Spring Dance
Sydney Opera House
August 30, 2011

By Elizabeth Ashley

Silence. An empty stage, save for a pile of orange blankets. The audience fidgets in anticipation and uncertainty. Unexpectedly a spectator climbs onto the stage, takes off his clothes and wraps himself in a little orange blanket. Moment by moment eight others appear and go through the same ritual stripping to their varied underwear.

So begins Out of Context – For Pina, a piece of dance theatre conceived and choreographed by Alain Platel for his company Les Ballets C de la B (Les Ballets Contemporains de la Belgique). Platel was in the process of developing the work when he learnt of the death of the German choreographer and dancer Pina Bausch and was so moved that he offered it as a posthumous gift to Pina.

Out of Context commences as an intriguing but slightly uncomfortable process for the audience, with only sparse jungle-murmuring sounds during the initial encounter of these diverse beings. We are reminded of animals meeting, sniffing tentatively, inspecting soles and toes, with horse-like swishing of feet, until the blankets are dropped and relationships ebb and flow.

Throughout the next 90 minutes the audience experiences the full gamut of emotions from discomfort and a sense of embarrassment to sadness then amusement, laughter and a joie de vivre. We are taken from the jungle to the asylum and then to a nightclub before returning to the jungle as night falls. With perfect balance the production is engrossing.

There is a sense of exploration and exposure as these disparate dancers try to establish a new form of communication between each other and the audience. We are somewhere between man and animal and what ensues is a sense of tension between the wide range of uncontrolled movements and the more traditional choreographic components. In the words of Patel, ‘They create a new context out of a normal context.’

Despite Platel saying that Out of Context has no direct link to, nor is inspired by Pina Bausch, the influence is unmistakable – the absence of audience/performer delineation as performers randomly interact and engage directly with the audience; the use of singing and other noises by the dancers including teeth clenching and groaning; faces and bodies exuding anxiety and pathos. The audience is confronted and intrigued by a compelling magnetism. It may not be for the fainthearted but it is extraordinarily rewarding.

The spasmodic and deconstructed moving style reminds one of Wayne McGregor’s works that explore the rawness of the human nervous system. Platel’s previous work with children suffering from motor and multiple disabilities is exhibited via the awkward and un-coordinated movements from dancers who appear malformed. He then combines this with his fascination for the way we can communicate purely through our physical being – ‘no set, no props, except for mikes. It’s quite simple.’

The nightclub scene allows the light relief the audience has been waiting for with the various dancers taking turns at the mike in a karaoke-style singing/dancing session. Trying different dance moves to a few lines from ‘Don’t you wish your girlfriend was hot like me’, changes the tone and verges almost on bad taste. The highlight performer here was Kaori Ito singing the Rai pop song A’icha, complete with over-the-top camp moves in his jazzy boxers which have the audience in hysterics especially when he forgets his lines without losing connection with the audience.

Another unexpected and touching moment comes as Dominique Mercy, one of Pina Bausch’s original dancers and current co-director of the Tanztheater Wuppertal, takes the stage. Mercy deftly changes the tone through his imposing presence and dark evening suit as he performs in sign language ‘The man I love,’ giving it a quiet dignity before adding his tentative singing with an almost torch-song poignancy.

With a cast of nine physically and ethnically diverse performers, Platel uses natural diversity to full advantage and provides these superlative dancers with both the technical and emotional range to astound, entertain and move us. And despite the brilliant dancing we are not distracted away from the theatricality, thus making Out of Context – For Pina, a fitting tribute to the pioneer of dance theatre.

The performance ends as the dancers put their clothes back on and return to various seats in the audience. One of them sits next to me as if to say the distance between the everyday and the emotional roller coaster is just a few steps away.

Spring Dance
Sydney Opera House – Studio
August 27

By Dolce Fisher

Well I liked ‘I Like This’!

Chunky Move’s new work is a perfect example of what can be created when two people brainstorm a brilliant concept and work to see it come to life. ‘I Like This’ was shaped around the creative process behind choreography. Stripped bare from the technology that us audiences have grown so used to, it is actually the simplicity of the work what makes it so different. There are no ‘costumes’, just some hand held lights, a few chairs and a sound system. ‘I Like This’ proves that you don’t need a big budget to create ground breaking new work.

