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| Charmene Yap - Andrew Crawford |
Canberra Theatre Centre 10 - 12 April 2014
Reviewed by Bill Stephens
To celebrate
their 45th Anniversary the Sydney Dance Company, under the artistic
direction of Rafael Bonachella, has created “Interplay”, a program of three
works by three different choreographers. The result is a stunning demonstration
of the range and diversity of the prodigious skills of the 17 superb dancers
who make up the present company.
The first
work 2 in D Minor is Rafael
Bonachella’s contribution. A lyrical abstract work which utilises the entire
company to further explore choreographic ideas encountered while choreographing
his acclaimed work Project Rameau. This
time Bonachella draws his inspirations from Bach’s Partita 2 in D Minor, played live on stage by violinist Veronique
Serret, who interacts with the dancers as they perform a series of complex, fluid
duos and trios based on a motif established by Charmene Yap in a gorgeous solo
which commences the work. Although Bonachella utilises the entire company, they
are never all on stage at the same time. One particularly lovely section
involves several trios of dancers moving in unison as each trio replaces the
other.
The various
sections of the Partita are punctuated by striking solos danced to a series of
stringent electronic samplings, entitled 2inD
Miniatures and composed by Nick Wales.
Benjamin
Cisterne’s setting for 2 in d Minor is
spare but dramatic, consisting of a slanting white rectangle hanging over the
stage on which a square of white light marks out the dance area. The lighting
moods change subtly to reflect those of the dancers, clad in soft black trousers
with flowing jackets and vests designed by Bonachella. Skilfully they perform
endless mesmerising variations perfectly attuned and inspired by the music. 2 in D Minor is a masterful creation and
a superb demonstration of Bonachella’s choreographic gifts.
First
premiered by the Sydney Dance Company in 2011, and revived for this season, Jocopo
Gordani’s work Raw Moves is aggressive,
visceral and exciting. It’s danced to an overwhelmingly powerful score by
48nord which reverberates around the theatre as the seven dancers, clad in
sleek black costumes designed by Gordani; perform his sweeping spiderlike
choreography which according to his program note represents “the prototype of a
micro-social structure functioning on communication, empathy and complicity”.
Like this
reviewer, you don’t need to understand what that means to be thrilled by the
sheer originality of the choreography and the brilliance and bravery of the dancers as they recklessly drop
to the floor, or seductively prowl the stage in a series of fascinating
vignettes each separated by a sharp blackout. Godani has just been appointed Artistic
Director of William Forsythe Ballet in Frankfurt, so it is particularly
interesting to see this example of his work included in this program.
For the
final work in the program, L’Chaim! (To
Life), Gideon Obarzanek has drawn his inspiration from his own life in a
Kibbutz to produce a charming work which utilises the full company. The curtain
rises to reveal the dancers, clad in non-descript rehearsal clothes, studiously
rehearsing a routine. Reminiscent of A
Chorus Line, a disembodied voice (in Canberra, Gideon Obarzanek himself)
interrupts the dancing, by calling out from behind the audience, questions about
how they feel about their lives as dancers. “Are you Grumpy? “Is that why you
tend to dance with your face? How old
are you? How long do you have left?”
The rest of
the dancers attempt to ignore the questioning and maintain the routine, but as those
being questioned become rattled by the questioner’s persistence, the dance
slowly grinds to a halt. The questioner eventually joins the dancers on stage and
they resume their rehearsing.
Dis-arming
in its apparent simplicity, and surprisingly revealing, L”Chaim! Is a succinct reminder that dancers are people too, as
well as providing a satisfying and thoughtful conclusion to a superb program of
exceptional dance.
Image: Wendell TeodoroThis review appears in Australian Arts Review www.artsreview.com.au
