Southbank Theatre, Melbourne
March 15, 2013

By Rain Francis.

I think the words “audience involvement” can strike dread into the heart of even the most ardent theatre-goer. True, there are probably some who are drawn to them like moths to a flame, but I am firmly in the “please don’t come near me” camp – and I am the most ardent theatre-goer, of all my friends at least.

So, it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I approached BalletLab’s most recent offering.

A little trepidation that is, but a lot of curiosity. “Every audience member will be asked to surrender something” (or words to that effect) I had read in an interview with Artistic Director Phillip Adams. The performers would be nude. There was even some mention of audience “nude night”. Cue nervous glass of wine, pre-show.

The evening comprised a double bill, the first part created by Adams’ long-time muse and collaborator, Brooke Stamp. And All Things Return to Nature was performed by Stamp with Rennie McDougall, Matthew Day and Deanne Butterworth. The dancers wore graceful Grecian-style tunics with a modern twist, paired with fluorescent runners – the work of fashion designer Susan Dimasi. Inspired by the work of Baruch Spinoza, John Coltrane and Sun Ra, this piece was an “exploration of sound transmission and spatial experiences of time”. The movement built into something cyclical and constantly shifting; to me, the kinetic expression of a prism. The repetitive nature made it almost hypnotic.

The second part of the programme, Phillip Adams’ Tomorrow was probably one of the most out-there things I’ve seen, and I’ve watched a LOT of contemporary dance. It was very much an experience as opposed to a performance. Trying to describe it will never do it justice, but it involved constructing an appropriation of “the Intergration”, an area in the Mojave Desert which serves to communicate with aliens.

Adams and the rest of the performers were naked for the duration of this work, and the most remarkable thing about that turned out to be that after the initial two minutes, it was barely noticeable. In truth, too many other weird and wonderful things were taking place.

Audience members were approached by performers and asked to lie down on this blanket, hold this rock, remove their shoes. Coloured string, pebbles and other detritus were being placed deliberately around the space. Performers were walking hand-in-hand with audience members, quietly exchanging words. Gradually a clock-face arrangement was being formed in the performance arena; an architectural installation taking shape. Noises were amassing to form an intense, enveloping moat of sound, courtesy of the outstanding composer Garth Paine.

From my vantage point, safe in the back of the seating block, it was like being privy to some bizarre ritual – and there was something really beautiful and intriguing about it. The atmosphere in the room was one of openness, freedom and support. Adams essentially was creating his idea of utopia. If this all sounds vaguely cult-ish, well it was, but in a harmonious “we’re all in this together” kind of way. I guess that’s the appeal with cults.

Adams collaborated for this work with the architect Matthew Bird to “recreate an imagined abduction”, an event that became the climax of the performance. If the chance comes around again to witness this quite incredible creation, take it. Don’t miss out on experiencing it on the basis that you don’t “do” audience participation. My advice is to go with an open mind; you’ll probably surprise yourself. Now I’m almost wishing I went on nude night. Maybe next time. 

Beckett Theatre, Malthouse, Melbourne
March 15 2013
As part of Dance Massive

By Grace Edwards.

An examination of physicality, in all its strength and vulnerability, Larissa McGowan’s Skeleton marks her first commissioned full-length work as an independent choreographer. Exciting, even unsettling, this intense and frenzied hour-long exploration of skeletal form and memory is best described as an ‘experience’.

McGowan offers us thought-provoking enquiries into our relationship with the objects of our childhood. Accidents and stolen moments with bicycles, baseball bats, and heels are physically ‘remembered’ and re-enacted onstage in slow motion and in reverse by the dancers. The objects break apart at key moments, and are removed or replaced by a fellow performer, drawing attention to the ways in which we experience and categorise these physical memories, distinct as they are from our memories of human relationships

Sliding black screens work like magic, as dancers suddenly appear and disappear from the stage like mental traces. The dancers pop, lock, jerk and pulse their way around the stage, making good use of gravity along the way, tumbling and slamming their bodies to the floor. Their movements frequently seem directed by the relative weights of their anatomical parts, such as the head, reminding us of the ways in which these subtle dynamics affect our movements each day and evolve as we age.