The artists’ theatrical performances must be commended, showing their full talent as artists rather than just dancers. Choreographers/performers Antony Hamilton and Byron Perry highlighted so many different elements of the choreographic process and executed them with humour and a little mischief.

The show has been impeccably rehearsed. The timing of the all the positioning and the lighting required perfection and this couldn’t be faulted throughout the performance.

There is a great rebound effect created with dialogue shared throughout, from the choreographers, dancers and audience.  The audience are included in the process, almost making it feel interactive.

This work is definitely more suited to an audience of other dancers/performers, as we instantly resonate with the creative process and understand the humour behind it. However, if you take a non-dancer friend along with you they’ll still have a laugh and enjoy the show. Go and see ‘I Like This’. I hope you like it too!

World renowned solo performance specialist Ros Warby returns home to Australia as a war hero and a black swan.

By Paul Ransom.

To say that Australian choreographer Ros Warby is a solitary figure might be stretching it; but her penchant for solo performance pieces precedes her.

By reviving her Swan Lake inspired show Monumental for this year’s Spring Dance season in Sydney, Warby takes us deep inside her unique milieu. Beginning with the classical ballet motifs of the swan and the soldier, Warby morphs them into visceral, intense ciphers, each acting out their own hard wired dreams in the one body.

“I’m trying to work with multiple layers of character or notion simultaneously throughout the performance,” she explains. “As the creation of the work evolves I identify the primary themes, ideas and characters. During the performance I am continually slipping between the layers of these thematic elements.”

What this creates is a fundamentally feeling centred, even instinct driven dance form. As Warby observes, “The potential for multiple layers of experience to exist simultaneously in the dancer and the dance is extraordinary, if the performer allows all experience to be there at once.”  

Naturally, Ros Warby has been working towards this point for some years. Over a two decade career she has danced with luminaries like Lucy Guerin, Deborah Hay and Russell Dumas and established herself internationally as a leading exponent of the solo show. Even though Monumental does include a Ben Speth film and a Helen Mountford cello score, it is very much about Warby’s self-encapsulated manifestations.

“I’ve always been attracted to solo work,” she confesses. “I love the aesthetic of it; the simplicity, beauty and poignancy of the single figure on stage. When I perform solo I relish the chance to take the time and space needed to play out each and every moment.”

However, there’s a subtle spring load here. Whereas Warby’s website declares that by ‘eliminating attachments to prescribed techniques or choreographic approaches she invites the body to undo any pre-conceived notions of what dance is’ she is no mere iconoclast.  “I am not searching for anything,” she says boldly. “As I dance I’m simply noticing where I am in relation to my dancing body, space, time, audience, the choreography and other elements in the space. I am not interested in searching for something new in dance.”

At the performance level things are a bit more pragmatic. “I use everything I have in my system as I perform, all my training and history, my experience; but I try not to attach to any one idea of what I think those techniques are or what those experiences are. I am trying to get out of the way of my idea of all this and let the whole body work in relation to the choreography and thematic direction of the work.”

For Monumental this means letting loose on the fairy tale figures of the classical ballet in which she was schooled. Yet here again, Warby has no intention of turning her back on the history of her craft. “Yes, they are relevant,” she states emphatically. “How they are worked with is the key; as long as the dancer and choreographer stay curious and attentive to the dancing body moment to moment.”

The continuing presence of the classical repertoire, whether reconfigured as contemporary or remounted as lush costume pieces comes as no surprise to Warby. With honed precision she drives her point home. “How dance is transmitted to the dancer to keep them curious, on their toes, whether it be ballet, hip hop, the most minimal modern dance or indigenous dance, that’s the key,” she says. “How that dance is transmitted from choreographer to dancer and how the dancer transcends their idea of what it should be is what will keep any dance interesting.”

But of course it still has to be danced and for Ros Warby that means both inspiration and preparation. There is little space to hide in a one woman show. “The intelligence of the dancing body surprises and thrills me every day,” she waxes. “My curiosity about where that intelligence will take me is very present [but] as I get older, with family and a full life, the biggest challenge is how to find the time, space and energy to keep going.”

Luckily for Sydneysiders one of this country’s very best dance exports has found her way onto the Spring Dance programme. It promises to be, well … monumental.

