Dance / “Connecting Stories: Generations”, National Portrait Gallery, June 25-26. Reviewed by SAMARA PURNELL.

THE “Shakespeare to Winehouse” exhibition, currently showing at the Portrait Gallery inspired local dance companies QL2 and the Australian Dance Party, along with Catapult Choreographic Hub  NSW,  to create a cross-regional, ongoing dance work, which culminated over six sessions at the weekend.

There were huge audiences in attendance, filling the foyer of the NPG.

A large ensemble, comprising young children to established adult dancers, performed six pieces that blended into each other representing subjects in the exhibition and the way in which they have been captured, the dynamics of power, identity, love and loss and artistic innovation.

The performance began outside the entrance to the NPG where dancers wearing white and blue denim walked, posed and strutted down a red carpet, with other dancers emulating paparazzi. This cute and lively piece transitioned immediately into the foyer where the next group of dancers had begun to move.

A pretty and relaxing soundscape composed by Adam Ventoura accompanied the dancers clad in stylish costumes of black cropped pants and earth-brown tops. The demonstration of connection and power was conveyed well through the choreography danced in pairs.

The choreography fittingly referenced portraiture, utilising a lot of stillness and poses throughout, as well as sweeping movements and rapid filling and emptying of the performance space.

During the inside pieces, the previous dancers peered in through the glass, giving the feeling to those inside of being on display, or perhaps, a painting or photo being observed.

Various period costumes were worn by the advanced dancers who struck empathic, angular poses to a series of drum beats, before disposing, almost wistfully, of their outer layers to reveal grey boiler suits. They performed the final piece with exceptional balance and commitment before the entire ensemble re-joined the group for an upbeat finale.

It was lovely to once again be able to utilise the space at the NPG for this collaborative work that clearly garnered a lot of interest from a wide range of audience members.