The Edge

The Training Ground
Erindale Theatre

Season Closed

Reviewed by Samara Purnell 

Employee A is introduced as a male voice over: Emily McCoy arrives at a new company optimistic, enthusiastic and naive. In fitted lycra suits of grey, prim collars and perfectly uniform hair and makeup, the employees of the unnamed company slink on and off the stage, downtrodden and cowering. Employee A is taken under the wing of the Manager (Emma Prail) but something isn’t right here. The arrival of the mysteriously named Upstairs (Tia Neate) incites fear into the workers. It is not clear what this company does, but the machinations are distinctly sinister.

The all female ensemble, slightly smaller in number this year it appears, execute the choreography to perfection. With interesting poses and compelling shapes, every minute detail of the steps are performed in sync, with impressive flexibility, balance and stamina. The dancers often moved in waves across lines and circles, in recurring motifs. The choreography primarily focuses on floorwork and is usually built around a central trio. The absence of a male lead may have contributed to fewer lifts and elevation in this original work. There was impressive shadowing work, and choreography that entailed a lot of pushing downwards and head-touching to demonstrate repression and power, even a ring fight. A couple of times the dancers appeared to run out of space near the wings.

McCoy impresses with her attention to detail, commitment to the character, effortless-looking floorwork and extended leg lines. Never wavering in balance or poise, she is on stage for the majority of the production. The partnering work between McCoy, Prail and Neate requiring precision in balance and timing was faultless. Having The Upstairs perform choreography on the floor may have been to demonstrate that she too was once like the current employees but it detracted from a physical superiority over the others.  

The Training Ground’s productions are performed and presented at 100 percent. The music is loud, thumping and dramatic, the lighting goes from dark and sinister to blinding flashes. 

Beginning with a haunting cover of The Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony, the soundtrack moves through jazz, trance and strings. Sudden changes in pacing and music momentarily take the audience into the inner workings of the “machine” and move through sequences of office work, the interactions with the bosses and the experience and emotions of Employee A.

The Training Ground has again teamed up with Cowboy Hat Films to create their multimedia backdrop. A pixelated CGI office forms to begin with. Despite the sterile and creepy mood, there appeared to be posters on the walls. Furniture descends and rises from the flyspace and all the props and scene transitions are seamless. 

The use of old-style computers and the sound effects of typewriters conflicted with the costumes, colour palette and themes, which appeared modern, even futuristic. The employees, it turns out, are under surveillance at all times and the use of the multicamera visuals is effective, as is the ascension of the elevator, with the backdrop rushing past. As Employee A teeters on the edge of the highrise building, flirting with jumping, a visually powerful and visceral moment is created. When the highrise buildings eventually collapsed it was hard not to see a similarity with the Twin Towers crumbling.

The denouement saw the dancers change their expressions and lightness, but remained completely synchronised in movement with no individuality appearing. The original Bitter Sweet Symphony took on a positive outlook, juxtaposing the previous rendition. 

The leads do a tremendous job of maintaining focus and energy, as do the entire, immaculately-rehearsed ensemble. The Training Ground productions are for pre-professional dancers and develop fitness, professionalism and attention to detail in all performance facets. Several former dancers from previous shows have gone on to be accepted into professional companies or courses. 

“The Edge” is the sixth annual production from directors Bonnie Neate and Suzi Piani. Regular attendees know the high bar that has been set and once again are not disappointed. Should The Training Ground decide to present a 60 plus minute work without an interval, as is now standard industry practice, that would undoubtedly work just as well as the two-act productions they have presented thus far.

In The Edge, whether or not the employees eventually find an escape or remain stuck in the status quo is left mysterious, but it does serve as a powerful advocate for WFH!

