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Ignition 5 Australian Dance Theatre & others Wonderland Ballroom Tues 18 May, Season closed  After a few years of seeing the choreography and performances in the 'Ignition' programme, it becomes a little difficult to know what different to say of each years event. After all, each year the program comprises around ten short dance performances choreographed by the dancers associated with the Australian Dance Theatre, under the tutelage of Garry Stewart. Each year - for the last four - Stewart has had to come up with a new theme for exploration by his choreographers - and each year they frame their work as a response to this direction. This year: 'Reincarnate' . Last year: 'Duets'. I'd praised 'Duets' because it avoided the lacklustre choreography of the previous year's theme ('Nutcracker'), saying that it gave the dancers and choreographers much greater scope to express themselves. 'Reincarnate' then, seemed to widen the scope to the point that I was struggling to find any common ground amongst the ten pieces on offer, and the program was much the poorer for it. So what went "wrong"? Nothing - it just didn't hang together, in much the same way as a visual art exhibition can seem a collection of works thrown together rather than a curated whole. Firstly, I know the interpretation was loose - 'Reincarnate' meant a number of works were based upon existing ideas which may or may not have worked in their existing forms. One that did was Anton's Hansel & Gretel [sic], a short film which applied dance and cinematography to the fable; I thought it was wonderfully abstract, with a swinging door motif which worked for me, yet a number of others in the audience found it a tiring three minutes or so. Independent choreographer Amanda Phillips turned her attention to the film 'My Fair Lady' for her piece Manifest, which was technically excellent in its use of light and shade, yet may have gone on too long in its juxtaposed passages. Since film has been mentioned a couple of times, the opening piece - again by Anton - was One 700, which was described in the program notes as "invoking the feeling of living in pre-revolutionary Paris during the 1700s". Which may or may not have been the case; I'm glad I hadn't read the program notes at that point because the blokes were all dancing about in tartan kilts. I thought it was a dance version of Mel Gibson's 'Braveheart' in under five minutes, which is a laudable aim. Whilst there was little to quibble about in terms of proficiency there was much to question in the execution and appeal. Larissa McGowan's Table 12 was a cabaret inspired piece of unrequited love with some nice touches (feather plucking, anyone?) yet little more. And wicked observation and pointed humour made Maude Davey's My C**t a piece that many people will remember for its message. Originally a spoken word piece, then made into a film, it betrayed its origins by requiring a lengthy text insert to make any sense at all. It crossed the artforms, yes, but by straddling rather than graceful eclipse. I rather think that sums up the evening.  |
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