowed the music to drive Bonachela’s choreographic decisions shaping the dynamics, textures, formalities and structure. The stage transformed in and out of sensual solos, duos and trios whilst the whole company interjected the space with directional and stylistic choreography. At one point ‘Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ seemed to create an invisible force between the dancers and the ACO, bringing all the elements together.

The trans-generational encompassment of 18^th century scores and composition of contemporary movement created a unique form of poetical language that received an enduring standing ovation.

Rafael Bonachela remarked “We had a ball last night. There has been a huge amount of effort that has gone into to this collaboration and it is amazing that the audience loved it.  I know the dancers and the ACO really enjoyed the energy and excitement in the room. We can’t wait to see how the rest of the season’s audiences respond”.

Sydney Opera House
August 31 2012
As part of Spring Dance

By Renata Ogayar.

Clouds above Berlin was an 80 minute work comprised of two sections: Tilted Fawn and Black Project 1.

Tilted Fawn, choreographed by Melanie Lane, explored the relationship between objects, sound and the body. The dance piece utilised sound and visual props designed with orchestral audio equipment within cardboard like boxes. These constructed architectural formations as the isolated dancer navigated her way through the ever changing space. Though stripped back and raw from the usual dance scenario, Tilted Fawn drew you into an intense space of concentration and spheres of sound.

Black Project 1, created and conceptualised by Antony Hamilton, extended on from the above, yet on a very different, distinct and stylistic manner. The objective of the piece was to transform the space and the environment through physical movements and actions creating visuals objet d’art within the space. This was a masterpiece most certainly driven by the subconscious, steering away from common narrative approaches.

The two metallic like robotic figures featured in the piece moved with precise unison, accompanied with a mechanical sound track. As the music evolved with intensity the dancers progressed through the darkened space and restructured the blackened landscape with white spray paint, exposing white linear designs that completely converted the stage into a whole new world.  The lighting design added to the atmosphere and transfixed the audience into a new time and place.

This strikingly apt concept of physics propelled the dancers’ energy into the ever-changing space, demonstrating the succession of actions and their effects on the environment.

To be able to witness what was captured and conceptualised in Hamilton’s mind and to see it executed on stage with all its detail and quantum elements was just incredible! He transformed a blank canvas into a masterpiece.

Photo by Jess Bialek.

Sydney Opera House
August 29 2012

By Kristy Johnson.

Spring Dance Curator, Rafael Bonachela, commissioned works by Emily Amisano, Stephanie Lake, Larissa McGowan and Lisa Wilson for this year’s festival. Chosen “because of their unique talent and different approach to dance-making”, Contemporary Women ticked all the right boxes when it came to creating four innovative pieces of choreography for Sydney Dance Company.

First and foremost, it was exciting to see four of Australia’s most talented female choreographers create a repertoire of works, performed by the best of Australia’s contemporary dancers. Usually we aren’t privileged to see a complete program solely of female choreography.

Kicking off the night was Desire by Queensland’s Lisa Wilson. Focusing on the internal forces that drive us or make us hesitate or waver in action, inspiration came from the interior landscape of body and mind. A brilliant cast including Emily Amisano, Lachlan Bell, Thomas Bradley, Juliette Barton, Richard Cilli, Janessa Dufty and Bernhard Knauer, brought together the landscape of body and mind with connectedness and fluidity of movement.

Photos by Jess Bialek

Fanatic by Adelaide’s Larissa McGowan provided great comic relief and was by far my favourite piece of the night. Using humour and physical expression, the dancers investigated what happens when Alien and Predator movie fans express their emotions through youTube. Laughter was often heard from the audience throughout the entire piece.

Dancer Emily Amisano, who performed in Desire, returned as choreographer for the third instalment of the night, Yield. Sydney based Emily, examined how we come to understand others through their behaviours, reactions and limitations, by considering the balance within a relationship. A playful nature was depicted through the use of props including stools and mats, as well as the expressions shown on the dancers’ faces.

The final piece of the night, Dream Lucid, was choreographed by Melbournian Stephanie Lake. Stephanie asked the audience to consider a modern dilemma.  Are we able to be an individual in a society so highly controlled or is our freedom simply an illusion? This was evident to see through the dynamic choreography, and inability of the dancers to escape contact by other artists.

The clever use of lighting for the program should receive a mention. Benjamin Cisterne created depth to the performances through flickering lights, which caused the choreography to appear more dynamic and intense at times.

By the amount of applause given at the conclusion of the night, it was evident I wasn’t the only one who thoroughly enjoyed each performance. Each piece was innovative in its own right, had one captivated by the sheer level of talent of the dancers, and entertaining. Once again, Sydney Dance Company did not disappoint.

Sydney Opera House has unveiled a vibrant and eclectic program for Spring Dance 2012 – Australia’s only international festival of contemporary dance – curated by Rafael Bonachela.