Images from The Training Ground insta: thetrainingground__act

METTLE

Quantum Leap
The Vault
Season closed
Reviewed by Samara Purnell 

Before attending Quantum Leap’s “Mettle”, an email with warnings was sent around about the noise, flashing lights, total blackouts, loud industrial sounds and themes and moods that might be unsettling. With earplugs and earmuffs on offer at the door, we were almost expecting to sign a waiver before sitting down! Some seats were labelled “Full Mettle Experience” where the reverb could be felt through your body. It all added to the anticipation as well as serving its OHS purpose.  

Choreographers Quantum Leap director Alice Lee Holland and QL alumnus Jack Ziesing wanted to create a dark, brutalist, full-length work, so the Vault was chosen as the performance space. Their intention was to design a work around sitting with discomfort and tackling challenges whilst maintaining self-care and then to have the 13 dancers, aged between 10 and 20, create the intention and movement from their own exploration of what “mettle” meant to them. 

Aleisa Jelbart’s Y2K meets gorpcore costuming saw the dancers clad in grey and black midriff tops, cropped hoodies, loose pants, cutouts, a glove or sleeve and space buns. The two male dancers wore heavy makeup. Thoughts that the hoods might be cumbersome were allayed as the dancers began to utilise them during the performance, along with face coverings. The dancers would have looked the part in a grungy Melbourne fashion parade. 

The dancers began in silence, with a long, slow walk giving viewers time to get into their heads, or perhaps out of them and lean in to the themes being explored. Each performer was consumed with their own existence, aware of every physical detail. Projected imagery rushed by, flickering subliminally. It called to mind a train speeding through tunnels, and the flashes of light and images in between. 

When the thumping beat started, the reverb rattled the roof and roller doors. Sascha Budimski’s abstract goth-metal soundscape created the intensity required for the performance, as well as providing a challenge for the less experienced dancers to work to. The framework he described of “Late nights and loud noises” was apt. 

Still from Creswick's imagery

Creswick’s visual projections were intended to and succeeded in creating a mood rather than a narrative - to enhance the choreography and dancing rather than overwhelm it. Wavering branches filmed in black and white, like film negatives, sped up and slowed down, as did windswept hair being blown over a dancer’s face. It appeared inspired by old horror movies and recent film noir remakes of Frankenstein and Dracula, complete with red washes. Close ups of skin, eyes and kaleidoscopic imagery covered three walls of the Vault, although tiered seating on three sides of the definitive performance space kept the focus primarily on the rear wall. Each artistic element complemented the distinctly dark and gritty aesthetic of the production. 

The dance itself is about mettle - what is it, how do we embody it, has the meaning changed over generations? The dancers had not heard the expression “testing your mettle” so were starting from scratch in finding what that meaning was to them and depicted having their mettle tested against various processes - birth, the act of being, each other, self and circumstance. 

Dancers wrestled with each other, butting heads like fighting animals - their strength and balance genuinely impressive. From individual and combative movement the dancers eventually found a rhythmic communal and supportive way of moving and interacting. The same poses of combat morphed into yoga warrior poses. A segment invoking stoicism and mindful intention utilised martial arts and tai chi style movement. In the final stages, the ensemble moved around the space, army-like, with a determinism and almost threatening intensity to it, contrasting zen with zombie apocalypse.

Each solo was exemplary and the partnering work was strong and seamless. Charlie Thomson’s flair and ability to push each movement to the limit stood out. There was a degree of violence in the choreographic vocabulary, with combative, jerking movements and a relentless physical pursuit of exhaustion, reflective of the style and stamina in current professional contemporary productions. 

The choreographers and dancers intimate the collective versus the individual, observer and participant, intensity versus respite, sensory deprivation and overstimulation, dissension and assent. 

This highly collaborative work achieved an impressively cohesive and balanced performance across the age, experience and skill of the dancers, (all current or previous dance students), where most of them were on stage for the majority of the industry standard 60 minute, uninterrupted work. No concessions were given to the younger dancers and they rose to the challenge. 

The production style and length of Mettle was likely the most physically taxing undertaking of these dancers, who noted how much their strength, focus and endurance, work ethic and collaboration skills grew during the seven month rehearsal period and the pleasure in finding their own movement repertoire within the theme. 