SPRING DANCE
Sydney Opera House
August 23 – Sept 4

23 August – 4 September 2011

2011 will mark the third year of Sydney Opera House’s Spring Dance – Australia’s only international, contemporary dance festival. Curated by Wendy Martin, highlights of the festival will include a world premiere from Lloyd Newson’s UK-based company DV8, the first ever Sydney performance by Alain Platel’s acclaimed les ballets C de la B from Belgium and Spain’s avant-garde flamenco artist Israel Galvan who will perform in Australia for the first time.

This year Spring Dance will be dedicated to the legacy of Pina Bausch, one of the most influential and innovative choreographers of the twentieth century. Martin said, ‘By showcasing the work of choreographers Lloyd Newson and Alain Platel, we will bring together two artists who cite the enormous influence Bausch has had on their work. This seems like the perfect springboard to explore the influence this iconic dance maker has had on the landscape of contemporary Australian dance.’ A series of films and discussions will look at the singular vision of Pina Bausch and her Tanztheater Wuppertal.

Artwork - Ros Warby, Monumental, photo: L. Tomasetti; les ballets C de la B, Out of Context – for Pina, photo: C. Van Der Burght

In 2011 Spring Dance will take over the Western Foyers with performances in the Drama Theatre, Studio and Playhouse and a series of talks, masterclasses and exhibitions in the Western Foyer and precinct.

Sydney Opera House will host the world premiere of DV8’s, Can we talk about this? choreographed and devised by Artistic Director Lloyd Newson. Like his recent productions that have combined dance with verbatim theatre to tackle social and political issues head-on, Can we talk about this? will explore ideas around freedom of speech.

Alain Platel’s company, les ballets C de la B, will present the award-winning production Out of Context: For Pina. For its first Sydney season, it will include a ‘Pina Intervention’ by acclaimed Australian choreographer Meryl Tankard who was a star of Pina Bausch’s company in the late 70’s and early 80’s.

Israel Galvan, the daringly innovative Flamenco artist from Seville will come to Sydney Opera House with the Australian premiere of his award-winning production Le Edad de Oro which uses the techniques and artistry of Flamenco while building on tradition to create a new, pared-back aesthetic for the genre.

Chunky Move returns to Spring Dance with I Like This – a witty and irreverent take on the making of a dance piece, created by two of Australia’s finest contemporary dancers and emerging choreographers, Byron Perry and Antony Hamilton.

The work of Melbourne-based dancer and choreographer Ros Warby has been acclaimed by critics around the world. She will return to Sydney to perform the award-winning Monumental at Spring Dance, in which she explores ideas around two iconic symbols of classical ballet: the swan and the soldier.

And for younger audiences, Sydney Opera House will present The Forest by the UK-based performance company Fevered Sleep. The Forest will reflect their interest in creating design-focused productions that develop theatrical environments to envelop their audience and draw them into a world of fantasy, intrigue, movement and storytelling.

This year’s Spring Dance festival will offer the rare opportunity to be taught by some of the world’s great dancers and choreographers with 6 master classes on offer. There will be a series of panel discussions, hosted by Caroline Baum, with prominent dancers and choreographers looking at Pina Bausch and her legacy. They will be accompanied by a program of film screenings.

Top photo:  Ros Warby – Monumental, Photo: Lisa Tommasetti

 By Jessica Innes

2011 is jam-packed full of festivals celebrating dance. With Sydney Festival, The Adelaide Fringe and Dance Massive all behind us you may think that the dance fun is over for the year – but it isn’t! Check out these amazing events yet to come. 

Melbourne Latin Festival VIC
A celebration of Latin dance, Melbourne Latin Festival is three nights of parties, two days of workshops, 150 dancers, 50 workshops and 60 hours of absolute fun featuring celebrity dancers from So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars! The festival, now in its third year running, is one of Melbourne’s largest Latin dance events.  The festival features daily workshops that cater for the complete novice right through to the advanced professional in a variety of Latin genres such as Salsa, Bachata, Street Cha, Flamenco and Tango with some of the best Latin DJs and live Latin bands. With international stars and artists from Cuba, Colombia, Italy, Brazil and New Zealand, it’s definitely an event not to be missed. 
8-10 April, Darebin Arts Centre, Preston
www.melbournelatinfestival.com.au

