If we strip these works back, taking them as far away as possible from the questions that they may seek to answer through the choreographic form, you find at the heart, a program that seeks to meld, or more simply investigate how the physical and digital forms interact. Could it possibly be that this is where dance, as a form now finds itself? On the precipice of something that it neither understands just yet, nor has the gumption to fully tackle head on? For these works, however engaging, seem to be somewhat held back, should dance be grasping the opportunities that digital forms present so readily, and if so, what of the original form do we find being sacrificed or simply left behind? The KEIR choreographic awards are a biannual event aimed at promoting new explorations by dancer makers through the commission of new work, here’s a look at the work presented by this years semi-finalists at Dancehouse last week…
Deep Shine, the first work in program one, had audiences from the outset feeling as though they where stepping into some futuristic expose, with creator Chloe Chingell joined here by Bhenji Davies and Ellen Davies dressed in morph suits. It’s a stark work, that as it unfolded, left the realms of futurism to be unquestionably related to the here and now.
Martin Hansen’s Its All In My Veins is an interesting work, if somewhat challenged and prop heavy. It worked with reaction and counteraction to a number of gif images of famous dancers, perhaps alluding to the repetitious and short nature of our attention span. The work here is dense, though its attention to detail in terms of costuming is perhaps something others in this years KEIR awards could look towards. The performance won you over as it drew to a close, exploding into something else all together, the sensation this created was one of sheer exultation, as it didn’t take itself to seriously.
Wishing to expand the limits of the body, Sarah Aiken’s Sarah Aiken (Tools For Personal Expansion) was yet another work that relied heavily on technology, exploring how it can be used to expand the physical choreography beyond the body, testing the limits of form and digital function. Through sharp choreography that was executed to a finite degree the work soon enveloped the space, with audience becoming a central mechanism to the work, driving it towards its crescendo.
Before The Fact, came across as un-resolved, and though it could be argued that this was the intention behind the work, it felt as if it could have easily done with another week or two in development. Wishing to explore the notation behind choreography as the genesis of performative language, it is still a work not without merit, audiences left with a book of notations, in turn through this offering, Before The Fact left audiences thinking more deeply about what they had just witnessed.
The work of Rebecca Jensen, probably surmises this quagmire best; Explorer delves head first into this conflicted dichotomy through a performance that laid bare the mechanisms behind the performance with a sense of honesty, that is most often neglected or even forgotten, in our world of digital photography and filters. It’s a dense, rich and thought provoking reflection that plays out between Jensen and three male dancers it continues with her maximalist approach to performance and creation.
Conflicted is the word best used to describe the work of James Batchelor, here presenting Inhabited Geometries, light at hand, and in stark contrast to Explorer, it’s minimalist, adopting a “less is more” approach to all elements at play. By placing the organic form against the stark urban landscape it creates a beautiful juxtaposition between sounds, visuals and physicality. Though for all the beauty this work offers up, it was ultimately let down by how often audience where left in the dark barely able to see the performance in taking place in front of them, a shame given Batchelor’s impressive frame and fluid physicality.
Exposing cultural exploitation, or what traditional dance becomes or perhaps sacrifices, when performed by some one else, is Fragments Of Malungoka created by Ghenoa Gala and performed by Elle Evangelista, Melanie Palomares and Melinda Tyquin. It’s clear from the outset that this performance has roots firmly within the realms of the traditional, though it contemporises this through employing the intelligent use of such technologies as go-pro’s and projection.
One and One and One performed by Rihannon Newton alongside creator Paea Leach was disappointing, though it owned strong merits, simply wanting audiences to look closer at how we as a society question and respond to topical issues, the performance itself was let down by poetry delivered in an overly theatrical manner by Candy Royal that failed to realise what would otherwise be some poignant verse. To make matters worse the large screen that was central to this work was placed in a way that obscured site lines for many of audience.
All in all, this was a beautiful cross-representation of some of dance here and now, it gives a clear understanding of where the form sits within the broader context of art and performance. The finalists of this competition, just announced are Ghenoa Gala, Sarah Aiken, Rebecca Jensen and Martin Hansen, who will be presenting work in Sydney at Carriageworks from May 5th,
