Expressions Dance
Company & BeijingDance/LDTX
Choreographer (Auto
Cannibal): Stephanie Lake
Choreographer
(Encircling Voyage): Ma Bo
The Q Theatre,
Queanbeyan 7-8 November
Reviewed by Len Power
8 November 2019
With the cultural fusion of two dance companies from
different countries and cultures, ‘Matrix’ was an appropriate title for this
absorbing evening of dance.
The two works presented were the result of a five week
collaboration between Australia’s Expressions Dance Company and China’s
BeijingDance/LDTX company.
BeijingDance/LDTX is China’s first officially registered
private professional modern dance company co-founded by Willy Tsao and Li
Han-Zhong. LDTX is a Chinese acronym that
translates as ‘thunder rumbles under the universe’ - a rather fine description
of the company. The dancers come from
cities across China. They have performed
in more than 20 countries around the world.
Under the leadership of artistic director, Amy
Hollingsworth, Expressions Dance Company is based in Queensland. As seen earlier this year in Queanbeyan in
their excellent production, ‘The Dinner Party’, the company is not afraid to
push boundaries, giving us exciting dance in highly theatrical works of great
depth.
The first work presented was ‘Auto Cannibal’, choreographed
by the multi-award winning Stephanie Lake.
Using six ensemble dancers of Expressions Dance Company and 14 dancers
of LDTX, the work is described as ‘an ode to re-using, re-purposing,
re-invigorating’. Previous works have
been cannibalised to create this new work that stands on its own but is
influenced and haunted by the past.
Although intensely busy, the work creates a dream-like experience. It flows with an often surreal logic that is
constantly changing, producing and then dissolving patterns like a
kaleidoscope. The electronic soundscape
by Robin Fox and the sharp lighting by Joy Chen give the work a highly charged atmosphere. The dancers performed the intricate
choreography extremely well. The second
half of the work with constantly changing pairs of dancers was especially memorable.
The second work, ‘Encircling Voyage’ was choreographed by the
highly-acclaimed Chinese choreographer, MA Bo.
It was a work filled with human emotion and a sense of a voyage through
all of life’s complexities – experience, knowledge, happiness and sadness. It was very cleverly staged with the use of
highly polished benches to create theatrical situations and locations. The melodic music by David Darling, with
string instruments dominating, gave the work strongly emotional warmth. The dancers performed it with real feeling
and great accuracy. The final sequence
was unexpectedly moving and visually striking.
This was a superb evening of dance that richly deserved the strong
applause from the audience at the end of the show.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on the Artsound FM 92.7 ‘In the Foyer’ program on Mondays
and Wednesdays at 3.30pm.