The ‘skeletons’ in this work are well-rehearsed and highly dynamic; whilst Larissa McGowan and Lisa Griffiths show a natural leadership stemming from their years of experience, the gender neutral choreography and distinctive personalities of the performers draw the eye equally to all and make for a truly coherent ensemble.

Many of the conceptual elements of Skeleton, from the jarring soundscape which mixes industrial and biological sounds from the outside world and film, to the highly physical choreography, are reminiscent of the work of Garry Stewart into which McGowan has undoubtedly also had significant input. It will be interesting therefore to see if McGowan will continue to explore her work within this familiar aesthetic framework or branch out in an alternative direction in years to come.

At times, the unrelenting, fast pace of the work proved a little exhausting and some light and shade in the form of some more intimate or introspective scenes would have been welcome. No doubt, however, this balance will be fine-tuned as McGowan grows more familiar with creating full-length work.

As it stands, nonetheless, this offering from McGowan commands one’s attention and is designed to take you along for the experience, setting the bar high for her future work.

Photo (top): Dancers perform Larissa McGowan’s Skeleton. Photos by Chris Herzfeld.

Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne
14 March, 2013

By Rebecca Martin.

Take Anthony Breslin’s tribal and masculine painting style, add in Stephen Agisilaou’s creative flair and genius for creating dance and theatre, throw in the majestic space of Chapel off Chapel, and finish with a handful of Melbourne’s most dazzling dancers, costume designers, composers and musicians, and you’ve got Trybe – An Opera In Paint.

The Chapel stage was transformed into a blank canvas with a tribal frame behind which musicians played Greg Long’s score live. Each solo dancer or couple was assigned a paint colour, and one by one they floated onto the stage where Breslin himself entrancingly poured and brushed paint on the dancers who then transferred the paint onto the stage with their bodies. Piece by piece and movement by movement, a giant tribal face came into being on the stage and was brought to life by the dancers and Breslin’s masterful brush strokes.

Hayley Uberti has long been a stand out dancer in Melbourne and she seductively shone as one half of the blue couple, ably accompanied by Benjamin Cure. Benjamin Hancock was commanding and mesmerising as red and Agisilaou’s choreography highlighted his extraordinary facility and technique, seeing him pose and move in contortion-esque ways.

The piece built with momentum and climaxed in an orgy of paint, writhing bodies and heavy metal music. The power of colour and movement took over the artist and the dancers. And likewise, the audience was swept up in the experience.

Trybe is a performance piece that was the product of many brilliant artists. Elissa Hulla’s costumes were simple but clever – they had to be like a second skin to the dancers’ bodies yet stand up to being smothered in paint every night for two weeks and then rinsed clean. Stephen Agisilaou was billed as the choreographer and co-producer yet he was also integral to the setting of the stage, lighting, projection and ensuring everything and everyone was in its right place each night. Then of course there was the incredible work of the make-up artists, Lynn Hunt and Rebecca Vaughan who transformed the performers into ethereal conduits of the artist’s vision.

Trybe was a complete sensory experience that had to be seen to be believed. The arts in Australia sorely needs more works of this calibre and I congratulate all involved.

Funds from ticket sales to Trybe were donated to the Lasaillian Foundation, which is a small, non-denominational organisation supporting development projects in the Asia Pacific region and more recently, in South Sudan. For more information, visit www.lasallianfoundation.org.

By Rain Francis.

Collaboration The Project strives to provide Australian dancers, choreographers and artists with performance and creative opportunities on Australian shores. The Melbourne based company produces and stages several original works each year, both for its main company and its youth company, Project Y.

Earlier this year, Collaboration launched a regular event called Underground – a platform for emerging and independent choreographers and companies to present their work. Held at Revolt, a unique arts venue in Melbourne’s north, Underground brings together the vibrant and dedicated dance community. From hip hop to contemporary and tap to ballroom, artists across all genres unite to support each other and share their passions. I spoke to Collaboration’s Artistic Director, Paul Malek about this new dance event.