Every person involved brought a super impressive standard of production, choreography, execution and team work - and a steely resolve in creating and presenting Mettle. 

Images of dress rehearsal by Olivia Wikner 

insta:ojwikner_photography

Canberra Contemporary Photographic Prize 2026

Visual Art Exhibition Review | Brian Rope

Canberra Contemporary Photographic Prize 2026 I Various Artists

Photo Access I 16 July – 15 August 2026

The Canberra Contemporary Photographic Prize is an annual competition event conducted by Photo Access which results in an exhibition celebrating both emerging and established talents in photo media. Open to photographers worldwide, regardless of experience level, it showcases new perspectives in contemporary photography, offering a kaleidoscopic view of photographic art.

Forty finalists’ artworks are on display. The winning piece this year is 엄마의 초상화 (Portrait of My Mother), 2026 by Estelle Yoon. At the opening, after this was announced, I was one of many people who went in to check it out and overheard several of them querying how it could possibly be a portrait of the artist’s mother - given that there was no physical person in the image. Rather it is a photograph of an empty chair at the edge of an otherwise empty structure overlooking a frozen lake with part of a bridge in the background. So the questions in the viewers minds were fair enough.

Estelle Yoon - 엄마의 초상화 (Portrait of My Mother), 2026, glass, 35mm photograph, 43 x 28 cm

(image courtesy photo access)

However, referral to the artist’s statement answers everything. The location is the artist’s late mother’s childhood home. She imagined her mother sitting there. The print is on glass, thus mirroring the fragile nature of our memories. The portrait attempts to hold on to what is gone. So, in my view, this artwork is a worthy choice by the judges.

There are, inevitably, numerous other works that might be selected as the best by different viewers. But that’s the way it always is with competitions. From the forty works selected as finalists, I felt that a large number of them would have been serious contenders and I’m glad I didn’t have to make the choice. I don’t have room to discuss all of them, but here are my comments about a small selection of the others.

Lisa Jayne Cramer’s work is also about a mother, but a very different one. Hidden Mother I-III, 2026 is a triptych which tells a powerful story about the artist’s desire to be a mother which never eventuated despite years of persistence. Her dream, her hoped for role as a mother, sadly evaporated leaving her to grieve, to let go, to care for herself rather than the child she wanted. As a person who adopted children because we couldn’t produce our own, this work spoke loudly to me.

Lisa Jayne Cramer - Hidden Mother I-III, 2026, archival pigment print, 41.2 × 97.6 cm
(image courtesy photo access)

Danica Chappell’s Kaleidoscope series, 2025 is another delightful triptych. I think this is the first time I have seen an albumen work that is hand-coloured on vintage typewriter paper. I love the fact that the artist has flouted the long-held “rule” that light-sensitive paper or film should never be touched. That was drummed into my head years ago, along with the need to ensure our workspaces in darkrooms and water used in processing were all clean. Experimentation is how, as artists, people learn and develop new skills – and produce this type of most interesting work.

Danica Chappell - Kaleidoscope series, 2025, albumen,
hand coloured on vintage typewriter paper, 41.5 x 97.8 cm
(image courtesy photo access)

It is partly for the same reason that I enjoyed Resurfacing Roots, 2025 by Anna Kiparis. She used Maribyrnong River mud water to submerge her analogue film photographs of the landscape to mirror and commemorate the impacts of the 2022 Maribyrnong River flood. The resultant artwork shown in this exhibition speaks clearly to us.

Anna Kiparis - Resurfacing Roots, 2025, Maribyrnong River mud water,
pigment ink on cotton rag, 80 x 55 cm
(image courtesy photo access)

Josh Hughes has produced a most interesting video work titled How do you move?, 2026. It focusses exclusively on isolated body parts (the hands, feet, and mouth). It pushes and pulls, pitting ‘opposing actions’ against each other and revealing a grey area in between. It is well worth spending 4 minutes 38 seconds to view and listen to it all.