Ali Curung Dance Festival NT
Our Indigenous heritage is an inspiration for dancers and The Ali Curung Dance Festival allows talented artists to share their history and culture through different performance mediums. With traditional dance, storytelling, art and music, the Ali Curung Dance Festival is a free event for the whole family to enjoy.
2 – 3 July, Ali Curung Community Centre
http://en.travelnt.com 

Spring Dance NSW
Hosted by Sydney Opera House, Spring Dance is a celebration of all things dance with a program of cutting edge local and international artists. This year’s third annual festival is still being curated, but it is sure to be a treat. The performances will take place across various venues at Sydney Opera House from 23 August – 4 September. That’s 13 days of exceptional artistry, athleticism and grace from some of the world’s most exciting choreographers and dancers!  Keep an eye on this website for the program to be announced in May. www.sydneyoperahouse.com/about/program_Spring_Dance.aspx  
23 August – 4 September, Sydney Opera House

Brisbane Festival QLD
Boasting artists from all over the world, Brisbane Festival embraces all styles of performing arts including dance, theatre, opera, circus, symphony and sideshow. Last year’s program presented over 330 performances and 62 events over 22 days and the 2011 lineup is sure to be just as impressive with the program being released midyear.
3 – 24 September, Multiple Venues.
www.brisbanefestival.com.au 

Youth Dance Festival ACT
Our nation’s capital is host to the Youth Dance Festival, which is a high calibre, non-competitive event allowing secondary school students to showcase their dancing.  It is a valuable experience for young teens as all involved are given the opportunity to work with an artistic director that mimics the process of the professional world. This year’s theme is ‘Messages’ and the opportunity to participate is open to all high schools and colleges with entries closing April 15.
14 – 16 September, Canberra Theatre.
www.ausdance.org.au/act/production-folder.pdf

Australian Dance Festival NSW
ADF is a highly interactive three days full of workshops, performances and competitions. Get in on the action by learning from the best in the business with previous years’ classes taught by Kelly Abbey, Jason Coleman, the Squared Division and Sarah Boulter. This is a high profile event with performances and competitions targeted at all styles of dance so you won’t want to miss out!
16-18 September, Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre
http://www.australiandancefestival.com.au/

Melbourne Festival VIC
Melbourne Festival is one of Australia’s flagship international arts festivals and one of the major multi-arts festivals of the world, in terms of quality of work, innovation of vision, and scale and breadth of program. Each Festival brings an unparalleled feast of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, multimedia and outdoor events from renowned and upcoming Australian and International companies and artists. This year’s program, directed by Brett Sheehy, is yet to be announced.
6 – 22 October, Multiple Venues
www.melbournefestival.com.au  

Photo: The Chooky Dancers peform ‘Wrong Skin’ at last year’s Spring Dance

Spring Dance 2010 

Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.
Sept 2^nd 2010

By Nicole Saleh 

Savion Glover does not lie. He promised bare  sounds, and that is exactly what he delivered at the 2010 Spring Dance Festival at the Sydney Opera House.

Bare Soundz is 90 minutes of pure tap: no narrative, no props, no fancy sets. On stage there are simply three wooden platforms amplifying the beats of Glover, Maurice Chestnut and Marshall Davis Jnr. Reminiscent of a traditional jazz trio (bass, drum and keys), Chestnut and Davis start Bare Soundz by creating a consistent strong backbeat with their heel and toe taps, simply tapping with one foot to provide the strong bass. Glover takes centre stage, and with clearly articulated footwork he delivers a smooth melody, punctuated at times with strong staccato beats. When it comes to his performance it is evident that Glover’s rhythms permeate from within. At times he was clearly focused and performing in his zone, with eyes closed and a smile on his face that expressed sheer joy in the music he was creating with his feet. He captivated the audience to not only see the visual element of dance but to intently listen to the dance and be transported by the musicality of his rhythms.

Savion Glover’s rhythmical journey started when he was a young musician playing the drums. Growing up in a musically gifted family, Glover applied his skills to tap dancing. He is the talent behind the animated tap dancing penguin Mumble, in the film Happy Feet and is widely recognised today as the world’s greatest tap dancer. Privileged to have learnt his craft from revered tap legends such as Lon Chaney, Jimmy Slide, Chuck Green, Honi Coles, Bunny Briggs and Gregory Hines, Glover carries on today the legacy of these pioneering hoofers through his own works that push the boundaries of tap dance. 