Why did you start Underground?
Underground has been in my thought processes now for the past three years and we at Collaboration are so pleased that we can finally have the support to hold such an event. There is so much creative talent here in Melbourne, without a tremendous number of platforms to showcase and celebrate it. Underground gives just that. It’s a chance for dancers and choreographers to regularly showcase their work, which keeps the industry motivated, moving forward, intertwining genres and making new creative partnerships.

What’s your ultimate vision for Underground?
I’d like it to be so successful and the need for the platform heightened to a level where we can hold it on a more regular basis, rotating acts and showcasing a plethora of different choreographers throughout a yearly period.

How has it been received so far?
The reception has been mind-blowing. I personally have made so many new friends and future colleagues through this avenue of performance. The audiences have been brilliant and the camaraderie is exactly what the dance industry should be. No pressure, just pure and unrelenting dance celebration.

Are you going to continue to run it every season?
I do love that we are currently holding it seasonally. We have delved into Underground Autumn and recently had a wonderful night at Underground Winter. Personally, I cannot wait for Spring. Being seasonal, there’s a different vibe each time. It’s not themed as yet, but that is what we will be looking to work on in the future.

What’s been the biggest challenge in organising it?
At the moment the only challenge has been how to better the event each time. We’re looking forward to how we can improve and make it the number one dance night in Melbourne. All the acts and choreographers have been so understanding, organised and passionate in helping, so it really has just been such an enjoyable experience so far.

What is the best thing about Underground?
The camaraderie, hands down. All egos are left at the door. No-one is judging – it is not a competition. Pure dance takes over for one day and everyone is there for one reason and one reason only – to celebrate this wonderful world that we live in.

How important is the venue?
The venue is the key. Revolt Productions in Kensington is absolutely PERFECT for this event. The support we get from the team there is amazing and everyone who has been so far cannot stop raving about what a great venue it is. I definitely recommend that everyone hits up their website, www.revoltproductions.com and checks it out.

You also run another industry night called Immersed, with the third one coming up in September. How will that differ from Underground?
Immersed Melbourne Dance Industry Night is a theatrical event; one for the whole family, and lovers of dance. It is where we can all unite in a packed theatre, with high quality performances from around Melbourne. Underground is an 18+ event with an earthier feel, while Immersed has the gala, dress-to-your-best, champagne kind of vibe.

What’s the plan for Immersed?
Immersed is stepping up a gear. 20 acts will grace the National Theatre stage in what I feel will be the biggest Immersed yet. We have six full time performing arts schools confirmed so far and some of the best independent dance companies in Melbourne, including youth companies. We also have a competition running where one lucky dance school will get to perform. People can head to www.cornerstoneevents.net/youtube-competition to find out all the details. It is going to go off!

How can people get involved in Underground?
People can like our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/melbourneundergrounddance for all updates, including Underground Spring applications, which will be opening in September.

Chapel Off Chapel
May 9 2012

By Paul Ransom.

As one of the new breed of young choreographers currently muscling their way onto the Australian dance landscape, Melbourne based Stephen Agisilaou has the daring and sheer entrepreneurial spirit to make it happen. His company, Vertical Shadows, is electric with youthful energy and their latest showcase is a celebration of their smash-together aesthetic, bringing contemporary, urban, Weimar cabaret and narrative grit into the same space.

At times sexual, often sensual, but always energetic, On The Rocks is brimming with creative vigour.

Having said that, we should concede that heavily narrative works can easily overcook themselves and On The Rocks does have moments where it looks a little overwrought. This tale of a recently separated woman finding herself in an eerily Lynch-like bar struggling with melancholy, moving on, and the temptations of alcohol, could have been more subtle, perhaps more visceral, in my opinion.

