IN Cognito: Ballet at the Quarry
West Australian Ballet
Quarry Amphitheatre
Reviewed February 10
10 Duets on a Theme of Rescue: Perth Moves
STRUT Dance
State Theatre Centre of WA Courtyard
Reviewed February 9
Perth Festival 2023 opened last week and promises to deliver a glittering array of performance, music, film, literature and visual arts over the next month. The theme of this year’s festival is Djinda, meaning “stars” in Noongar language, and so it felt very fitting to start my festival experience with two dance performances under the stars: IN Cognito: Ballet at the Quarry presentedby West Australian Ballet, and Perth Moves presented by STRUT Dance.
Returning to the magical outdoor setting of the Quarry Amphitheatre for the 30th year, West Australian Ballet’s opening night of Ballet at the Quarry (a season of neoclassical dance works presented annually by the company) was a spectacular evening.
Best known for her work with the Australian Ballet as Resident Choreographer, Alice Topp is an acclaimed young choreographer and the creator of the first piece of the night, Open Heart Story. Set to tracks from composer Luke Howard’s album of the same name, Open Heart Story isan emotional dissection of the life-giving muscle within our chest – the tumultuous journey of a human heart, from heartache and grief, to fear and rage.
The costumes, designed by Topp, are reminiscent of arteries and veins, each leotard a unique web of red and black stripes. A shiny strip of thick red material lies diagonally across the floor, with this aortic red carpet throwing dazzling reflections of light around the stage when moved by the performers. Topp’s choreography is particularly enthralling in its use of counterbalance, the dancers playing with gravity to create daring and original partnering sequences. Standout performances included that of Glenda Garcia Gomez, her presence emanating strength and passion in the pas de deux at the beginning of the work, and Julio Blanes, as he deftly wove a red rose across, through and around his limbs in a twisting and unravelling solo.
The second work, Verses, is a short but highly impressive pas de deux by Polish choreographer Robert Bondara. Dancer Kiki Saito displayed jaw-dropping flexibility, hitting impossible positions with speed and precision, partnered exceptionally by Juan Carlos Osma. Perfectly in sync, the pair moved with ease through stark white lighting to the haunting, lonesome strings of Ólafur Arnalds’ composition.
Also choreographed by Bondara, the third work Persona is a pas de trois that explores Carl Jung’s theory of the two selves within our psyche; the facade we present to society in order to function within sociocultural norms, and who we truly are – if such a thing as our authentic self even exists. In the program notes, Bondara encourages the viewer to see the choreography not as a trio, but a duet between two people. Julia Skrzynecka and Diana Marszałek’s costume design manifests this concept physically; at the conclusion of the work, the two male dancers slide seamlessly into the one shirt, slowly rotating to alternate facing the audience, depicting two sides of the same human. At times, Persona was uncomfortable to watch; the relationship between the dancers is rife with conflict and manipulation, with strong references to violence as they aggressively tug, throw and kick each other.
Californian choreographer Helen Pickett’s IN Cognito concludes the program, bringing some lighthearted entertainment after the emotional intensity of the previous works. Of the night’s four works, Pickett’s movement choices venture the furthest from classical ballet, with flairs of funky grooviness and dorky playfulness. Set in what appears to be an office, the cast of nine dancers are dressed in matching aquamarine uniforms. As they are slowly engulfed in end-of-the-working-week silliness, the dancers let loose, showing off their tricks, leaping off couches and hiding behind indoor plants. Designed by Les Dicker, the lighting creates an absurd, underwater atmosphere of undulating purples, greens and blues. Highlight moments included Kymberleigh Krzysztofiak-Cowley’s joyful explosion of jumps and Polly Hilton’s intricate solo of serpentine movements. IN Cognito was a crowd favourite on opening night, eliciting lots of audience laughter as the final work of the evening.
Perth Moves, presented by STRUT Dance (Perth’s choreographic centre for independent dance artists) offers a more interactive experience, giving audiences the opportunity to both watch performances and engage in movement themselves. Each night of the season, talented independent professional dancers from Australia and New Zealand perform repertoire by Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite. Cindy Welik-Salgado, a member of Pite’s company Kidd Pivot since 2009, worked with the dancers over several weeks to remount Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue. The show is free, and is performed twice each night in the large outdoor courtyard of the State Theatre Centre of WA.
Although only fifteen minutes long, Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue is a powerful and moving work. Rising to the challenge of the demanding choreography and emotive characterisation, the entire cast of dancers performed exceptionally, having clearly embodied Pite’s hallmark style under Welik-Salgado’s expert guidance. A particularly poignant moment arises when a dancer runs as if on a treadmill, desperately reaching for an outstretched hand. Strangely comic and heartbreaking all at once, I could have watched this moment for hours.
Before and after the performance, audiences are invited to take part in a variety of movement classes, including yoga, house dance, contemporary dance, breakdance and more. After watching 10 Duets, I joined in on a Latin social dance class (taught by Welik-Salgado to a large group of enthusiastic participants), and went home with a smile on my face, feeling the joy and sense of belonging that dancing in a community brings. It is truly exciting and uplifting to witness recently appointed Artistic Co-Directors of STRUT Dance, Sofie Burgoyne and James O’Hara, taking an approach to dance in Perth that is accessible and inclusive to all.
– ISABELLE LECLEZIO
'IN Cognito' continues until March 11. '10 Dances' ran from February 8 to 12.
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