What makes Glover’s show extraordinary is that it is never performed the exact same way twice. Glover calls this, Improvography; a combination of choreography and improvisation. When all three dancers are tapping in unison the timing is impeccable, as if you are hearing one tap dancer. When each dancer in turn takes the lead, they show their own unique style through improvisation. Chestnut has a distinct groove where he performs with strength and conviction in his solo, while Davis is reminiscent of the legendary hoofers tapping with speed and control, letting his feet do the talking. Glover is a brilliant technician who wowed the audience with his power and fast footwork, delivering clear intricate beats that are performed effortlessly. Wearing traditional Capezio black tap boots, and not his usual trademark green, he made sounds using every part of his boot from the inner and outer edge, to the soles, heels and toes. His boots are his musical instrument and there was not one part of his boot that he did not use to create a soulful tune.

A highlight for me was the jam session, when each dancer in succession took 16 counts to improvise and outdo the performance of the dancer before them. Trying to impress, Glover, Chestnut and Davis pulled out all stops with complex wings, riffs, shuffles, toe stands, slides and turns while never missing a beat. It brought out their competitive side as they stole each other’s steps and did it one better than the last dancer, which had the audience amazed.

Feeling inspired by the show, I had the opportunity of honing my own tap skills at an exclusive Tap Master Class with Glover, and this is when it became really interesting!

Glover didn’t position himself at the front of the class and lead a traditional warm up, nor did he teach a combination as we had expected. He opened the class by explaining that he no longer taught ‘steps’ as we all have a vocabulary of steps. He challenged our thinking and approach to tap dance, which became the premise of the 2 hour workshop. Glover walked around the class weaving in and around the dancers as he posed philosophical questions in relation to tap. He explored the theory, technique and musicality of tap dance, discussing timing, accents and the structure of steps, all of which are important technique tools for improvisation. His class was a journey beyond the realm of a combination. It was unlike any tap class I‘d ever been to, and I was left to consider whether we approach tap as musicians, dancers or both. What I enjoyed most was when Glover demonstrated musical concepts such as half time, single time and double time, and taught us how to create our own combination using the structure of “3 and a break”.

Everything I learnt from the class became more apparent when seeing Bare Soundz for the second time. It is extremely rare for me to see a show twice in one week, but I could not help going back for more to experience the brilliance of Savion Glover – 90 minutes of nothing but tap dancing and wonderful rhythmic sounds at its best.

A true creative genius, Savion Glover is an artist dedicated to his craft. He not only delivered an incredible performance to Sydney audiences, but has also embraced the responsibility of carrying forward his art form, sharing the musicality of tap dance to the next generation of dancers and reminding me of what the Bare Soundz of tap dance is all about….creating music with your feet!

Hear from George Miller, Director of Happy Feet, on Savion Glover
Click here

Photos: James Morgan

Published by www.danceinforma.com

Spring Dance 2010 

The Studio, Sydney Opera House
September 2010

By Lynne Lancaster

In Glass is a mysterious and exciting new work choreographed by Narelle Benjamin, performed by celebrated dancers, Kristina Chan and Paul White.

Benjamin is a choreographer who has created works for the One Extra Company, Sydney Dance Company, the Australian Ballet and Theatre of Image. She has also performed with Chunky Move, Australian Dance Theatre, Bangarra and others. Chan is an acclaimed choreographer who has worked with various companies and independent choreographers throughout Australia. She has won two Australian Dance Awards. Paul White is both a Helpmann award winner and Australian Dance Award winner and has worked with companies both here in Australia and the UK.

Benjamin’s choreography is very demanding and quite stylised. At times it’s fluid, rippling and sculptural, with emphasis on the use of the elongated back, and then it becomes more detailed, focusing on the use of the hands and arms. A yoga influence is evident in various sections, requiring extreme control. The work could perhaps do with fractional gentle trimming, but overall it is enthralling.

The two magnificent dancers give intense, harmonious performances .Benjamin was inspired to create this work having observed the dramatic power of Chan and White’s lyrical performance together. At times they perform in unison, at others they mirror and echo each other. We are treated to an extraordinary pas de deux where they angularly enfold each other.