Photos by Matthew Denton, MDMedia

However, it could scarcely have been more enthusiastically rendered. Agisilaou has coaxed very committed performances from his cast, most notably from the sole female, Jessica Mortlock. The key trick here is the shrewd avoidance of simple, clichéd male/female juxtaposition and the development of character.

If Rocks itself could do with a little more ‘raw’, then the show’s opening vignette, the gorgeous pas de deux Crimson, is just about spot on. More obviously balletic, this is eight minutes of entrancing ‘avian’ courtship. (And beautifully lit birds they are too).

Overall, Vertical Shadows’ latest production ups the ante for Agisilaou. There is a growing confidence here, a willingness to stretch out and yet remain true to an individual vision. If this guy isn’t already on your dance radar, he should be.

Melbourne Palais Theatre, St Kilda
April 14 2012

By Rebecca Marin.

New York’s Les Ballets Eloelle (L-O-L, get it?) pirouetted into Melbourne with its cast of male “ballerinas” to show local audiences that men can be swans and do pointe work too.  This is no Matthew Bourne contemporary take on ballet, however.  This is pure ballet, with the (mostly) original choreography taken from selected classical ballets performed by men.  In tights.  En pointe.  In tutus.  On this particular outing, the programme included Act 2 from Swan Lake (hilare!) and excerpts from Le Corsaire (virtuosity!), closing with a mash up of Don Quixote (amaze!) and Paquita (astonish!).

The appeal of companies such as Ballet Eloelle and the Trockaderos can be limited.  Are the men dancing the female roles with seriousness when not obviously being frivolous?  Are the men good enough to pull off difficult variations en pointe, not to mention the fouettes in almost every pas de deux coda?  And for the general audience, will they get the humour?

Fortunately, the answer to most of those questions is yes. While mainstream audiences may miss the subtleties that only a ballet lover can pick up on, there is much laughter and awe to be had for everyone in this production.  There is slapstick, visual gags, feats of awe (are you sure they are really men?!), and some genuinely good dancing.  As any female that has squeezed their feet into a pair of pointe shoes can attest, pointe work sure ain’t a walk in the park, but the dancers of Les Ballets Eloelle pull it off with ease (and a flourish of the wrists).  Despite all that, some of my favourite moments from the show were non-balletic, such as when a swan breaks out into a bit of krumping, and when the token “male” dancer turns to the back of the stage and tightly squeezes his butt cheeks to the glee of the audience…

Les Ballets Eloelle managed to gracefully side step the trap of leaning on sight gags to entertain the audience.  The humour was clever, the performance was hilariously entertaining, and the dancers were impressive.  I can’t wait for the company to return to Melbourne with the next programme.  This time I’m bringing tissues for the tears of laughter.

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

Stephen Agisilaou is no ordinary dancer. His idiosyncratic journey from ‘loungeroom’ dancer to company director is one of Australia’s most refreshing and inspiring.

By Paul Ransom.

The rules do not apply to everyone. Take Stephen Agisilaou. He started dancing at eighteen and now, barely a decade later, has danced professionally here and overseas and fronts his own company.

When Vertical Shadows’ two latest works, the pas de deux Crimson and the larger scale On The Rocks take to the boards in May, Artistic Director Agisilaou will once again be living his maverick dream of narrative driven, theatrically inspired contemporary dance. Although he may not be the first to try this particular sleight of choreographic hand his self-taught insights into the marriage of strong theatre storylines and the beautiful abstractions of dance will doubtless be sitting at the heart of both works.

“It wasn’t so much choreography that I enjoyed but directing,” he says, recalling the original idea behind Vertical Shadows. “I enjoyed coming up with concepts.”

As a template for getting dance productions up to speed it sounds upside down. “The chorey kinda comes last,” he cheerfully declares. “I really blueprint the story and the staging first before we ever get into the studio to choreograph. The direction is at the forefront; but because I put so much into the process of the story telling, the chorey sorta comes easily.”