Brimming with energy, and with an international flavour, the two week festival will be a celebration of movement, infused with Rafael’s spirit and his passion for dance. The festival, which will take over Sydney Opera House’s Western Foyers, includes an evening of four world premieres, three Australian premieres and offers up an assortment of dance and music styles to Spring Dance audiences.

Running from 20 August – 2 September, this year’s festival will get off to a sizzlingly sensual start when Sydney Opera House welcomes back Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. He will perform on stage for the first Australian presentation of Dunas, created and choreographed with renowned flamenco dancer María Pagés who will perform in Australia for the first time.

TAO Dance Theatre. Photo by Matthew George Johnson

The French choreographer Mourad Merzouki and his troupe of 11 dancers from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro will take Sydney by storm with their energetic fusion of hip hop, capoeira and samba with their double bill Agwa and Correria. By contrast, Beijing’s TAO Dance Theatre will also make their Australian debut, presenting the elegantly pared-back dances Weight x 3 and 2, set against the music of legendary minimalist composer Steve Reich.

Sydney Opera House and Sydney Dance Company will shine a light on female choreography with the world premiere of Contemporary Women – a series of four innovative works created by female Australian choreographers and performed by Sydney Dance Company’s dancers. The pieces, currently in development, will be further illustrated by a specially commissioned film and photography exhibition in the Western Foyers by Peter Greig.

Also celebrating home-grown talent will be Clouds Above Berlin choreographed and performed by Antony Hamilton and Melanie Lane; and iOU dance solo series which will showcase the best of Sydney’s independent dance scene.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and María Pagés’ Dunas. Photo by David Ruano

Spring Dance curator Rafael Bonachela said, “From the intellectual and innovative to the joyous and lyrical, there will be so much on offer at this year’s Spring Dance. For dance aficionados there will be some beautiful yet rigorous work presented by some truly inspirational artists. And for those people walking the streets of Sydney who don’t yet know that they love contemporary dance – we’re going to find them and welcome them to our community of dance lovers!”

Executive Producer Jonathan Bielski added, “We invited Rafael to lead Spring Dance not just because he is an artist of international acclaim, which he is, or because he is the most charming man in Sydney, which he most certainly is, but because he is a gifted programmer of other artists’ work and this talent is rare.”

Spring Dance will be accompanied by a series of on-site events including post show Q&As and artist-led masterclasses. The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David McAllister will lead a free outdoor ballet class and there will be a free jazz class taught by Rafael Bonachela and Ramon Doringo.

For the first time, the festival will be documented by a photographer in residence, Justin Ridler – keep an eye on the Spring Dance blog to stay up to date with his behind the scenes images.

There will be a one-off free film screening of Rudolf Nureyev and Robert Helpmann’s 1973 performance of Don Quixote for The Australian Ballet, introduced by David McAllister, offering a rare opportunity to revisit the first official public performance in the Sydney Opera House Opera Theatre.

The documentary film Never Stand Still, made at the Jacob’s Pillow festival in Massachusetts, will be screened at the Drama Theatre, offering an insightful glimpse into the world of dancers and choreographers. Tickets are $15.

Tickets for Spring Dance performances are only $35 and can be purchased via sydneyoperahouse.com or by phone on 02 9250 7777.

Top image: Mourad Merzouki’s Agwa and Correria

Parade Playhouse, Parade Theatres NSW
May 2012

By Kristy Johnson.

It’s evident that Twisted Element Dance Company is all about creating quirky, unique and innovative dance performances, after viewing their latest creation, Shadows. Founded in 2010, Twisted Element has established itself as a small collective, aiming to create dance works that inspire and encourage creativity.

Shadows followed the abstract journey of a young woman’s love, heartbreak and  the discovery of her shadow self. Often in relationships, parts of ourselves that we don’t like emerge uncontrollably. The performance, created and directed by Angela Hamilton Hill, showcased eleven performers, who brought unique ideas alive through an original style of choreography, incorporating visuals, projection and film. Standout performers were Angela Hamilton Hill, Paul Walker and Claire Stephens.

The choreography allowed these standout performers to showcase their strengths. The movements required great technique, which these dancers were able to demonstrate. In time, I feel the other dancers will be able to improve their skill with guidance and more experience. Certain sequences were a little out of time, however it was still an entertaining work.

As expected for a contemporary style performance, costumes were minimal. However, the use of black ribbon to imitate the shadow self was quite clever. A large proportion of the performance was backed up with visuals and film. Some of the visuals I found to be quite interesting, others I have to admit I didn’t understand.

Overall, I found the performance to be quite entertaining and the time and effort that went into the creation of the show was evident. Angela Hamilton Hill has an innovative style of choreography that I’m sure will leave a lasting impression on those who see her future works.

