Aracaladanza: Clouds, Perth International Arts Festival -
Regal Theatre, 14 February -
Aracaladanza is a Madrid-based Spanish contemporary dance troupe known for devising innovative, high quality work for young people. Clouds was co-produced with Sadlers Wells, Dance East, Jerwood Foundation, Comunidad de Madrid, Mercat de les Flors and Auditorio de Tenerife and first performed in 2010. It was advertised by the Festival as suitable for ages 4 to 104.
After a prolonged heatwave in Perth I certainly felt 104 and it was a joy to relax in the Regal Theatre among a mixed audience of young and old (and quite a few couples celebrating Valentine’s Day) and be entertained by the six skilled performers of Aracaladanza in 50 minutes of light, witty and visually eye-catching fantasy.
Clouds takes its inspiration from the surrealist imagery of famed artist René Magritte. In collaboration with the performers, Argentinian Enrique Cabrera, the founder and artistic director of the group, created it. The result is a playful work that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Black-coated, bowler-hatted ‘men’ and a large green apple probably reference Magritte but as Magritte himself said: “What does it mean? It doesn’t mean anything, because mystery means nothing either, it’s unknowable.”
Colourful miniature box-like houses are stacked centre stage, lit up, handed out, swapped and fought over (rather like presents from a Nutcracker Christmas tree) with a small, white fluffy cloud emerging. Beautiful white clouds are projected while billowing white shapes (with dancers inside) of fabric and plastic begin dancing about the stage. Scenes dissolve seamlessly into one another as clouds appear to melt, tables and white cloths are danced around, black fabric is stretched in ribbons across the stage and shadow puppetry leads to silhouetted hands and legs creating striking images. The dancers on stage are joined by projected shadowy figures only to see them vanish magically one by one. Black storm clouds hover, four wooden doors appear with a touch of illusionist magic as characters enter and reappear elsewhere. Fluffy toy clouds turn into sheep.
Five dancing, faceless (with a twist) figures in black suits were a crowd favourite. Also particularly popular was a comic scene with dancers loping about the stage wearing huge red flippers. Ladders are climbed, tutus appear and, for a finale, beautiful rain and snow descends from above against a dark blue sky, sending the dancers scurrying for their coats.
An original music score by Mariano Lozano P. Ramos, with additional music by the Penguin Café Orchestra, works well.
The packed theatre greatly appreciated it all, as did I, and the performers had to return many times for ‘curtain’ calls because of the sustained applause.
- Margaret Mercer
Clouds runs until Sunday 17 February - see: www.perthfestival.com.au