Category: Dance

Dance, Review, Theatre November 3, 2014November 3, 2014

REVIEW: La Mama Presents BLENDING

New work comes together skillfully

By Myron My

Created by Darren Vizer, Blending is an intricate exploration of relationships, sex, bullying and love. Using one dancer (Joel Fenton) and one actor (Jean Goodwin), Vizer combines the two art forms to create an evocative piece of work where each of the three scenarios explored begin similarly but end in very different places.

The deliveries of dialogue from Goodwin in the first and third scenario are particularly powerful and not only demand our attention but leave us feeling very strong but contrary emotions. However, in the second scenario the writing needed refinement as it verged on repetition and began losing its impact on the audience.

The play with silence during Blending was welcoming and fresh, as there can often a fear of this from both performers and audience members. The opening moments show Goodwin reading a book and Fenton watching her from afar, giving us the opportunity to come up with our own idea of what is happening and what is going to happen and thus invest more in the people we are seeing.

I thoroughly enjoy watching theatre and dance come together as they are able to create a stronger emotive experience for the audience that could otherwise not be achieved. By overtly putting himself out of his dancer’s comfort zone, Fenton’s vulnerability and feelings comes to the surface through his acting in a more effective and honest way. As Blending develops, it will be great to see Goodwin also being pushed more profoundly out of her role as actor and into the realm of dance to be able to express the same breadth of emotions, particularly in the third scenario.

With Blending, Vizer explores three very different relationships that while making significant impact do not leave you overwhelmed with a confused myriad of emotion. It is a complex experience that could be quite jarring for the audience were it not for its skillful creator and performers.

Blending was performed at La Mama as part of its 2014 Explorations season, which supports new works in various stages of development.

Dance, Festivals, Review October 7, 2014

REVIEW: Gregory Lorenzutti’s MECHANICAL EYE

Dance for the camera

By Myron My

These days, with cameras on all our mobile devices, there does not seem to be a single aspect of our lives that is not documented. In Mechanical Eye, a new contemporary dance piece choreographed by Gregory Lorenzutti, the ideas of constant performance and the creation of identity through photography are dramatically explored.

The five dancers – Harrison Hall, Maud Léger, Sarah Fiddaman, Ashley Marie Mclellan and Lorenzutti himself – had already begun dancing as we entered the room, which made you question when we ever stop performing. Where is the line between performance and being authentic? The added presence of a polaroid camera along the back wall of the space, not only reminded me of this message throughout, but also allowed the notion of the fleetingness of moments in life to loom large.

With the dancers dressed in light, loose fitting clothing in various shades of white, and with their lithe movements in the clean, empty mezzanine at Chapel Off Chapel, there was a profound sense of ethereality to Mechanical Eye.

Despite all five dancers being incredibly in tune with their bodies and the movements, Mclellan was a standout, as she seemed to be completely enveloped by the work, almost as if the choreography had taken her over. Similarly, Fiddaman and Léger showed great finesse in their slow motion pair-work.

The notion of lives being controlled by our capturing every moment on film, and to an extent, the exposure on social media, were perfectly encapsulated during the final moments of the piece. The dancers began running around in circles, clutching at each other, twisting and turning as they gradually sped up and then broke apart to a simple but highly effective and affective close.

Lorenzutti’s Mechanical Eye is a beautiful piece of contemporary work that looks at identity constructed through photography and dance, and ponders the ramifications of what it means to visually document our every moment and action.

Mechanical Eye was performed at Chapel Off Chapel as part of the 2014 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Dance, Festivals, Review, Whats On October 2, 2014

REVIEW: Speakeasy Presents POTENTIAL

Scintilatingly strange

By Caitlin McGrane

Billed as a ‘dance of the heart’, Janine Proost’s Potential will go down in my memory as one of the stranger theatrical performances I have ever experienced, and I mean that as a compliment. The audience is lead in through the doors of Studio One at the Northcote Town Hall to find our four performers (Janine Proost, Natalie Abbott, Rebecca Jensen and Amelia McQueen) lying splayed on the ground covered in a blanket of playdoh. The four women are wearing gold lycra outfits, and invite the audience to take some of the playdoh heaped onto their chests…

What follows is 60 minutes of dance and yoga that will leave you pleasingly puzzled. It was clear that the inspiration came from the body, but that it came from the heart wasn’t always obvious to me. There was certainly a lot of feminine imagery (a vignette of a mid-birth playdoh baby springs to mind), which is always interesting. I loved how the energy of the performance mirrored that of a yoga class: starting with slow movements, breathing, simple postures and building to a crescendo of occasionally painful movements across the stage that were at times quite difficult to watch. There is a lot of quiet in the performance, and it beautifully counterpoised the manic cacophony of noise that made up part of the third act.