Stephen Agisilaou and Jayden Hicks. Photo by Eddie Hobson

However, Agisilaou is adamant that it is still dance. “It’s not theatrical in the sense that the dancers are playing human beings with personalities,” he explains. “It’s a contemporary piece, so it is abstract. But we do give the dancers direction about character and motivation sometimes.”

For company dancer Jayden Hicks, who appears in On The Rocks, the extra character background is clearly useful. “It’s always better to have a thought behind the movement, either from yourself or given by the director. You need an inner story. Whether or not the audience can tell what you’re doing they can tell from your face that you’ve got intention, that you’re dancing for something and not just for dance.”

It’s an important distinction and something that Agisilaou keeps in focus as he tries to stay on the right side of the dance/mime line. ‘Character’ motivation and narrative intention are restrained by the desire to create non-literal and more emotional forms of theatre.

For a piece like On The Rocks the challenge is to find a way of letting the audience see and feel the heroine’s situation without telegraphing it. Jayden Hicks is confident that the back story will be evident. “With the high divorce rate now and marriage just so disposable, I’m pretty sure that the audience will get the idea of this woman contemplating a separation,” he begins. “Everyone can understand what she’s going through. Y’know, she’s wondering whether she’ll be alone, or whether there are other fish in the sea – all that stuff.”

Vertical Shadows dancer Jayden Hicks. Photo by Chris Parker

If that sounds like a crisis of middle age, Stephen Agisilauo’s “18-25” cast may well be fortunate enough never to have crossed such bridges. As their director though, he is less concerned with life experience and more about presence and potential. “Mostly I need the cast to understand who they are in any space, at any stage, at any time,” he elaborates. “The show is not the kind of show where they need to be military in the way that things are put together, or exactly the same at exactly the same time, but because they are a young cast the progression and development rate should be quite high.”

Meanwhile, Jayden Hicks offers the following insight. “He’s a great director in that he lets you feel that you helped him to create the show. I mean, it’s his way or the highway but he’s not obnoxious about it,” he concludes with a grin.

It’s been a remarkable ten years since his father casually asked him if he wanted to take dancing lessons. Agisilaou has gone from self-taught ‘loungeroom’ dancer to company director, via a stint with Move The Company in Canada and choreographic guest spots on SYTYCD. Sometimes it’s hard work and graft that pays off, other times its inspiration that wins out.

Laughing at his ‘boss’ Jayden Hicks simply says, “I actually started dancing before Stephen.” Now that really tells you something.

Win a Double Pass to On The Rocks!
Just email info@danceinforma.com and tell us “Why and When You Started Dancing”.
Please include your full name, date of birth and postcode. Good luck!
Competition ends May 4.

Vertical Shadows presents ON THE ROCKS
Date: 9-12 May 2012
Venue: The Chapel Chapel Off Chapel 12 Little Chapel Street Prahran VIC
Tickets: http://chapeloffchapel.com.au/melbourne-comedy-theatre-art/melbourne-events/melbourne-live-music/on-the-rocks-9-12-may/

Top photo: The dancers of Vertical Shadows. Photo by Chris Parker.

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

By Grace Edwards.

This year marks Dancehouse’s first full year with Artistic Director, Angela Conquet at the helm; it also marks the institution’s twentieth anniversary. 2012 thus brings with it an opportunity to reflect on Dancehouse’s long and outstanding role within the dance community.

Established in 1992 by a group of independent dance practitioners, Dancehouse remains the only presenter in Australia dedicated solely to contemporary dance. Its programmes fall under three broad headings: Research, Training and Performance, and among these activities are curated seasons, community out-reach programs, curated programs with partner venues or interstate artists, meetings and seminars, dance on screen events, and much more. The most high profile activity at Dancehouse, however, remains the Housemate residency, the only national residency developed solely for independent dance practitioners.

