Review by Yasmin Elahi
Bangarra Dance Theatre’s latest work ‘Horizon’ opened at QPAC’s Playhouse Theatre this month. Brisbane marks the production’s third stop of a national tour, having already played at Sydney and Canberra.
The works were inspired by the landscapes of Australia, from the oceans to the mountains. The double bill began with ‘Kulka’, a twenty-minute work celebrating the myths and legends from the Torres Strait and how this informs the identity and culture of the Islanders. The use of a large mirror at the back of the theatre reflected the dancers, overlaying them with projections that deepened the meaning of the movements. The rhythmic and percussive musical accompaniment paid homage to the Saybaylayg and their distinctive dance style.
The second act ran for seventy-two minutes and explored the customs and traditions of the people of Zenadth Kes and their connection to sea, sky and land. Choreographer Deborah Brown’s inspiration for the first section of this number, ‘Salt Water’ was the significance of place as the anchor that connects a person to their ancestry.
Choreographer Moss Patterson’s inspiration for ‘The Light Inside’ was his Maori heritage and his connection to familial and cultural traditions. A huge backdrop of a mountain was brought in for this number, gradually raising higher and higher as the dancers drew closer. Visually, this was a striking moment of the performance which, combined with lighting and fog felt very spiritual and peaceful. Patterson did an effective job of transporting the audience to the landscape which informed the piece. The work is a homage to the customs, grace and wisdom of the matriarchy and how it informs one’s identity.
The choreography of the ‘Sacred Hair’ section of Act II was incredibly well-executed and unique. The performers let their hair down and intwined it with one another through a series of carefully constructed movement. Visually striking and captivating, this glimpse into the rituals and traditional stories of the Maori culture was handled in a creative and empowering way. The use of minimal set pieces to represent a traditional Marai was a visually intriguing set change that created impact without impeding the dancing space of the stage.
The stories and cultural identity that was carefully woven into this performance was profound to read about in the program. However, during the performance, there was a distinct lack of cultural movement, physicality and traditional dance. The movements favoured contemporary and balletic aesthetic and left the audience wanting to see more incorporation of traditional movement to allow the special story the choreographers were trying to convey to be felt more profoundly.
The concept and visual execution of the performance was very solid, however the translation of these big and important ideas and stories to movement and audience perception was lacking. Overall, the performance felt like a contemporary dance piece accompanied by traditional music.
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