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Dance Massive: Mirrors and perspectives in dance

Sarah Lim

Mon Apr 08 2013

P.O.V. presented by Arts House & Lee Serle

WHAT is Australia’s contemporary dance culture like? Sarah Lim reviews two vastly different performances which were part of Dance Massive 2013.

Like many other forms of art in today’s culture, dance is evolving, and it was certainly evident in the evenings I spent exploring Australian contemporary dance as part of Dance Massive 2013.

The first dance, P.O.V. by choreographer Lee Serle, started out a little awkward.

A large group of spectators were seated on revolving metal stools which were spread out in six even rows across the middle of the large room in the North Melbourne Town Hall. In between those rows, four dancers executed synchronised movements that looked to be like body exercises.

That introduction lasted for a good number of minutes, when suddenly all four dancers fell flat on their backs on the parquet floor. The music stopped. And then the fun began. The dancers would move fluidly to stare at the people seated on the stools. Some participants stared back, and some didn’t. Slowly, the performance grew interactive.

When one female dancer invited a man to remove his shoes and dip his feet in some heated-water-basin contraption, the audience notably began to laugh. From then on, the laughter increased in both volume and frequency. Another man was serenaded by a dancer to the song “Glory Of Love” by Peter Cetera. A lady was invited to slow dance with one male dancer.

Two dancers in P.O.V.  whispering to each other behind a participant's back. Image: Ponch Hawkes

Two dancers in P.O.V. whispering to each other behind a participant’s back. Photo: Ponch Hawkes

These hilarious interactions between the four dancers and the people seated on chairs were a delight to watch because of how naturally comedic it was.

Aside from that, who knew that a dance performance could illicit laughter? The exchanges between dancer and participant were refreshing in defining the art of dance and its creative potential to not only be mesmerising, but randomly funny.

The mirroring effects of 247 Days. Image: Miranda Brown Publicity

The mirroring effects of 247 Days. Image: Miranda Brown Publicity

247 Days, on the other hand, was a contrasting experience.

It was a new contemporary piece by Australian dance company Chunky Move, choreographed by internationally acclaimed Artistic Director, Anouk van Dijk.

The stage was set with large, tall, rectangular mirrors as the backdrop. The entire performance was hypnotic; each movement performed by the six dancers throughout the show were metaphoric of real life, personal, individual struggles.

Van Dijk explained in her note from the show’s program that she finds the hidden inner world of each person fascinating.

“Through a crack in time, they expose a private world that is as meaningful and real as that which we so carefully choose to present,” she said.

Lauren Langlois in her opening solo for Chunky Move's 247 Days. Image: Miranda Brown Publicity

Lauren Langlois in her opening solo for Chunky Move’s 247 Days. Image: Miranda Brown Publicity

The dance stays true to this, showing us depth of emotion and firm, solid yet graceful movements which at times follows the beats of the music.

Dance is now a bit of everything; acting, public speaking, comedy, body movements and music. It’s not what it used to be. It has become an experiment, a thoughtful reflection of life, and an epitome of the world and the people in it.

It was also interesting that the dancers wore microphones and spoke about matters such as love, culture and change, throughout the performance. This was unusual because it challenged the traditional beliefs that dance is art without words or any form of verbal articulation.

Dance is now a bit of everything; acting, public speaking, comedy, body movements and music. It’s not what it used to be. It has become an experiment, a thoughtful reflection of life, and an epitome of the world and the people in it.

The beauty of dance is that it can now be almost anything.

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