Sydney Dance Company: "Triptych" -
Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney, 29 September -
Sydney Dance Company’s "Triptych" program featured three short works, all with choreography by Rafael Bonachela, music by Benjamin Britten, and costumed by Toni Maticevski, with lighting and stage design by Ben Cisterne. This made the overall program feel unified despite the individual quirks of each piece.
The first two works presented - Simple Symphony and Les Illuminations - were initially premiered by SDC in 2013 but have been reworked significantly to make use of the much larger stage of the Roslyn Packer Theatre. The stage’s significant depth also allowed the musicians of ACO2 (the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s second company) to take their place on a moderately elevated platform behind the dancers without encroaching on the dancers’ space. This was a nice touch, making the connection between dance and music visual as well as aural.
Simple Symphony is a playful and exuberant work for four dancers that benefitted enormously from the extra floor space. As the first couple, Bernard Knauer and Janessa Dufty moved with great speed and aplomb. Janessa Dufty in particular is a whirlwind of energy and easily drew audience focus with the sheer force and momentum of her dancing. Fiona Jopp and Todd Sutherland danced a slower paced, lyrical and expressive duet with a strong emotional connection that was less dazzling, but perhaps even more engrossing. The costumes for Simple Symphony, wispy pieces of beige coloured chiffon, add a little extra detail without concealing the dancer’s lines or inhibiting their movement.
Les Illuminations, on the other hand, seemed to lose some impact in its transference to a larger space. When first staged in 2013 the smaller stage area and increased proximity of dancers to the audience seemed to enhance its dramatic intensity. Though the dancers performed well – Charmene Yap in particular stood out for the sophisticated style and carriage of her upper body - but in this venue the work failed to sustain interest.
On the plus side, the costumes and lighting for Les Illuminations are effective, while Katie Noonan, who joins the musicians on stage, sang beautifully, conveying the strange other-worldly quality of Britten’s music.
The final work of the evening, Variation 10, is a well-rounded work set to highly danceable music. A trio danced by Chloe Leong, Todd Sutherland and Petros Treklis stood out, as did a solo by Richard Cilli.
Rafael Bonachela’s choreography for Variation 10 seems more carefully structured than is his usual style. This is particularly evident in his use of opposing quintets whereby each dancer mirrors the movement of their counterpart despite being placed differently on stage. Toni Maticevski’s costumes are similar in style to those from Simple Symphony but pale grey in colour and with a bit more substance to them. No two costumes are exactly alike but they certainly share similar features, contributing to a cohesive “look”.
Overall “Triptych” was an impressive night of dance, no mean feat when Sydney Dance Company has been consistently presenting strong performances and expectations are high.
- GERALDINE HIGGINSON