Josh Hughes - How do you move?, 2026, single-channel digital video, sound, 00:04:38
installation dimensions variable
(image courtesy photo access)

The final artwork I will specifically mention is Together/Apart, 2025 by Ryan Dandelion. It is simply a contact silver gelatin print of a dry glass plate negative which cracked as he removed it from the holder to tray develop. The crack passed through the stone of a ring upon a pair of crossed hands. That simple mishap spoke to the artist, saying “Together yet forever apart.”

Ryan Dandelion - Together/Apart, 2025, silver gelatin print, 25.4 x 20.3 cm
(image courtesy photo access)

There is so much of interest amongst the forty works on display. The exhibition is well worth a visit, but if you are not able to get there you can (at the time of my writing this) see all the actual works (not installation views of them) and read the artist statements here.

This review is also available on the author's blog.

METTLE - Quantum Leap Australia - The Vault - Canberra.

 

Chloe Curtis - Charlie Thomson - Una Miletic - Ahlia Jesu-Koehler and dancers in "METTLE"

Directed by Alice Lee Holland – Choreographed by Alice Lee Holland and Jack Ziesing.

Sound Design: Sasha Budimski – Visual Design: Creswick

Costume Design: Aleisa Jelbart

Performed by Paige Caddaye – Mieke Clode – Chloe Curtis – Maya Farrall - Juliette Feerick – Maya Hughes Brownell – Ahlia Jesu-Koehler – Jahna Lugnan – Anna Maksimova – Una Miletic – Reuben Reynolds - Charlie Thomson – Delphi Uzubalis

Presented by Quantum Leap Australia – The Vault - Canberra – July 24^th to 26^th, 2026

Matinee Performance on July 25^th reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

The raw industrial vibe of the vast metal and concrete structure known as The Vault in the Dairy Road Precinct is fast becoming embraced by dance makers and visual artists as a source of inspiration and challenge.

The latest creative to be inspired by the opportunities offered by The Vault is Alice Lee Holland, who chose The Vault as central to her inspiration for “Mettle”, her second major dance work since taking over as Artistic Director for Quantum Leap Australia.

To create “Mettle”, Holland built her work on an ensemble cast of 12 young dancers of widely ranging skills and experience. Their ages ranged through ages 10 to 17 years and were described in the printed program as Cast and Co-creators. In addition, included in the cast was an older, experienced dancer described as Cast and Artistic Associate.

Delphi Uzubalis - Chloe Curtis - Reuben Reynolds - Jahna Lugnan in METTLE

Leading the team of professional creatives, consisting of Jack Ziesing, with whom she shared choreographic duties, Aleisa Jelbart (Costume Design, Creswick (Visual Design), Sascha Budimski (Sound design), Ninian Donald (Production Manager) and Jahna Lugnan (Dancer and Artistic Associate), she tasked all of them to consider not only the venue but also the many permeations of the word, mettle, when working together on the creation of “Mettle”.

As the lights came up on the finished work, which began in darkness, a post-apocalyptic aesthetic was quickly established.  The dancers were lined up against the back wall, their faces expressionless, and each wearing a costume which appeared to have been made from discarded clothing.

As “Mettled” continued it became obvious that while this was indeed the case, each garment was a cleverly designed, individual construction, cleverly layered to move beautifully and each accessorised with an individual grunge hairstyle.

Slowly the line began to move forward, zombie-like, until one-by-one, single dancers broke away to writhe or collapse unsettlingly. Some began to push and shove the person nearest them and two boys began to challenge each other with experimental fisticuffs.

Reuben Reynolds - Charlie Thomson - Paige Caddaye and dancers in METTLE

As the work continued, the ensemble formed groups and performed abstract solos, inspired by 10 scene titles - Descent – Overwhelm – Pushed – Buried- The Cave – Forming – Discipline – Drive – Mettle.

Each scene was differentiated by striking visuals projected onto three of the four surrounding walls and enhanced by a compelling soundscape which echoed the mood.

