Sydney Dance Company has made its long-awaited return to Brisbane (has it really been 12 years?), but they won’t be here for long. Brisbane audiences have the rare opportunity to witness Twofold, a double bill featuring the incredible works of Rafael Bonachela and Melanie Lane at the Brisbane Powerhouse. Be sure to arrive early and soak up the incredible vibes and visual installations and food that are part of Night Feast as well.
Twofold consists of Impermanence by SDC’s Artistic Director Rafael Bonachelo, and the world premiere of Love Lock by Melanie Lane. Impermanence was up first and saw the Australian String Quartet perform a live score composed by Bryce Dessner. Bonachela and Dessner spent time in Paris in 2019 shortly after the Notre-Dame fire, where together they considered the ephemeral nature of life. Impermanence was their response to the unexpected but life-changing events that can and were occurring at the time, including the 2019 bushfires that swept across Australia.
With the fleeting and vulnerable transience of life the subject for their work, costuming by Aleisa Jelbart felt complementary. The company was dressed in what at first appeared almost like underwear. Wearing nothing but briefs on the bottom with a variety of cottony, undershirt-style tops in a range of earthy colours, together with brown socks, the company looked like they had just stepped out of the bedroom.
The dancers began by walking slowly across the stage, resembling everyday people making their way down a busy street. It wasn’t long before the lighting, score and dancers burst to life and took us on an epic, hour long journey.
Bonachela’s choreography was dramatic, powerful and fast-paced, and worked well alongside the score that at times packed a thrilling punch. Damien Cooper’s lighting designs changed like the seasons, going from the burning orange of summer to the frosty blues of winter, complete with sparkly effects on the backdrop that looked like snowfall. The dancers performed with incredible technical skills, all forming, parting and re-forming in various configurations. The work culminated with a lone dancer on the stage and the song ‘Another World’ by Anohni.
Impermanence by Rafael Bonachela.
After intermission, it was time for Love Lock by Melanie Lane. Inspired by love songs with a particular focus on pop music, this piece had a very different feel stylistically. Love Lock was playful and fun, and with a shorter run time of 25 minutes, left me wanting more.
The piece began with the stage billowing with dry ice, and the strip of lighting that formed a frame around the floor gave the impression that the dancers were, at times, walking around the edge of a swimming pool. Dressed in black asymmetric leotards, one by one the dancers would seamlessly reappear on stage wearing colourful additions, all by renowned designer Akira Isogawa.
A banging score by British electronic musician Christopher Stephen Clark (performing under the mononym Clark), helped set the tone, and at one point the whole thing had me smiling from ear to ear, it was such a party. Lane’s choreography was both cheeky and dramatic, and I particularly loved the distinct montages she created as the dancers came together in groups of two and three.
As I have seen occur in a few modern dance works of late, the dancers were encouraged to add their own vocalisations. The music nerd in me recognised the lyrics of ‘How Deep is Your Love’ by The Bee Gees, and what I think was ‘At Last’ by Etta James. Either way it definitely wasn’t jibberish. The piece culminated with the score slowly fading away, and the dancers coming together as they hummed a catchy lullaby while the lights went down.
I am fast becoming a huge fan of energetic, bold contemporary new dance works, having seen some absolutely fantastic stuff already this year from the local companies. I am looking forward to seeing much more.
Twofold runs for a strictly limited season at the Brisbane Powerhouse, 119 Lamington Street New Farm 4005, with remaining shows on Fri 18th October at 7:30pm, and two shows on Saturday 19th October at 2pm and 7:30pm.
Tickets:
https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=SYDNEYDC24
More info:
https://brisbanepowerhouse.org/events/sydney-dance-company/
Photo credits: Pedro Greig
