Perth International Arts Festival -
West Australian Ballet: "Five by night: Ballet at the Quarry" -
Quarry Amphitheatre, 5 February -
West Australian Ballet's annual "Quarry" programme has managed to up the ante every year under the direction of Aurélien Scannella. This year's "Five By Night" delivers two beguiling and contrasting gems by David Dawson, a beautiful contemplative new work by expat Australian choreographer Craig Davidson, a pulsating new work by company dancer André Santos, and a quirky new work by five company dancers featuring a break-dancing champion. Disciplined, exuberant and technically accomplished performances by all of the dancers made for a thoroughly absorbing evening of inventive classically-based dancing under the stars.
Opening the programme in exhilarating style was the Australian première of celebrated international choreographer David Dawson's thrilling 5, as three ladies (Sarah Hepburn, Chihiro Nomura and Carina Roberts) in white tutus and en pointe, and two men (Adam Alzaim and André Santos) in grey tights and black tops sizzled their way through an almost unrecognisable arrangement by David Coleman of music from Adolphe Adam's Giselle Act I score. Spinning jumping and running in an incredible display of fast, virtuosic classical technique, the dancers found joyous spontaneity in choreography requiring exceptional control and skill. Beautifully lit by Dawson against the black stage surrounds, night sky and gum trees, this work set the bar(re) very high indeed.
To the Pointe, choreographed by Melissa Boniface, Victoria Maughan, Meg Parry, André Santos and Jayne Smeulders, in collaboration with champion break-dancing star Pepito followed. Performed by Pepito with Maughan, Boniface, Santos, Smeulders, Kymberleigh Cowley and Brooke Widdison-Jacobs all en pointe (including Santos), five dancers begin stretching on a ballet barre across the back of the stage. To the sounds of Gentleman’s Vibe ("Big Spender"); Geebz ("Big Spender"), Pete Rock & C. L. Smooth ("Creator"), Eric B & Rakim ("Paid in Full"), the dancers launch themselves, clad in shorts and crop tops, into raunchy 'breakout' classical dance, and are joined by Pepito who got the crowd clapping and cheering as he spun on his head, held seemingly impossible poses and performed a light-hearted classical dance meets hip hop pas de deux with tutu-clad Widdison-Jacobs. And who knew soon-to-retire principal artist Jayne Smeulders could perform multiple back flips and saults across the front of the stage? Or that André Santos is as proficient 'en pointe' as he is 'en demi-pointe'?
Choreographer Craig Davidson's Ambiguous Content with distinctive side-lighting by Ben Fry, and set to a rich mix of music by Johann Paul von Westhoff, Philip Glass, Max Richter, Johann Sebastian Bach, Jóhann Jóhannsson and Ólafur Arnalds followed after a short interval. In Kate Venables's stylishly-designed blue-grey leotards, tops and tights, the cast of eight (the four ladies en pointe) impressed in Davidson's wonderfully musical, flowing movements, classical lines and canons with contrasting solos and pas de deux, some sharp and bright, others more languid and reflective, folding and unwinding. Among eight splendid performances, Brooke Widdison-Jacobs, Florence Leroux-Coléno, newcomer Chihiro Nomura and Alessio Scognamiglio caught the eye.
Following a short break was David Dawson's exquisite On the Nature of Daylight, an abstract exploration of human need for love and connectedness set to Max Richter's sublime music of the same name. Sandy Delasalle and Matthew Lehmann (Delasalle in a white tunic and Lehmann in biscuit-coloured belted pants and a white long-sleeved top) were partnered together again after their outstanding performances in 2015 in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's neo-classical La Pluie. They did not disappoint, both revealing the tender, emotional nuances of the piece, breadth and significance in the movement and fine co-ordination in the partnering. Lehmann's strength and finesse in the soaring lifts was admirable.
André Santos' brilliant In Black, concluded the evening on a high. To lively percussive rhythms and sounds from multiple instruments including bouzouki and accordion by René Aubry ("Madame Papillon", "Steppe", "Zingaro", "Sagitaire"), Woodkid ("Run Boy Run") and Davidson Jaconcello ("Woman") the cast of eight ladies and five men all in black, the ladies en pointe in lovely, swirling skirts, delivered stunning performances. With an imaginative mix of patterns and shapes, off-centre transitions, conventional line formations, athletic intensity, especially from the men, and a subtle Latino flavour, this entertaining work was a winner.
Margaret Mercer