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Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

New dance work proves ‘LESS’ is more

“LESS'” at Dairy Rd sculpture. Photo: Lorna Sim

Dance / “LESS”, Australian Dance Part. At 1 Dairy Road until March 12. Reviewed by SAMARA PURNELL.

SOMEWHERE between dusk and twilight, between water and concrete, between primordial and futuristic is “LESS”.

Performers Ashlee Bye, Jake Silvestro, Levente Szabo, Ryan Stone and Patricia Hayes Cavanagh slowly advance through the water that covers the concrete ground as part of this site-specific installation, making their way through the audience, towards the towering pillars of “LESS” – the structure by Chilean design house Pezo von Ellrichshausen, from which this performance takes its name.

The ensemble is dressed in attractive, sophisticated costumes of crisp white and soft grey, with clean lines that allow flow and flexibility. Designer Aislinn King has created a beautiful wardrobe with a purity that contributes significantly to the reverential and ritualistic feel of the work.

The performance begins with beautiful, earthy vocals – even more pleasing when it becomes evident that it is being performed live, by Liam Budge. Budge does a skillful job of informing and reacting to the movement of the dancers and blending his song, sounds and breath with a recorded soundscape designed by Alex Voorhoeve, and the interspersion of live saxophone played by John Mackey.

The dancers are impressive in their strength, agility and lightness and are fluid in their partner work. At times they are playful and lighthearted – splashing and using acrobatic skills, then hiding in, peering out and emerging from behind the columns of the structure and into and around the water space. Combining frenetic movement with stillness and playing with dynamics, an animalistic almost Golem-esque sequence amused the audience.

Onlookers view “LESS'” at Dairy Rd sculpture. Photo: Lorna Sim

As the natural light fades, the lighting by Ove Mcleod changes to a bluey-purple, nicely tying the performance in with the Enlighten festival, and illuminating the water and the rows and lines of columns in which the dancers interact.

Passages of sonic-sounding morse code, meditative and soothing sounds resolve and linger on notes, giving an “other worldly” quality to the work. At times Budge uses his breath to creative a somewhat erotic element.

There is a ritualistic, sacred feel to the performance, especially when the dancers make their way through the lower area covered in water, over the bridge, where the audience is also positioned and into the top level of the pillars.

Once the dancers move to this area and begin more uniform choreography, from the ground seating there is a lost connectedness with much of the visuals and the mind can wander within the framework of the space. But that is also the scope of “LESS” – to see what the structure brings and where it takes you.

As this work is in a public space, other distractions may be present, but it is up to the audience to choose or focus on what they like. “LESS” is an immersive experience where multi-directional sound input, sensory surrounds and luckily, perfect weather on opening night, blend to create an aesthetically pleasing, meditative experience in a space that offers a canvas for exploration and creativity.

Australian Dance Party director Alison Plevey said: “The space has been the director of the work, shaping the way we think, feel and move.” This is evident and well done, demonstrating “LESS is more”.

Months of delays and now still facing cancellations due to rain, “LESS” finally made it to opening night. It is a short work but worth the trek to Dairy Road. It’s important to heed the advice about footwear or go barefoot as many chose to do to add an element of sensory immersion and connectedness with the dancers. There is optional seating on the bridge which may be preferable to see the second half of the work.

As well as Enlighten, “LESS” is also part of Liz Lea’s BOLD dance festival.

 

 

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