Sydney Dance Company: Bright and Bold

Page 1

tum zporer n miceationnd Philip S e v l a Mo pub heatre

Bright and Bold

The U.S. premiere of Sydney Dance Company: 2 One Another written by Philip Szporer

Australia is an extraordinarily beautiful land. The expanse across the vast island continent is immense: Sydney to Perth is like going from Irvine, California to Portland, Maine. But in the country popularly known as Oz, the road to success for companies like the Sydney Dance Company (SDC) seems to be paved with golden opportunity. Although this is the land of the desert Outback, of beer and footy and endless days on the beach, there is optimism about the state of the arts. It’s no longer, ‘It’s very good – for Australians” but rather, ‘We’re on the move.’ Last month, the country’s preeminent contemporary dance company, SDC, kicked off an extensive six-nation, seven-week tour, taking the production of Artistic Director and choreographer Rafael Bonachela’s award-winning 2 One Another (2012) across three continents. Described as “dynamic and highly physical”, the explosive and poetic piece is performed by the company’s sixteen dancers and explores the complexities of relationships and the intensities of human interaction. The performance, for 16 dancers, is set against a stunning digital backdrop of motion design and pixilated animation, and features a driving soundscore by composer Nick Wales – seamlessly

Rafael Bonochella

©

T lay arc B ne Irvi

House’s Spring Dance Festival Curator. As Time Out Sydney reports, he is happy to let each guest choreographer he commissions to create work for the company and “do their own thing,” giving them more-or-less free reign. “For me it’s about variety, it’s not about a ‘theme,’” he says. At this year’s Australian Dance Awards, 2 One Another was cited as Outstanding Performance by a Company, noting its “breathtakingly fluid solos, duets and group work that showcase the dazzling virtuosity, technical mastery, lyricism and expression of the dancers,” as well as scoring a nod for dancer Charmene Yap for Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer for her role in the piece.

2 One Another by Rafael Bonachella

embracing Baroque to electronica – as well as poetry fragments (by the Sydney-based poet, musician, filmmaker and photographer, Samuel Webster) exploring love and emotion. “The work has required deep contemplation and intimate revelation and, as such, the result is very personal for all. We hope this will resonate with audiences in a real way,’’ Bonachela told the Canberra Times. The Sydney Morning Herald commented, “SDC at the peak of their power... A thrillingly fluent piece that maintains its vibrancy over its hourlong journey.” The Spanish-born Bonachela, an acclaimed former dancer and choreographer with London’s Rambert Dance Company, is in his fifth year with the company. He combines his role at SDC with his position as Sydney Opera

The history of the company, which has produced 140 new works since 1976, is legend Down Under. Dancer Suzanne Musitz founded a group in 1969, which eventually became known as The Dance Company (N.S.W.) in the early 1970’s. Her pioneering achievement was fostering a large and varied repertoire of classical and contemporary works for the company. Dutch choreographer Jaap Flier followed Musitz in the 1975-76 season, and imbued the troupe with a modern style. Following Flier’s decision to return to Europe the following year, Graeme Murphy took

SYDNEY

DANCE

2

COMPANY

ONE ANOTHER

OCT 16, 2013

www.sydneydancecompany.com

continued...

IRVINEBARCLAYPRESENTS the 2013-14 International Contemporary Dance Series • www.thebarclay.org


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.