For the final section the whole ensemble was involved in executing an exhilarating extended sequence of demanding choreographic movements.

For this section, any attempt at polished unison movement was dispensed in favour of each member completing each movement to the best of their own individual ability.

It was impossible not to be impressed by the potential, concentration, commitment and stamina of the whole ensemble as it worked its way through the testing material to create this highly individual original work.

                                 Photos by Olivia Wikner - O&J Wikner Photography

                        This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW.

     

 

GUERRIERI ET AMOROSI

 

Oriana Chorale and Apeiron Baroque

Directed by Dan Walker

Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest July 26

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

Passion and warfare were the focus of this concert through the works of two 17^th Century composers, Claudio Monteverdi and Barbara Strozzi.

Monteverdi, of course, is very well-known compared to Strozzi, but she was the most prolific composer of printed secular vocal music in 17^th century Venice. That was an extraordinary achievement for a woman in that era.

The Monteverdi works played and sung were from his Eighth Book of Madrigals published in 1638 when he was 70. The selection of Strozzi’s works was from her First Book of Madrigals, Opus 1, published when she was just 25.

Joined by early music specialists, Apeiron Baroque, the Oriana Chorale directed by Dan Walker presented a concert that captured the emotional range of the human condition of the time.

Dan Walker conducting the Oriana Chorale and Apeiron Baroque

The concert began with the Monteverdi’s Let others sing of Cupid. This exciting work with its fiery passion and talk of war was followed by Strozzi’s The Nightingale, a sensitive work with a theme of underlying anger and hurt.

With titles such as Harmful silence, Prayer to Love and The Quarrel of the five senses (Strozzi) and I’m on fire, ablaze, Now that heaven and earth and Let others sing of Mars (Monteverdi), it was an exciting concert full of emotion and drama.

The choir gave each work a highly polished and pleasing performance. There were solo moments in the works that showcased the considerable skill of individual choir members.

 Apeiron Baroque, led by John Ma, violin, provided a fine accompaniment for the choir and also played two instrumental works by Vitali and Scarlatti.

The concert provided a time-travelling opportunity to experience composers’ views of passion and warfare at a time of extraordinary music making.

 

Photos by Dalice Trost

 

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 28 July 2026.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.

Len Power also presents the weekly Concert Hall program on Artsound FM, playing recordings of some of the best concerts from in and around Canberra. Concert Hall can be heard on Sundays at 8pm and is repeated on Wednesdays at 2pm.

 

THE EDGE - The Training Ground - Erindale Theatre

 

Emily McCoy (c) and the ensemble in The Training Ground production of "The Edge"

THE EDGE – The Training Ground – Erindale Theatre

Produced – Directed – Choreographed – Costume Design – Lighting Design – Music Editing:  by Bonnie Neate & Suzi Piani.

Lighting Design Associate & Special Effects: Alex Clifford

Music Editing Associate: Rob Aspinall.

Videography, Short Films & 3D Animation – Trent Houssenloge & Chris Curran

 Aerial Rigging: Jack Costigan – Audio & Digital Surround Sound: Ben Novak

Presented by The Training Ground – Erindale Theatre July 24^th & 25^th 2026.

Opening night performance on July 24^th reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Emily McCoy in "The Edge"

Established by dance educators and choreographers, Bonnie Neate and Suzy Piani, The Training Ground is a six-month intensive pre-professional contemporary dance program.

Designed specifically for exceptional contemporary dancers across the ACT and neighbouring regions, the program is designed as a pathway between studio-based training and essential preparation for those pursuing tertiary education or professional dance opportunities. 

The culmination of the program each year is a professionally produced original dance work which has become one of the highlights of the Canberra dance calendar.

The production this year was entitled “The Edge”, an abstract loss-of-innocence work in two-acts which traces the experiences of a starry-eyed young employee who becomes caught up in corporate power struggles which threaten to crush her ambitions and her mental health.

