Choreographed
by Claudia Alessi, Eliza Sanders, Jack Ziesing and Ruth Osborne
Composed by
Adam Ventura - Audio Video by WildBear Entertainment
Lighting by
Mark Dyson - Costumes by Cate Clelland
The
Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre, July 27 – 29, 2017
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
Taking
inspiration from the epic poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, QL2 Dance have created a compelling new
ensemble dance work rich in exquisite imagery and inspiring for the obvious
passion and commitment of the young dancers to the central theme of the
pollution of our oceans.
If this
sounds ponderous, don’t be put off, because “This Poisoned Sea”, which is performed without interval over an absorbing
80 minutes, by an ensemble cast of 30 meticulously trained dancers, aged
between 13 and 19, is a brilliant demonstration of how effective dance can be
as a tool for addressing serious contemporary issues.
Opportunities
to work with large ensembles came rarely to choreographers. Choreographers , Claudia
Alessi, Eliza Sanders Jack Ziesing and Ruth Osborne have seized this opportunity
to create a strong, cohesive work about sea pollution, by a blending their
particular skills so successfully that it is difficult to separate their individual
contributions.
Inventive floor-work
at the beginning, where bodies roll around the stage, with arms flipping up
here and there, create powerful images of thrashing surf. A memorable
legato passage involving dancers
costumed in Cate Clelland’s attractive
rust-coloured uni-sex costumes, moving in trios, or rolling across the stage
trailing rubbish, or, later, forming dramatic
groupings to conjure up images of ice-bergs, are just a few of the multitude of
memorable moments which stay in the mind.
Impeccable
production values represented by the stunning filmed sequences of coastlines, abstract
growing plants, and water-soaked dancers, Adam Ventura’s thrilling, evocative
soundscape, which complement and clarify the message, and the obvious passion
and commitment of the superbly rehearsed dancers, all mark “This Poisoned Sea” as being among the best
and most thought-provoking productions that QL2 have yet presented, and one
which should not be missed by anyone with an interest in either contemporary
dance or the problems facing our
environment.
Photos by Lorna Sim
This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on 28th July 2017