Mirramu Dance Company
Courtyard Studio,
Canberra Theatre Centre.
May 9 – 17,
2015
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens.
There is a
moment during this program when visiting Taiwanese dancer, Christopher Chu,
performs a poignant solo entitled “Memory Lost” to the music of Liszt’s
“Liebestraum”. It depicts a dancer who can no longer remember his steps, and is
the only item on the program not choreographed by Elizabeth Cameron
Dalman. Fortunately Dalman suffers no
such affliction, as evidenced in her meticulous recreation of all the other
items, some dating back as early as 1966.
An important
figure in Australian contemporary dance history, Dalman founded Australian
Dance Theatre in 1965 and the Mirramu Dance Company in 2002. She continues to
maintain a busy schedule, choreographing, teaching and mentoring, both in
Australia and overseas. She has a particularly close association with the
Taipei National University and the annual Tsai Jui-Yueh International Dance
Festival, and six Taiwanese dancers participate in this program.
In a
performance presented without interval, seven items were shown from a possible
twelve listed in the printed program. The rest will be included in other
performances throughout the season. All were presented simply on a black draped
stage, with minimal props, sensitive lighting design, and in some cases
costumes that appeared to be the originals.
Created in
1966 and danced to the songs of folk group, Peter, Paul and Mary, “This Train”
was originally a suite of seven short dances. Dalman chose three of these dances to open the
program. They were given spirited performances by Miranda Wheen, Janine Proost,
Vivienne Rogis, Fu-Rong Chen and Ming-chu Yu, and were particularly interesting
inclusions because they contain many of the hallmarks of Dalman’s open,
energetic choreographic style.
 |
| Vivienne Rogis - "Generation Gap" Photo: Barbie Robinson |
Another
work, “Generation Gap”, choreographed in 1968, also used the songs of Peter,
Paul and Mary and contained powerful solos in which both Wheen and Rogis shone.
 |
| Yi-ching Chen & Fu-rong Chen - "Sun & Moon" Photo: Barbie Robinson |
In her
entertaining introductions, given before each item, Dalman revealed how she
came to form a close association with Peter, Paul and Mary. She shared too, how, also in 1968, her
fascination with Peter Sculthorpe’s music led to the creation of “Sun &
Moon”, superbly danced by Yi-ching Chen and Fu-rong Chen, and how in 1987, she
created for herself, a solo, “Woman of the River”, to the music of the Penguin
Café Orchestra, which she has now gifted to dancer, Hsiao-Yin Peng, who went on
to perform it exquisitely.
 |
| Hsiao-yin Peng - "Woman of the River" Photo: Barbie Robinson |
Dalman’s
irrepressible sense of humour was to the fore in her cheeky, 1969 satirical
work, “Homage to Botticelli”, gleefully interpreted by the company, and
featuring Yi-chin Chen as Venus exhibiting a graceful serenity that must surely
rival that of the original painting.
 |
| "Homage to Botticelli" Christopher Chu , Miranda Wheen, Yi-chin Chen, Ming-chu Yu, Janine Proost Photo: Barbie Robinson |
The program
ended with excerpts from “Silk”, a work created by Dalman in 2002 for Mirramu.
It featured Christopher Chu in a startling butoh inspired silkworm solo, and
concluded with Dalman herself performing a spectacular Loie Fuller-style solo
in which she manipulated huge silk wings in a touching interpretation of the
life-span of a silkmoth.
Dance
students, and indeed, anyone with even a passing interest in Australian dance
history should flock to “Fortuity”, not only for the fascinating and entertaining glimpse it
offers into the development of contemporary dance in Australia, but also for
the opportunity be in the company of one Australia’s most import and passionate
dance pioneers.