Special and particular mention must go to Matt Adey whose lighting design was spectacular and very evocative. The harsh stage lights illuminated the faces of the performers in ways that caused them to be at once beautiful and pained (the kind of facial expression one can only get from an hour of yoga).

For my first Melbourne Fringe Festival show this year, it was quite an experience. I’m very excited to see what Proost comes up with next and will be first in line to see it.

Potential is on every night until Sunday 5 October at 7:30pm at the Northcote Town Hall. Tickets are $26 at http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/potential/

Dance, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On May 2, 2014

REVIEW: Grayboy Entertainment’s GOOD BYE MISS MONROE

Hollywood starlets – and the man who moved them

By Narelle Wood

Good-Bye Miss Monroe is a short but exquisite look into the little-known life of dance director and choreographer Jack Cole, and the glory days of dance on film.

The play, written and directed by Liam De Burca, is unusual in its construction; set in the days after Monroe’s passing, Jack Cole (played by Matt Young) recounts his experiences working with his ‘Baby Doll’ Marilyn, and includes recollections of and conversations with some of Hollywood’s greatest starlets. The story provides some fascinating insight into the creation of these iconic Hollywood actresses, including Martha Graham, Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable and of course Monroe. Cole’s character explains the difficulties of teaching these actresses to move in the ways they eventually became famous for as he laments the loss of Marilyn’s life and explains the development of the sex-bomb character that she became so famous for.

In the précis of the show, De Burca explains that Cole’s work is relatively unknown as most of it is uncredited. As a result it is hard to know whether Young’s portrayal of Cole is accurate, but what he presents is a believable, quintessentially old-fashioned choreographer who believes in the power of dance and the importance of accurately representing dance on film. Anna Burgess plays all of the female characters and her transformation between the different characters is indescribable: from the look, to the dance moves, to the voice, to each of the actress’s idiosyncratic mannerisms, Burgess portrays each of them with astounding accuracy.

The narration’s time-frame does cut backwards and forwards and Cole’s focus on what he’s discussing chops and changes regularly, making it initially a little hard to follow. This may be a reflection of Cole’s disorientation after hearing of Marilyn’s death or an attempt to explore as much of Cole’s littl- known character as possible: either way the format does do the story justice.

While the title might suggest a sole focus on Monroe, Good-Bye Miss Monroe explores so much more this and offers a unique perspective of what it meant to work in film during the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. If you love this era of film, Monroe or dancing in general Good-Bye Miss Monroe is moving, funny and simply brilliant.

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
Season: 2nd to 4th May, 8pm, Matinee Saturday and Sunday 3pm
Tickets: Full $30 | Conc $22
Bookings: http://chapeloffchapel.com.au

Comedy, Dance, Review, Theatre, Whats On March 22, 2014

REVIEW: FOLA at Arts House Presents GAME SHOW

What would you do for fame and prizes?

By Myron My

Game Show begins just like you’d imagine a real-world game show would. The studio audience (you) take their seat, are told what will be happening by the crowd-warmer, and receive a lesson on clapping (there’s always a lesson in clapping!) Then the crazy fun begins!

Our host (Tristan Meecham) appears and charms us with his perfectly manicured hair and shiny white teeth. The 30 real contestants are introduced, and although I’m not aware of the process used to choose them, they did seem to cover the stereotypical game show contestants: the shy ones, the joyful older woman, the funny guy that tries to upstage the host, and so on. Through various games, the contestants are whittled down to one who must then face off with our flamboyant host in order to win a number of his very own possessions.

During this time, we are treated to the talents of two leotard-wearing acrobats (Jon Campos and Jon Allingham), a full choral performance by Jonathon Welch and THECHO!R, and The Bodyelectric Dancers on stage! It’s a show of epic spectacle that would make any commercial television network salivate.

