The Secret Lives of Dancers #5

October 31, 2010 at 11:57 pm | Posted in TV Review | Leave a comment
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The Company complete their Triple Bill tour.

As usual it was mainly a human interest story – who is broken up with whom, and how are the dancers coping with injuries – continuing on from episode 4. Oh there was some rugby.

While the Company was in Christchurch, they did a promo for their sponsor – who also sponsor the Canterbury Provincial Rugby Team. So, a very exited Lucy Balfour got to spend time with Dan Carter; and Brad Thorne got to use a ballerina for weight training.

We also find out that Lucy Green and Yang Liu were give full contracts for the year. This is great news, especially, when the documentary producers tried to generate some suspense by showing her being told-off for being out of time with the music.

I discovered that there is an equivalent programme on the Australian Ballet; I wonder if it will show here, and what mix of dance and gossip it will have.

PS: Ethan Stiefel has been appointed as the new artistic directory for the Company!

Deadly – Circus with Bite.

October 26, 2010 at 2:13 am | Posted in Show Review | Leave a comment
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The other night, I went to see Downstage and Awkward’s joint production of Deadly. Deb Pope revives a work she created and performed 10 years ago.

There isn’t much physical theatre in Wellington, and Deb is clearly building on the momentum/interest created by Adagio. This is a piece for a more mature audience – there is no swearing, but some of the violent interplay between the two performers was a bit disturbing.

Deadly, is short for the Seven Deadly Sins. The performers take us through them, interacting with each other, a swinging trapeze, a static trapeze, and a circus pole.

I liked greed the most: Virginia Molina swings backwards and forwards hanging by the backs of her knees, through a hail of gold leaf; while Rodrigo Osis tries to gather up as much as he can.

The stage is bare; Deb uses light and shadows to frame the various sins.

Not knowling all of the sins, I got lost at times and just admired Osis and Molina’s circus skills. Perhaps, the next production could have a prolog – to introduce the sins in order.

Worth going to see.

Studio Showing – NZ School of Dance

October 22, 2010 at 3:13 am | Posted in Dance Review | Leave a comment
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I went to the New Zealand School of Dance’s studio showing the other night, (in September). As the name suggests, it takes place in a studio: very limited seating for the relatively large numbers who turned up; everyone being required to take their street shoes off; no curtains; and no wings – the dancers entering and leaving the performance area through the audience.

There were 10 pieces: five ballet pieces and five modern dance pieces.

The standout pieces, for me, were Men’s Trio from Romeo and Juliet and Even Songs. I found these two pieces the most memorable. I enjoyed Jason Carter, Benjamin Obst and Travis Robertsons’ execution of the Kenneth MacMillan choreography; full marks to Yuriy Klymenko’s coaching. I found Evening Songs very intriging and engaged my attention. There is a full programme of Jiri Kylian’s works in the graduation season – I’ve pencilled it into my diary!

It was also hard to go past Tom Bradley’s physicality in Manipulated Living – also choreographed by him.

Finally the musical accompaniment was very interesting: pieces started with no music, while some pieces featured vocals.

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