Photos Ian Bird

Mirrors are a central theme of this work, reminding me of the cracked mirror of fairytales like in Snow White or the broken mirrors in Miss Haversham’s haunted house. Mirrors also reflect how we see ourselves and others in relationships. There are no Cocteau like mirrors, but instead some bizarre surrealist images and ruminations on self and nature. At times the mirrors reflect the audience, sometimes the mirror is shattered and cobwebby, at others the mirrors are clear and the dancers step through or around them.

The stage itself in the Studio is mostly bare, apart from the curved layer of moveable mirror panels. Samuel James’ film footage is crucial to the show, as is Karen Norris’ lighting. There is lyrical footage of Chan in a garden, symbolic of the Garden of Eden perhaps, and some wonderful nature footage of moss and trees. In another section of film Chan floats topless while the dancers perform live on stage. At times White and Chan interact with their video counterparts creating a dream-like vision.

Momentarily we are blinded by the oval hand held mirrors as they are manipulated in the performance by White. Benjamin shows her creativity with her ingenious use of these props. In one section they are like butterfly wings and in another the work is reminiscent of Murphys’ ‘discus’ solo for Ross Phillips.

Huey Benjamin’s soundtrack is magnificent and is integral to the performance. It goes from jarring and crackly to rippling and lyrical and is interesting and unique.

Hypnotic and powerful, this is a rich and splendid display by three of Australia’s top performers. 

Running time – 1 hour.

View a video interview with choreographer Narelle Benjamin and dancers Kristina Chan and Paul White.
Part 1 http://play.sydneyoperahouse.com/index.php/springdance/narelle-benjamin-in-glass.html
Part 2 http://play.sydneyoperahouse.com/index.php/springdance/in-glass-narelle-benjamin.html

Spring Dance

Sydney Opera House  
September 2010

By Lynne Lancaster.          

Hot, sexy, extremely moving and very funny in parts, this is a most surprising and delightful show.

Under the inspired direction of Nigel Jamieson, it stars the exuberant ‘Chooky Dancers’ from Elcho Island in remote Arnhem Land. Elcho is home to approximately 2000 people, about half of whom are under twenty years old. The Chooky Dancers themselves range in age from 16 to 19 years old. The people live in poverty and the youth suicide rate is high.

Video footage of Elcho Island everyday life is incorporated into the production. Speech is included in both Yolngu and English. People sadly die weekly from the complications of poverty in Elcho Island and Frank Garawirrtja, the mentor behind the Chooky Dancers and the Wrong Skin project, passed away during the process of making the show. Wrong Skin includes footage from his funeral.

The show is a startlingly original blend of traditional Aboriginal/Islander dance with a mix of other styles including ballet, break, hip-hop, Bollywood, modern and contemporary with snippets from the big musicals like West Side Story. It is set in our current time in outback Australia and is a retelling of the Romeo and Juliet story from an Aboriginal viewpoint. As the laws of clan and kinship must not be broken, Wrong Skin is the story of two teenage lovers from different kinship groups (a ‘wrong skin’ relationship according to Yolngu custom).  

Traditional dances are performed such as the dance of the turtle and the shark, illustrating clan allegiances, the traditional Aboriginal/Islander relationship to the land, and traditional life. Projections of traditional Aboriginal/Islander paintings are superimposed on the dancer’s body and we are shown film footage of the company out fishing, shopping and at a Saturday night party.

Photo James Morgan

The Juliet figure, superbly played by Rarriwuy Hick, is sensational. A hot and sultry mover she sets the stage alight. Her impassioned solo to ‘America’ from West Side Story, where her red ruffled skirt ripples like fire, is brilliant and her appearance at the Saturday night party, in contemporary dance style, is sensational.

The male ensemble are strong and entertaining. Their Zorba-the-Greek dance, performed Yolngu style in Aboriginal/Islander loin cloths and makeup, stops the show, as does an exuberant, fluidly sculptural Bollywood section full of fancy footwork ending in a ‘ Kangaroo Bollywood’ tableaux. There is also a cheeky ‘chicken dance’ with the dancers ‘laying eggs’ and a tribute to Singing in the Rain with umbrellas, after a traditional rain dance. Much fun!