Conceived by Meecham, Game Show looks at the superficial relationship between the contestants and the show in which they appear. Ultimately, game show contestants are revealed as not important, for they will do anything they are told in order to get their 15 seconds of fame. Indeed, we see this happen in numerous ridiculous games in Game Show including one where contestants jump and writhe around on the floor to get all their table tennis balls out of a small opening in a box that is attached to their body…

If I had one criticism about Game Show, it would be its length. Coming in at nearly two hours, I felt the pace lagged at times and I wanted things to move forward. It is evident why the final game was what it was, but it had no tension and even with the choir belting out a great tune, the finale felt like it went on far too long.

It would seem that for most people, going on a game show is their moment to shine and they will attempt anything they can to hold on to that. Game Show offers that experience but more importantly, offers a unique and satirical look at the competition, materialism and enduring desire to be a celebrity in the game show world.

Venue: Arts House, Meat Market, 5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne.

Season: Until 22 March | Sat 7:30pm,

Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: www.artshouse.com.au or 9322 3713

Circus, Dance, Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On February 14, 2014

REVIEW: Kage’s FORKLIFT

Femmes ex machina

By Tania Herbert

What to do on a summer’s night when Melbourne is covered in a haze of bushfire smoke? Clearly some rather disquieting contemporary performance art outside at the base of the Arts Centre.

The audience is ushered into a construction site set with a back drop of the Arts Centre spire, and tech crew are cleverly perched around the set in their construction worker fluros. A long lead-in of banter and set-exploration with some very light humour by the protagonist female forklift driver (Nicci Wilks) left a full house quizzically wondering what exactly they were in for.

When the forklift arrives complete with a pair of mannequin-esque women (Henna Kaikula and Amy Macpherson) sprawled across it, the show quickly shifts into gear. The obscure storyline appeared to be based around elements of the forklift driver’s simple worklife merging into a dream-like world the suggests a contemporary Alice-down-the-rabbit hole.

An intensely physical performance, the contortions, dance moves, circus stunts and incredible balancing were interwoven with the movements of the forklift in a mesmerising and terrifyingly dangerous spectacle of movement. The sound track, composed by Melbourne local Jethro Woodward, punctuated the ever-shifting world and gives an eerie, almost steam-punk feel.

As the performance continues, and people wandered past the outdoor stage, a ‘fishbowl’ effect added to the disquiet, with theatre-goers on their way home finding a perch on any place where they could catch glimpses of the performance.

The piece is all that is feminism, with strong, powerful, changeable women completely in control of their art. And yet, it is all that is not, as our rather stereotypically ‘butch’ female lead is gradually converted into a sexualized, scantily -lad lipstick-wearing version of her former self.

Unique, bizarre, and utterly enthralling, Forklift defies definition. It’s kind of circus, kind of contemporary theatre, kind of dance… and yet none of these things. Forklift is oh so very Melbourne, and for a very different kind of “pop up” art, KAGE is certainly a group to keep an eye on.

Forklift is playing at Arts Centre Melbourne at the Theatres Forecourt

Wed 12 – Sun 16 February – 6.30 and 9pm nightly

Bookings: www.kage.com.au/book-tickets

Dance, Performances, Review, Whats On November 24, 2013November 24, 2013

REVIEW: Chunky Move Presents AORTA

In the heat of a heartbeat

By Myron My

I’m always looking forward to award-winning choreographer Stephanie Lake’s next work. Having seen A Conversation Piece at Dance Massive in which she performed, and then her creation A Small Prometheus during Melbourne Festival this year, where both works pushed the limits of what dance can be in unexpected directions, I was expecting something big with the world premiere of Lake’s new piece: Aorta.

Instead, Lake has stripped Aorta back to basics. She uses three dancers (James Batchelor, James Pham and Josh Mu) to share her thoughts on how our interiors perform on the surface. Lake explores the notion of how blood moves and circulates throughout our systems and opens out into themes of mortality, growth and decay.

