Presented by
QL2 Dance
Artistic
Director, Mentor, Producer: Ruth Osborne
Choreographic
Mentor: Adelina Larsson
Lighting
Design & Operator: Adrian Rytir
QL2 Theatre,
Gorman Arts Centre, Canberra
12 & 13
December 2015
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
For the
ninth consecutive year, dance students from tertiary institutions across
Australasia have descended on Canberra to participate as choreographers and
dancers in an intensive two-week workshop hosted by QL2 Dance. They are joined
by current Quantum Leapers who participate as dancers.
At the end
of the two weeks, the choreographers are expected to produce a short work for
presentation before a paying audience, for which they are provided with
dancers, a mentor, and studio space for 18 hours of rehearsals, and technical
support.
Apart from
the opportunity they provide for the young choreographers to create and perform
outside their university, these performances also allow interested members of
the public an insight into the choreographic process, as well as the opportunity
to sample current choreographic trends. There’s also the tantalising prospect
of spotting an important young emerging choreographer.
This year 13
young choreographers contributed works ranging from solos to those involving up to seven dancers. The choice of
subject matter was interesting with some setting themselves very high bars by
choosing difficult abstract topics to investigate in dance terms. Two choreographers were inspired by water, and
water figured prominently in a short film “Soft Flux” by Adelaide College of
Arts student, Alana Stenning, which commenced the program.
For his work
“Defining Water”, WAAPA student, Jordan Bretherton, used seven dancers for an
effective interpretation of crashing waves and eddying streams to suggest
emotions stirred by water. QUT student, Chloe Jane Hambleton took a more linear
approach with her work “Flow”, incorporating deep swooping movements for her
four attractively costumed dancers to suggest the feeling of moving in water.
Another
WAAPA student, Anneliese Kirk, costumed her six dancers in pretty party frocks
for her piece, “We’re not here for objectification”, in which she incorporated
passages of well executed unison movement to explore the concept of
individuality.
Working with
four dancers, University of NSW student, Maddy Towler-Lovell, tackled the
subject of abstract art with her work “All the Authors of Meaning”, which
contained many lovely moments, particularly during a series of duets which
commenced with one partner holding the others’ head in their hands. Its meaning
however, remained determinedly abstract.
Similarly,
Victorian College of the Arts student, Rachael Wisby, who tackled climate
change with her work “What Happened Here”, let her audience draw their own conclusion
as her five dancers, all costumed in attractive grey silk overalls, performed
robotic movements around a green grass
mat.
New Zealand
School of Dance student, Samuel Hall incorporated mobile phones, and an
impressive use of stillness, to create a powerful work, “Put me on the
Internet, even on the Google” , which climaxed with his five dancers sitting in
grief over an image of a displaced Pakistani woman and her child.
Equally
powerful was “State”, created by Ryan Douglas Stone, a former Quantum Leap
dancer now studying at WAAPA, who costumed his five dancers in black hoodies,
and utilised music by Ben Frost, and the sounds of baying dogs, to create a
sometimes violent work questioning the control over life by the state.
Perhaps the
most ambitious work of the evening was by another former Quantum Leaper, now
studying at the Victorian College of the Arts, Oonagh Slater. For her work, “Petal by Petal; They Would Open
Up Unfolding”, Slater created the setting, costumes and soundscape, and made
imaginative use of the studio windows, spoken word and bird sounds, to create a moody, abstract work for four
dancers exploring vulnerability.
Also
studying at the Victorian College of the Arts, and also another former Quantum
Leaper, Luke Fryer , ceased the opportunity to explore his ability to create
interesting movement with his attractive abstract work “It is what it was” for
which he used four tunic clad dancers and incorporated voice sounds and
well-executed unison movement.
The only
solo of the program was an exquisite work, “You Don’t Have to Pretend; You
Don’t Need to Pretend, created and performed by National Institute of Circus
Arts student, Amanda Lee, to the music of Ezio Bosso’s “Bitter and Sweet”, for
which Lee combined her astonishing acrobatic skills with her equally impressive
dance technique to create a memorable solo exploring self -image.
“Electricity”,
a beautifully realised duet exploring a different human emotion, this time the
moment of physical attraction between people, created by Queensland University
of Technology student, Laura McNally, was captivatingly danced by Chloe
Lindbeck and Samuel Hall.
The final
work of the evening, which also provided the perfect finale, was “This Tan is Real” created by New Zealand
School of Dance student, Holly Newsome utilising the talents of four dancers
and a witty soundtrack which combined music by Chopin, Holly Henderson and Flux
Pavillion for a delightfully quirky exploration of “the
Smile”.
Following
the cleverly staged bows, which re-introduced all the choreographers and their
casts, the choreographers and dancers all assembled and participated in an
enlightening Q & A, during which audience members enthusiastically
questioned the participants about their creations, and the process.
This review first published in the digital edition of "CITY NEWS" on 14th December 2015.
