Dance Australia – June-July 2017

JUNE / JULY 2017 | WWW.DANCEAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

78 /REVIEWS

Again,theworkopensindarkness,the
dancers gradually emerging into down spots
as dry ice swirls about. This work has more of
anarrative,withasenseofmissed
connectionspervading.Toaloudticking
sound,asolowomantraversesthestageon
demipointe,hertorsobentatoddanglesand
herarmsflailingbehindher.Amaledancer
joinsher,pluckingataninvisiblestring
instrument,buttheyfailtoconnect.Alater
duetbetweentwowomenismoretender, but
endsinsmallactsofviolence.
As withKiller Pig,themenare
extraordinary, especially Darren Devaney and
Shamel Pitts. However, the long ensemble
sections,inwhichtheirripplingmuscular
torsosarepickedoutbythelighting,felt
fetishistic, as if we were being titillated by
theirsuperbphysiques.Intheend,thiswork
seemed to be more about sexual obsession
andbodyworshipthanlove;forme,its
relentless intensity and lack of light and
shade,alongwiththeendlesstechnobeat,
rendered its virtuosity an empty spectacle.
Nothing could be more different than
Jérôme Bel’sGala, a playful work performed
by13localamateursofallages,shapesand

levels of ability, alongside two

professional dancers, Larissa

McGowan and Thomas

Fonua. It begins wit h a

photographic essay on the

theatrical space, with

projections of opulent opera

houses,shabbychurchhalls,

andevenaringofplastic

chairs under a tree, which

frames the performance that

followsbyaskingusto

examine the expectations we

bringtothetheatre.Then,a

single dancer walks out and

opensupasignthatstates

“ballet”,andwearetreatedto

the15dancersdoingtheir

darnedest to execute pirouettes and grand

jetésacrossthestage.Ayoungwomanwith

ballet training executes with a high level of

skill while others struggle, but this is reversed

in sections that follow as each dancer is

revealed to have their own specialty.

Thus,aMichaelJacksonmoonwalk,a

hoolahoopdance,awaltz,anIndigenous

dance, aDying Swan and a David Bowie

dance are demonstrated with

greatseriousnessandintentby

asingledancerwhomthe

others strive to copy. A woman

in an electric wheelchair has

limitedmovement,butisable

to execute a sensational tilt

that none of the others can

even come close to; similarly,

the highly specialised hoola

hoopdanceisbeyondreach

even for the professionals.

Noonecanmatchtheartless

skippingofthesmallgirl.The

finale,aBobFossetype-

renditionof“NewYork,New

York”,ledwithswashbuckling

aplomb by McGowan, is a

knockout,withtheaudiencecheering,

shouting encouragement and hooting.

In this simple but perfectly structured work,

Bel raises serious questions about the

separation of performers and audience in

Westernculture,notthroughpreaching,but

throughaprofoundlymovingcelebrationof

diversity and humanity.

• MAGGIE TONKIN

Phone 0428 500 424

Email: [email protected]

DIFFERENT

POINTES P/L

Authorised retailer

Gaynor Minden



   






 

Fittings by appointment only

New location Pennant Hills area

Studio visits can be arranged

Dancer Julia Erickson, photographer Eduardo Patiño, courtesy Gaynor Minden Inc.

Custom Pointe Shoe Fitters.

Fitting Hand Crafted Ballet

Shoes since 2008

Juon Pointe Fitting Method

Lisa Gordeno, Bellairs, 6 Coles Pde Newport,

NSW 2106

T. 0434405791, E. [email protected]

http://www.bellairs.com.au

"The second big week

of Dance Massive

broughtusanarray

of new works by

independent

choreographers

and companies."

–Thisisanextractfrom

Susan Bendall's review of the

second week of Melbourne's

Dance Massive festival.

READ THE FULL

REVIEW ON WWW.

DANCEAUSTRALIA.

COM.AU