As with any work commissioned by Chunky Move, the performers themselves are of a high caliber. Batchelor, Pham, and in particular Mu remain highly committed and execute some intricate and impressive moves. They work extremely well together when remaining dynamically in sync with each other, but then also excel when performing solo parts. Pham’s segment towards the finale was a firm highlight of Aorta.

Keeping in line with this minimalist approach, the costuming by Shio Otani has the dancers wearing costume pieces constructed of thick rope, providing the imagery of veins running through the body. The sound composition and lighting by Robin Fox is also effective, with the sounds heard being reminiscent of hearts beating, blood pumping and life itself.

Despite all these elements coming together so well, I did leave feeling comparatively unfulfilled with Aorta. Perhaps it was because of my previous encounters of Lake’s work where so many aspects of the production are used to capacity to create strong emotional environments and moods. It’s still an interesting and unique piece but not something that I will remember as strongly as her others.

Venue: Chunky Move Studios, 111 Sturt St, Southbank

Season: Until 30 November | 7:30pm, Sat 2:00pm

Tickets: $30 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: http://www.chunkymove.com.au

Dance, Performances, Review, Whats On October 17, 2013October 17, 2013

REVIEW: Stephanie Lake’s A SMALL PROMETHEUS

Fanning creative flames

By Myron My

A single match is struck and a candle lit. Then another and another and another. The darkness that was on stage is soon illuminated by five dancers in Stephanie Lake’s A Small Prometheus.

Performed as part of this year’s Melbourne Festival, the show uses the story of Prometheus from Greek mythology, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to as a gift to the newly-created humanity, to spark off this performance about unpredictability, uncertainty and the fragility of life.

Lake has brought together five extremely talented and strong performers in Rennie McDougall, Lauren Langlois, Alana Everett, Lily Paskas and Lee Serle. I continue to be impressed with the skill and finesse that Paskas (Finucane & Smith’s Glory Box and P.O.V) and Serle (P.O.V) display and the limits to which they constantly push themselves. With such a physically and mentally demanding performance, I was surprised to discover that this is Everett’s professional debut as she is very confident and able on stage.

The show moves between solo and ensemble pieces that are rigidly choreographed, to moments that have varying levels of improvisation which not only heighten the feeling of instability that Lake is creating but also the notion of something more dark and primal at play. Indeed, there are moments where the dancers’ only light is provided by matches and candles, casting many shadows and illuminations.

The fusion of dance, sound and light remains strong and constant throughout A Small Prometheus, but I was just as intrigued by Robin Fox’s fire-driven kinetic sculpture which created some powerful moments during the production, and in its own right seemed to lead and guide the performance a certain way.

I was very much drawn into the world created by A Small Prometheus and surprised when it reached its conclusion as it had felt like mere minutes had passed since I began watching. Having seen Lake also perform in A Conversation Piece for Dance Massive earlier this year, it is clear she has a profound interest in exploring dance, music and the self through various means. A Small Prometheus is a clear and fine example of such a show – and should not be missed.

Venue: Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall, 521 Queensberry St, North Melbourne

Season: Until 20 October | Friday 7:30pm, Sat 2pm and 7:30pm and Sun 5:00pm.

Tickets: $30 Full | $25 Conc | $20 Student

Bookings: www.artshouse.com.au, 9322 3713, www.melbournefestival.com.au or 1300 723 038

Dance, Events August 31, 2013September 1, 2013

REVIEW: The Australian Ballet Presents PAQUITA and LA SYLPHIDE

Richly romantic

By Jennifer Coles

The Australian Ballet continues to pursue perfection and pure entertainment with each new production they take on. This ‘romantic double bill’ is no exception. Exquisite and technically masterful, the pairing of Paquita (1847) and La Sylphide (1836) is a wonderful joy to experience.

To begin, Paquita as a performance piece (music by Ludwig Minkus, choreographed by Marius Petipa and special note must be made of the grand pas de deux, Leanne Stojmenov and Daniel Gaudiello) made excellent use of the space and was accompanied by a charming, minimalist set. The ensemble moved well together, and were completely dedicated to each gesture and movement. The piece also features a lot of pointe work, which was a treat to watch and relish in.

