We Unfold - Sydney Dance Company

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Wed 27 Jul 2011 - Sat 30 Jul 2011

Now on at His Majesty's Theatre is the latest work from Sydney Dance Company's Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela. With shows in Perth only until this Saturday, July 30th, book your tickets now. This is a contemporary dance work you do not want to miss.



Set to 'Oceans,' a piece of music in five movements, by composer Ezio Bosso the choreography seeks to show how we have a " need and desire ... to slowly unfold, revealing ourselves to those around us ." Using excellent and inventive lighting design the bare stage is broken into rooms and spaces in which the dancers interact and explore, as they unfold themselves to each other and to the audience.

All at once technically brilliant, expressive, moving and engaging 'we unfold' is a blissful evening of dance. I attended with several friends, some of whom had dance knowledge and experience, and some who were not very familiar with dance. We all thoroughly enjoyed the work, regardless of our respective backgrounds in dance.

The one point of the piece my companions and I were dubious about the use of recorded footage as the backdrop of the piece. At the back of the stage an accompanying video was played, introducing a mixed media element. Initially it showed stars, with the camera moving through them towards an eclipse, later the sun was there in all its glory, and then two figures were introduced. The first being a man, who was eventually enveloped in flames, and then a woman being showered with water. While these images were evidently connected with the piece, I found it was either distracting, or it went unnoticed.

With the space often being occupied by two or more dancers, and at times the entire company, there was already enough to focus on in the dancing itself and the use of images seemed excessive and superficial next to the brilliant choreography. The more simple images (of the stars or the sun) were effective as they subtly changed the mood of the piece without distracting from the dancing, but the moving figures of the man and woman were very difficult to focus on without feeling like you missed something of the choreography.

Not having been to see some contemporary dance myself for some time I enjoyed being thrown into Bonachela's world and being taken on a journey through his choreography and through the wonderful performances of the Company's dancers who showed strength, elegance and dedication in their performances. Their connection with the music and the work was almost tangible as they moved through the light and the darkness and I delighted in their artistry.

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#dancing
!date 27/07/2011 -- 30/07/2011
%wnperth