Both former Housemate Ashley Dyer and current Housemate Alex Harrison happily acknowledge the value of the residency, which offers recipients space, time and money for research and performance. Dyer, who explored the motion of smoke and its related iconography as part of his Housemate project, enjoyed the greater sense of control that came with a pay cheque and a studio. “The difficult thing about being in Australia is that you often take contracts that are short term and intense, like a month, and then you have to drop jobs. Whereas with this project, I thought right from the beginning, ‘well, it can go three months, so what if I just do it as much as I can around a schedule and then have more intense periods?’ That, and being able to use the [Dancehouse] office as an actual office, was a real advantage for me.”

Angela Conquet. Photo by Alfred Mrozicki

Through his residency, which ended in December, Dyer’s relationship with Dancehouse is ongoing. “We’re totally interested in where Ashley’s research project is going to go, because one day it will be a performance,” says Conquet.

Current Housemate, Harrison, who has only just begun her performance stream residency, will, like Dyer, receive a pro-rata salary for the duration of her project as well as free studio space. As part of the performance stream, Harrison will also present a short season of her work to the general public in one of the two Dancehouse theatres at the conclusion of her residency. Harrison’s project, currently entitled ‘What’s Coming – A Futures Festival’, stems from her desire to attempt to “read the shape of movement to come and predict dance futures.”

Harrison stresses that apart from the obvious benefits of the residency, the Dancehouse environment offers dance practitioners much more.  “There’s actually a difference between offering materially and offering your interest and enthusiasm with a great generosity and a sense of abundance,” she explains.  “That’s something quite distinct that I’ve noticed here, that there is an abundance of that.”

“It’s the distinction between a house and a home, really,” adds Dyer. “It’s about trying to create a warm environment that nurtures projects in the best possible way and once the artists ‘grow up’ and do their own thing it gives them a home to come back to if they need to.”

For Conquet, it is the combination of resources and the centre’s genuine enthusiasm for risk-taking that makes Dancehouse such a valuable institution for dance artists. “I think that’s why the relationship with the artists is so solid, because we’re sharing the same risk. We’re walking down the same path as the artists, even though we don’t know where they are taking us!”

Indeed, it is this fearless attitude to experimentation that allows Dancehouse to act as an incubator for creative minds. “We create the space because we want to have people who bring the right feedback, the people who can take things further in terms of critical discourse, and it’s also a network because we’re part of the bigger network of contemporary dance in Australia,” says Conquet.

“We live in a world which goes far too fast in any case, and I don’t think you can create art using those models. You still need to allow for space and protect that for the artist so he/she feels he/she can have that liberty. That’s very important. You can’t make art like you make sandwiches.”

The theatre at Dancehouse

Ultimately, Dancehouse’s activities are all designed with two simple ends in mind – to help contemporary dance and its practitioners to reach the broader community and to sustain it by developing future audiences, whether that involves fostering a healthy environment for artists or offering public programmes, such as weekly contemporary dance classes for beginners. As the sound of children’s laughter echoes around the studio, Conquet motions towards the upstairs studio. “It starts with those kids who are having a class. If we do our jobs correctly, those kids will come back as audience members to be inspired by what they see.”

This year sees Dancehouse expand its vision in three ways – focusing on new ways to develop relationships with artists, generating greater artistic circulation and increasing local and international mobility and development. Simone’s Boudoir, a thematically curated range of informal discussions focused on the contemporary dance sector, is but one of many new initiatives designed to galvanise the community and make these goals happen in 2012. Dance Informa wishes Dancehouse all the best in this endeavour.

Congratulations Dancehouse on twenty years of services to dance. We look forward to watching the Dancehouse team’s vision unfold over the next twenty!

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

Patrick Studios Australia – Dream Empire

Alexander Theatre, Monash University, Clayton Campus.
November 3 2011

By Rebecca Martin

Patrick Studios Australia (PSA) has been a tour de force since the school opened its doors to dancers five years ago.  On the eve of its relocation to brand new custom made studios, PSA’s full time dancers presented their end of year showcase aptly entitled Dream Empire.  There are many institutions in Australia where budding commercial dancers and singers can cut their teeth, however there is something about Todd Patrick’s school that separates it from all others.  The calibre of talent is unquestionable, and the graduating students’ versatility and competency on stage is testament to the teachers and training of the school, but it’s the choreography and the pieces presented that stand out the most.  Patrick utilizes space better than most choreographers I have seen – using props, stairways, steps, and even aisles between the audience with great success.  Ultimately though, when I go to see a performance by PSA students, I expect to be blown away.  Luckily, after traipsing to Monash University in Clayton to catch Dream Empire, the performance did just that.