The interweaving of modern technology (mobiles and projections etc), as designed by Scott Anderson, works excellently. The projections of houses, vegetation and the beach as set designs enhance the atmosphere enormously and a bird’s eye view of Elcho Island is glorious.

This show has enormous heart. The rapturous reception given at the end by the cheering audience is richly deserved.  

Running time -  1 hour 15 minutes

Meet Nigel Jamieson and hear more about Wrong Skin in this video interview:
http://play.sydneyoperahouse.com/index.php/springdance/nigel-jamieson_10.html

Sydney Opera House hosts MY MUTATION  online dance competition!

Sydney Opera House, in collaboration with YouTube has launched the online dance competition, My Mutation. A huge hit last year with over 97,000 visits from more than 100 countries and territories, this year’s competition will run from 12 July to 14 September.

Consisting of three rounds, the choreographic challenge has been set by Kate Champion, Artistic Director of one of Australia’s leading dance companies Force Majeure.

The winner will score the ultimate prize of rehearsing with Kate Champion to bring their unique performance to life on September 26th at the Sydney Opera House. In addition to the thrill of performing live at Sydney Opera House, the winner will receive $2,000, a SONY HD flash Handycam camcorder as well as a SONY ‘Bloggie’ HD snap camera ,

The competition is open to anyone from around the world. So, look at the video at www.youtube.com/sydneyoperahouse , get out your video camera or your mobile phone and get dancing.

My Mutation is part of the 2010 Spring Dance Festival – a three week dance celebration at Sydney Opera House .

The Studio, Sydney Opera House
Presented as part of Spring Dance
Wednesday Sept 2^nd

 By Lynne Lancaster.

From a kinesiology point of view this is a fascinating work as we observe four different men, two trained dancers and two untrained, explore and analyze movement. The cast has changed slightly since the work premiered as part of Dance Massive in Melbourne earlier this year. The cast now includes Byron Kelly and Luke Smiles who are both renowned in Melbourne’s dance world, having worked with Guerin’s company and Chunky Move, and untrained dancers Ross Coulter and Simon Obarzanek. Yes, Simon is choreographer Gideon Obarzanek’s brother! Both Simon and Ross are visual artists, who in Untrained try their hand at dance.

The concept behind this work is deceptively simple, yet very revealing and demanding. The four are given various sets of instructions and movement phrases to work with such as closed eyes, open mouths, ‘be a cat’, ‘do a back spin’ and ‘act out your favourite movie scene’. With very simple lighting, the minimalist set is just plain black backcloths and a grey playing square in the middle of the stage with four water bottles on one side and sets of instructions and props on the other. The work opens as the four cast members stand individually in the centre square. Even then the four personalities radiate differences. While the performers never leave our sight, with only one exception, it is only when they enter the square that they are ‘seen’.

Perhaps this work harks back to the 1960′s-70′s New York post modernist question of ‘what is dance?’.  The artistic explorations of that time used untrained dancers and rejected traditional structures and forms. Guerin sees Untrained as one of a range of recent contemporary dance works that examine theatrical forms in terms of their effectiveness and ability to communicate to an audience. She describes Untrained as a ‘proposition’ rather than an idea that comes to a narrative or poetical conclusion. In the audience you put yourself mentally on stage with Obarzanek or Coulter and imagine what it would be like to be performing.

As the work progresses we are drawn in and discover the performers’ various personalities and who can or can’t dance, sing or generally perform. There is a cool, casual, relaxed rehearsal and improvisational feel, reinforced by the tracksuits and runners they wear. A ‘blokey’ sense of humour pervades the work.

What is fascinating is the differences in height, body style, shape and flexibility of the four performers and how they cope with the assorted skills (or lack of) required in turns, jumps, tumbling, etc . For Guerin the layer of training for the trained dancer is always present. By placing the contrasting physical presences in the same space one after another, sometimes paired, Guerin gives us a high powered lens to observe the similarities, differences, individualities and idiosyncratic foibles of four human male bodies in motion.

An interesting point is raised both in one of the monologues in the show and by one of my colleagues. What would happen if the ‘untrained’ dancers start to improve in technique? Would Guerin try to persuade them to remain ‘as is’? Another intriguing question is how different would this show be if it was developed and choreographed on women rather than men?

While aimed at the roughly 18-35 age bracket, much fun was had by all and the packed audience loved it.

www.lucyguerin.com