Choreography: James Batchelor
Design: Ella
Leoncio
Sound
Design: Morgan Hickinbotham
Courtyard
Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre, until Sunday May 4th.
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
Canberra choreographer
and dancer, James Batchelor is on a mission to change his audience’s perception
and expectations of what a dance performance should be. For his latest, very
professionally produced, abstract dance and installation piece, “Island”, his
designer Ella Leoncio has transformed the courtyard into a huge black box with mirrored
walls and floor outlined in neat perspective-challenging white lines. Positioned
within this box are six large free-standing transparent perspex screens
surrounding six circles of white light on the floor. During the work the
screens and white lights are manoeuvred into different positions by the
dancers. There is no conventional theatre seating, although stools and chairs
are available for audience members requiring them. Instead the audience is
invited to wander around the installation and view the performance from
different parts of the installation as the performance progresses.
The three
dancers, Bicky Lee, Amber McCartney and James Batchelor himself, clad in
identical loose fitting crisp white costumes and make-up, perform as series of
complex kinetic rap-like movements to a relentlessly driving soundscape devised
by Morgan Hickenbotham. The work, divided into three sections, each following
the other without interruption, commences with a rather slow mime-style solo
performed blank-faced by Bicky Lee. A busy, intricate duet featuring Amber McCartney
and James Batchelor, also performed blank-faced, and much of it in unison, follows,
before all three dancers combine for the final section.
The movement is committed and skilful and while appearing
repetitious at first, as the viewer
becomes aware of the constant small changes of detail, multiplied and
heightened by the mirrors, white lines and perspex reflections,the effect is mesmerising.
Whether
“Island” represents the new direction for dance remains a moot point but it
certainly provides a fascinating and worthwhile experience for its audience,
who, in another break with tradition, are invited to contribute a donation on
leaving, instead of paying for a ticket in advance.
Image: Helen MusaThis review appears in the digital edition of CITY NEWS published 2nd May 2014