Despite being the third night in a row that PSA had presented Dream Empire, the show was sold out when I attended. The theatre was buzzing with excited punters who barely quieted in time to witness a group of dancers in riot gear march down the aisles onto the stage to the haunting sounds of Carmina Burana.  The military garb and fierceness of the dancers was in stark contrast with the other group of nighty-clad dancers on stage gliding around a series of beds.  When the groups combined, it created a powerful juxtaposition of war/violence of the military and the peace/calm of bed.  The impact of so many dancers on stage and the powerful music unfortunately became a hindrance as the lack of space seemed to stifle the dancers.  Movements became restricted and lifts were dropped.  Some moments that should have been amazing were lost in the busy choreography and frantic pace of the piece.  This happened occasionally throughout the night, but ultimately the intended “wow” factor reigned supreme. 

Dream Empire showcased 28 different pieces over quite a few hours, and the dancers exhibited impressive energy throughout.  The numbers traversed the genres of hip hop, contemporary, jazz, tap, and musical theatre, and showed why PSA is so integral in training Australia and the world’s future performers.  Having said that, the dancers would do well to focus on details a little more – line shouldn’t be underestimated and flexed feet don’t look good unless choreographed that way.  Honing technique will hold them in greater stead when auditioning for coveted jobs and enable them to stand out even more. 

Congratulations to all the performers and staff at Patrick Studios Australia. I left the theatre utterly impressed as usual.  Boy, can those kids dance.

Gasworks Theatre, Albert Park, Vic
August 12

By Grace Edwards

Ignite The Dark’s latest work, The Earth, the Sea and the Moon is a story about a neurotic artist named Moon and his ever-growing obsession with the girl of his dreams, the waitress who works in the café beneath him. Falling further into a world of fantasy and neurosis, Moon creates an alter ego intent on foiling his every move.

The choreography showcased a range of dance styles including jazz, tap, ballroom and ballet, each of which was used to highlight aspects of the storyline. A ‘tango pasión’ introduced the sexually-charged character of the alter-ego, a creation of Moon’s imagination, whilst a ballet scene sought to highlight his romantic chemistry with Moon’s love interest.

The structured format of the show was clear and the storyline consequently easy to follow. The choreography and the dancing was at its best in the jazz-inspired commercial dance numbers, particularly the unison ensemble sections in which the dancers appeared well rehearsed and in sync. However, many elements were surprisingly derivative for a company that describes itself as “innovative”. There was little evidence of experimentation in the choreography, and many of the movement sequences and steps seemed so familiar as to result in dance sequences that were rather extreme clichés of their genres. There were also one or two conspicuous moments in which the use of moving props threatened the safety of the performers and needed to be more closely choreographed.

The piece is structured in a series of chapters, connected by dialogue, video, text and storyline. There were moments in which the video was used well to articulate the inner world of our hero, but the dialogue sections were somewhat jarring, at times giving the impression of a school play. This impression was not helped by the lack of attention to details in the setting, such as the untidy handwritten paper sign used to denote the ‘Pie in the Sky’ café at which our waitress/heroine worked.

The dancers struggled technically through a number of passages, and this was most obvious in unfamiliar genres such as ballet. The choreography demanded of the female performers a number of passages en pointe and the dancers appeared worryingly unstable. Attention needs to be paid to the finer details and to the feet and leg extensions in jumps and lifts.

This company has some way to go if it intends to rival other professional companies working in Melbourne. However, the broad appeal and youth of the company should ensure enthusiastic support and a wide pool of creative talent from which to draw in its attempts to make its mark on the dance scene.