Conceived and directed by Alison Plevey for Australian
Dance Party.
Costumes designed by Charne Esterhuizen – Sound design
by Andy McMillian Production and lighting design by Shannon Jackson
Mount Majura Solar Farm 16 – 18 November.
Reviewed by Bill Stephens
Performed by Alison Plevey, Stephen Gow, Alana
Stenning, Olivia Fyfe and Adam Deusien “Energeia” is a site specific dance work
conceived and directed by Plevey for her dance company, Australian Dance Party.
With this work Plevey seeks to illuminate the current debate on renewable
energy through dance.
It’s a challenging concept, and one which drew a large
audience of supporters and dance- curious to the Mount Majura Solar farm on a
fine, cold November evening. Performed
on a large silver-surfaced stage, in front of rows of solar panels, with Mount
Majura in the distance silhouetted by a crimson sunset, with all the lighting
and sound powered entirely by batteries, solar or kinetic power, Energeia commenced with a discourse on
energy.
Each dancer
took turns in annunciating sections of the discourse, at the same time joining
with the others to illustrate the words with tightly choreographed movements.
The sounds of crackling electricity heralded a change of pace, with the dancers
reacting with shivering movements as though zapped with electricity, leading
into long shuddering solos by Stephen Gow and Alana Stenning.
Other sequences included one in which Olivia Fyfe
aimed an electric hair dryer at Stenning, manipulating her limbs with its
jet-stream; Plevey performing a comedy
highlight as a manic gym coach exalting her exhausted dancers to join her in “Lovin’
it”; and a frustrated Adam Deusien regaling the audience with his
insecurities.
The work bristles with interesting ideas, with the
dancers costumed in Charne Esterhuizen’s industrial-inspired high-viz costumes which
responded interestingly to the changes in lighting. However the connection to
energy and how some of the sequences related to the central theme, was not
always obvious, so that the work became fragmented,
threatening to stall at one point as the dancers sat on the floor engrossed in
hand-held gadgets while one of their
number offered pieces of freshly cut oranges to the audience. However although
the work was resolved with a graceful unison Tai Chi inspired section, “Energeia” lacked the overall
cohesion of the best of Pleveys’ previous creations.
Besides her choreographic skills and penchant for
highlighting political issues through dance, Plevey is an extremely
accomplished and interesting dancer. By necessity, the members of her ensemble
vary from project to project. Plevey’s signature style involves carefully
choreographed sections interspersed with improvised sections drawing on the
individual skills of her dancers.
On this occasion, although each of the present
ensemble is individually an interesting dancer, none is able to match Plevey in
technique or presence to express her ideas, allowing the focus of the central
issue to sometimes become clouded and difficult to define.
Plevey with her Australian Dance Party is among an
ever diminishing list of professional dance companies. Her tenacity with her
site specific works in challenging and testing contemporary dance boundaries to
highlight important political issues makes her unique among Australian dance
makers. “Energeia” is an excellent example of the distinctive contribution made
by this company to dance in the Australian Capital Territory.