An ensemble work performed by an all-female cast of fourteen dancers, “The Edge” features exemplary, meticulously rehearsed, unison movement, demanding floorwork and strikingly choreographed solos and duets, supporting four principal dancers around whom the storyline revolves.

McCoy (Employee A) - Stella Woods (The Conscience) in "The Edge".

As Employee A, the ambitious young employee, Emily McCoy, costumed in a smart grey office uniform, commences the work, alone in a spotlight. Her solo suggests her optimism and enthusiasm for her new job.

Her new colleagues join her, all costumed the same as Employee A but in black and appearing rather less enthusiastic as they arrive for work.  All crowd into a lift which transports them to the work floor, where desks descend simultaneously from the ceiling and they begin unison repetitive tasks.

McCoy, who has already been offered a place in New York’s Joffrey Ballet School’s 2026/2027 Summer School Intensives, in both the Contemporary and Classical ballet programs, as well as a scholarship for the Classical Ballet program, gives a captivating performance.

Already a superb dancer, she is also a gifted actor, capable of interpreting her character’s journey through youthful enthusiasm and growing disillusionment, before finally rebelling against the crushing of her ambitions.

McCoy is well matched by the three other dancers who play the characters influencing Employee A’s journey. Emma Prail plays the Office Manager who recognises Employee A’s potential and encourages her. Stella Woods is her conscience, who mirrors and questions Employee A’s decisions as she climbs the corporate ladder.

Tia Neate (The Upstairs) - Emma Prail (Office Manager) in "The Edge"

Tia Neate exhibits a remarkable dramatic presence as the powerful corporate boss known simply as The Upstairs, who attempts to force Employee A into the mould she has created for all her employees.

The storyline for “The Edge” is complex, often surreal, with demanding, abstract choreography by Neate and Piani, supported by extraordinary production values, brilliantly executed lighting and extraordinary projections and special effects, impeccable costuming and music choices. It also offers challenges for individual interpretation by its audience.

Emily McCoy (Employee A) and ensemble in "The Edge".

 

So while the creative purpose driving each production by The Training Ground, is to test and display the talents of each participating dancer and train each dancer in the skills necessary to adapt their individual talents to the visions of choreographers with whom they will likely work during professional careers, “The Edge” also provides a memorable evening of remarkable dance making.

    

                                           Photos by Eliza Swiderski..ES Fotografi

                     This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW.

                                                  AAR - The Edge - Link

                                                           

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS

 

Adapted as a live radio play by Bart Meehan

from the Kenneth Grahame novel

Directed by Lexi Sekuless

Mill Theatre on Dairy Road, Fyshwick to 1 August

 

Reviewed by Len Power 25 July 2026

 

First published in 1908, Kenneth Grahame’s children’s novel has captivated young and old alike ever since. Bart Meehan’s adaptation as a live radio play maintains the freshness and essential Englishness of the novel, while sound effects performed live add a fun dimension to this joyful tale.

Telling the story of Mole, Ratty and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets into trouble are an ensemble of seven performers who also perform the sound effects.

Narration is provided by Graeme Rhodes as the Radio Host and Maddie Lee as Mole, Helen McFarlane as Rat, Mark Lee as Toad, Chipz Jin as Otter, Richard Manning as Badger and Aleksis Andreitchenko as Daughter all give colourful, extroverted performances and match our memories of the characters from the novel.

Because it’s devised as a radio broadcast, the actors’ voices are the most important aspect of their performances. There is no costuming and each performer has their script in hand and works before a microphone, surrounded by an array of eccentric-looking props used for sound effects. How those seemingly useless objects are used during the play becomes one of the highlights of the show.

Cleverly directed with imagination by Lexi Sekuless, this show is pure entertainment throughout its one hour running time. While members of the audience of a certain age may remember the art of listening to radio plays before television arrived, it was interesting to note that young members of the audience were thoroughly engaged throughout this cleverly realized production.

 

Photo by Maddie and Mark

 

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 26 July 2026.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.