Queensland Ballet
RAW
THE PLAYHOUSE, QPAC
MARCHA powerful start to the year.•
UEENSLAND Ballet’s opening
programfor2017wasatrioof
contemporary works, which,
although having no obvious
thematic or stylistic link, together
createdapotentmixof
contemporary and classical dance.
It was skilfully delivered.
Apalpablesenseofoppression
pervadestheopeningmomentsofLiam
Scarlett’sNo Man’s Land–adenseand
powerful work originally choreographed for
the English National Ballet’s 2016 WWI
commemorative program “Lest We Forget”.
A tiered and jagged set design by Jan BausarJUNE / JULY 2017 | WWW.DANCEAUSTRALIA.COM.AUPHOTO: DAVID KELLYQ
Vito Bernasconi
and Georgia
Swan in ‘Ghost
Dances’.76 /REVIEWS
allowsverticalandhorizontallayeringofthe
movement – the smoky setting juxtaposing
battlefieldsandmunitionsfactory.
In this exquisite work for seven couples,
Scarlett deliberates on the thoughts and
feelings of soldiers on the battlefield, and their
womenleftbehind.Hisinnatelymusical
choreographyisavisualexpressionofFranz
Liszt’s deeply romantic “Harmonies Poetiques
etReligieuse”.LauraHidalgoandRian
Thompson, with Yanela Piñera, Joel Woellner,
MiaHeathcoteandVictorEstévez,allfeatured
inexpressivepasdedeuxofcomplex
partnering. However, the work belonged to
Hidalgo and Thompson in their final
enthralling pas de deux of soaring lifts and
intricate, critically timed manoeuvres,
whippedtoabreak-neckspeedbytheurgency
of the music.
Glass Concertohasbeenafewyearsin
development by its choreographer, Greg
Horsman, with this being its third but most
definitive realisation. The neoclassical-styled
work is for three couples, in stylish black outfitsdesigned by George Wu that peel back to a
leotardbrevityastheworkprogresses.
Theopeningmomentshavethedancers
surgeinpairsdownstagefromtheinky
blacknessofthebare,smokeandhazefilled
space;alightingdesignbyCameronGoerg
effectivelycuttingshaftsthroughthehaze.
Thereisasparse,crystallineclaritytothe
movement, which ebbs and f lows with the
distinctive rhythms of the Philip Glass score.
YanelaPiñeraeasilydeliversthisclarity,andalso
thefluidityofHorseman’strickychoreography
with its constant directional changes, speed and
buoyancy.Sheimpressesmoreeachseason.
Piñerawasfaultless,aswerehercolleagues
AlexanderIdaszakandtheothertwocouples,
Lina Kim, Camilo Ramos, Tamara Hanton and
RianThompson.Inacodaofvirtuosicdisplay,
themenspunandleapt–barelegsrevealinga
finely tuned muscularity – while the women’s
piqueturnswerethrillingintheirrapidityand
oily silkiness.
I last saw the final work, Christopher
Bruce’sGhost Dances,performedbythe
Australian Dance Theatre (ADT), in 1983.
Thirty-fouryearslater,theworkstillresonates
withafreshnessandrelevance–themarkofa
true classic.
Bruceconceivedtheworkasanevocative
tributetothevictimsofpoliticaloppressionin
SouthAmericaunderPinochet,butitstillhasa
contemporaneousresonance,asdeath–inthe
formofthree“ghostdancers”–interruptsthe
daily lives of ordinary people.
ThebewitchingrhythmsoftraditionalLatin
Americansongs,andafolkyfreshnesstothe
stylisedandverygroundedmovement(which,
especiallyfromthewaistup,tips,turns,dips
andweaves),beliethehauntingundertonesof
thistouching,intenselyhumanwork.D’Arcy
Brazier, Joel Woellner and Samuel Packer were
mesmerising as the skeleton-like Ghost Dancers,
whoasserttheirauthorityintheopening
minutes.Toasoundscapeofbitterwinds,they
evoked an eerie portent of doom with slow but
rhythmicmovement,interruptedbymoments
ofstilledsuspension.Agroupofvillagersenter,
and singly, or in groups or pairs, show the
ordinariness of daily life. All eight of these
dancers easily conquered the deceptively
simple-looking dipping and weaving rhythms,
anchoring the movement firmly into the
ground,butstillcapturingit’ssilkyfluidity.
“Raw”deliversapowerfulstarttotheyear’s
season for QB, not only showcasing the
polished artistry of its established dancers, but
with many of the younger recruits featured in
this opening night cast, clearly demonstrating
a depth of impressive talent emerging from the
lower ranks.- DENISE RICHARDSON