Photo by Michela Secci.

One of the most popular musicals in history, The Lion King, will play at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre from December 2013.

The Lion King is a worldwide phenomenon. Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 19 productions around the globe have been seen by more than 63 million people and grossed more than $4.7 billion. (See Dance Informa’s review of the Las Vegas production here).

In its 15^th year, The Lion King continues to reign as a cultural phenomenon and one of the most popular stage musicals in the world.  The Lion King is the seventh longest-running musical in Broadway history and one of only six productions in theatre history to play for ten years or more both on Broadway and in the West End.  The Lion King won six 1998 Tony Awards®:  Best Musical, Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan) and Best Direction of a Musical, making Director Julie Taymor the first woman in theatrical history bestowed with the honour.  The Lion King has also earned more than 70 major arts awards including a Grammy® for Best Musical Show Album and Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.

'Lionesses Dance' in The Lion King, Las Vegas. ©2009, Disney. Photos by Joan Marcus

On stage, Taymor’s creative vision blends elements of African art and Broadway artisanship to depict anthropomorphic animal characters.  The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s music from The Lion King animated film along with many new numbers. The resulting sound of The Lion King is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa.

Thomas Schumacher, Producer and President of Disney Theatrical Productions said, “Australia has embraced our Disney stage musicals as warmly as audiences anywhere in the world and we are thrilled that The Lion King is being invited back. We look forward to re-introducing Sydney to Julie Taymor’s singular, captivating vision.”

The Lion King is an established tourism magnet for Sydney.  The last season ran for almost two years and played to 1.35 million people.  NSW Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Arts, George Souris said “We wanted to ensure that Sydney would host one of the world’s most enduring musical events.” The 2013 production is expected to attract 50,000 visitors from interstate and overseas generating $36 million in new money for NSW.

Top photo: The opening number ‘The Circle of Life’ from The Lion King, Las Vegas.  ©2009, Disney.  Photo by Joan Marcus.

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.

A Reserve Double Passes are up for grabs!

NUTCRACKER ON ICE

The international ice dance sensation The Imperial Ice Stars make a triumphant return to Australia this winter with a dazzling new production of The Nutcracker on Ice.

Over the last seven years, The Imperial Ice Stars have performed to more than three million people across five continents, at some of the world’s most prestigious venues.

For their latest production, The Nutcracker on Ice, acclaimed Artistic Director Tony Mercer – the world’s leading creator of contemporary theatre-on-ice – has once again teamed with four-time figure skating World Champion and dual Olympic gold medallist Evgeny Platov, and dual World Champion Maxim Staviski to create choreography that further raises the bar, with ever more breathtaking high-speed leaps and throws, and awe-inspiring acrobatics, coupled with the most graceful and sublime ice dancing.

Sydney: Capitol Theatre – 6-10 June
Canberra: Canberra Theatre Centre – 13-17 June
Brisbane: Lyric Theatre, QPAC – 20-24 June
Adelaide: Adelaide Festival Centre – 18-22 July
Melbourne: The Arts Centre – 25-29 July
Perth: His Majesty’s Theatre – 2-12 August

www.imperialicestars.com

OPERA WARRIORS

Direct from the award-winning creative team behind the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, Opera Warriors showcases the best of Chinese modern theatre arts in a show that tells a story of the Peking Opera through martial arts and modern dance. To celebrate the closing of the Year of Chinese Culture in Australia, Opera Warriors will premiere at the Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House with four shows only from 14 to 16 June.

Opera Warriors is choreographed by Mr Xing Shimiao, and scripted by Ms Pik Wah Li (Lilian Lee) – one of Hong Kong’s most popular columnists, whose screenplay Farewell My Concubine won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993. Mr Sha Xiaolan, the Lighting Designer of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of Beijing 2008 Olympics, will light the Opera House stage.

Leading Chinese dancer Mr Wang Di, who performed the painting scroll sequence in Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony, and Mr Huang Doudou, China’s most famous male dancing artist, who performed Chinese Kung-Fu in the Closing Ceremony of 2004 Greece Olympic Games, will lead the troupe of 60 dancers.

Brought to Sydney by the Shanxi Huajin Dance Art Troupe, Opera Warriors is an exquisite visual feast that combines an elaborate set, beautiful costumes, dynamic lighting and original music with a story that encompasses the dramas of life.

www.operawarriors.com.au

Win a Double Pass to:
Nutcracker On Ice at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre or Opera Warriors at Sydney Opera House!

Just email info@danceinforma.com with subject: “WIN TICKETS” and tell us What show you’d like to win tickets to and why. Dance Informa’s Editors will pick the best responses to win.
* Please include your full name, postal address and date of birth.

Competition open until May 24.

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance auditions, dance news, dance events and resources for dance teachers.