This elegant professionalism continued throughout the performance of La Sylphide (choreographed by Erik Bruhn after August Bournonville). It tells the tale of James (a young Scottish farmer, preparing for his upcoming wedding), who is distracted by the appearance of a woodland sprite called La Sylphide. After his attempts to catch her are unsuccessful, the fairy disappears. He returns to the wedding and angers the local witch, Madge. However, the reappearance of La Sylphide proves too strong to resist and he follows her into the woods. What follows is an extremely unfortunate set of circumstances brought about by the very witch James just wronged.

The set perfectly created the optimism of a romantic wedding in the first act, and a lovely open woodland in the second. Lighting (William Akers‘ original design, reproduced by Francis Croese) was charming and character-reflective (a nice blue hue spotlight for La Sylphide was a terrific touch), and costumes (designed by Anne Fraser, who also created the set) were of course functional and beautiful. As James, Adam Bull was charismatic, and as La Sylphide, Lana Jones was endearing and elegant. Particular delight was the choreography itself , in which La Sylphide (as had Paquita) made use of the musical phrasing excellently and appropriately. The orchestra was also in fine form, responding well to the artists just as the artists responded to the lush music by Herman Lovenskjold.

The Australian Ballet will no doubt have another successful season with this lovely production. After having the privilege of viewing it, it isn’t hard to see why.

Paquita and La Sylphide will be playing until September 7: tickets bookings can be made online.

Dance, Events, Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On August 11, 2013August 11, 2013

REVIEW: 2013 Australian Tour of HOT SHOE SHUFFLE

Tap into this!

By Christine Moffat

The story of Hot Shoe Shuffle, in essence, is of the seven ‘Tap Brothers’ who are called to New York for the reading of their father’s will and to meet April, their long-lost sister. To gain their inheritance, they must recreate their father’s famous act ‘The Hot Shoe Shuffle’, and it must include the dance-challenged April.

Hot Shoe Shuffle is an original Australian show, but created in the form of an old-time movie musical, and the current season at Her Majesty’s Theatre is the 21^st anniversary production. Despite the show’s classic format, it is hard to believe it was written two decades ago, as it has all the vibrancy and energy of a debut season.

The first half of the show is like tutti-frutti icecream: a brightly coloured sugar-rush of comedy, condensed plot twists, slapstick humour, great music and dynamic tap numbers. The second half, mainly the famous review act ‘The Hot Show Shuffle’, is like champagne sorbet. It is elegant, ritzy, and jam-packed with dance routines reminiscent of a black-and-white Fred Astaire film.

The score is a who’s who of timeless composers, including songs from Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Ira Gershwin and Peter Allen. The costumes for this production by Janet E Hine are a master class in what wonderful costuming can bring to a show, contributing to creating and developing the characters before our eyes. And the choreography (David Atkins, Dein Perry, Drew Anthony) showcases the versatility of tap, including routines that were romantic, drop-dead glamorous and a sensational drunken dance by the brothers.

Jaz Flowers as April is reminiscent of a young Lucille Ball, using comedy, sex appeal and her knockout voice to full advantage. Bobby Fox as Spring is surprisingly funny, vulnerable, almost accidentally charming, and refreshingly different to a stereotypical ‘leading man’.

David Atkins (also producer and director) makes a classy transition from his role as Spring in original production to wise mentor/slave-driver Max in this run, and yes, he can definitely still dance! All of the cast are excellent dancers and their dance solos were fantastic, but stand-out performances includded Morgan Junor-Larwood as the gung-ho Slap and Mason Schaube as the adorable, but a bit slow on the uptake Slide.

The level of entertainment and fun in this show is phenomenal. At the preview the cast received a well-deserved standing ovation. A word of caution though – The Hot Shoe Shuffle is infectious: if you see the show, you may feel compelled to take tap lessons…

Melbourne dates: Aug 12 – Sept 8

Show times: Tues 1pm/ Wed 1pm & 8pm/ Thurs & Fri 8pm/ Sat 2pm & 8pm/ Sun 3pm

Venue: Her Majesty’s Theatre, 219 Exhibition St

Tickets: Premium from $110*/ A Reserve from $89*/ Groups 10+ from $69*/ Family from $276*/ Schools/Dance Schools groups 10+ $50* *(*booking fees apply)

Bookings: http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=HOTSHOE13

Official website: www.hotshoeshuffle.com