In the Balance: Restless Dance Theatre Youth Ensemble

Restless Dance Theatre Youth Ensemble: In the Balance -
Odeon Theatre, Norwood, Adelaide, 16 October -

In the Balance is the first full-length work Michelle Ryan has directed since taking up the artistic director position at Restless last year, and in it she explores the touching, awkward and humorous things that happen when a group of people set out to party. Gaelle Mellis and Meg Wilson have created a gorgeous set, with sparkly drapes along the back of the performance space and a disco ball, beautifully lit in changing colours by Geoff Cobham.  The thirteen members of the Restless Youth Ensemble, which consists of both disabled and able-bodied dancers, are all decked out in their party best, the girls in party dresses and the boys in various iterations of the suit. The music is by Adelaide band The Audreys, who have recently shot a film clip featuring Restless, and their quirky take on country rock is integral to establishing the changing moods of the party.

Like any party, this one has a certain dynamic as the energy ebbs and flows. It starts on a high, with all the party goers entering en masse, then stepping forward and adopting characteristic poses. There are ensemble dances, in which everyone struts their stuff in a fairly uninhibited fashion. Interspersed with these are more intimate interactions, some on the dance floor and some around its margins. Groups form and disband, and romances blossom. The tender duet between a male dancer (Chris Dyke) and a female dancer (Caitie Moloney), in which he expresses his love through playing with her exquisite long hair, is a delight, as is the humorous episode in which two dancers (Felicity Doolette and Michael Hodyl) demonstrate their growing attraction by incrementally moving their chairs closer until they are literally on top of each other.

Another highlight of the work is its exploration of the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion, and dominance and submission.  The former is beautifully illustrated in an extended sequence in which all the males sit around in a tight circle, regaling each other with anecdotes and laughing uproariously. A single woman tries hard to insinuate her way into the group, but the men find ever more ingenious ways to keep her out. This section certainly calls to mind the all-Aussie BBQ! The issue of dominance and submission, which is played out at a subliminal level at most parties, is given graphic, physical expression in a terrific duet for two male dancers (Nigel Major-Henderson and Jesse Rochow).  The two men struggle to exert their dominance over each other like a pair of dueling stags, outdoing each other in their jumps and tricks in an extremely well-constructed sequence that was compellingly danced.

The piece ends on a high, with an exuberant ensemble dance in which the cast was clearly having a ball. This is a delightful first work from Ryan in which she explores a whole gamut of human interactions and foibles in a way that demonstrates the considerable strengths of these talented performers. We are left in no doubt that Restless really knows how to party!

- Maggie Tonkin