4Seasons

A truly magical cross cultural collaboration of contemporary dance was presented on the Playhouse Theatre stage this month. The show was the result of months of teamwork between the highly regarded Expressions Dance Company from Australia and City Contemporary Dance Company from China. Three amazing choreographers created work with the dancers from both companies on the theme of ‘four seasons’.

The first performance of the evening, entitled Summer was choreographed by Kristina Chan and starred the CCDC dancers. It was such a perfect representation of the melting heat we feel here in Brisbane summers; you could have guessed the name of this dance without looking at the program. Golden orange lighting seared through a silken pocket of curtain above the dancers’ heads like a giant sun. The curtain moved as if it were breathing that horribly scorching hot wind you get in summer; the one that doesn’t cool you down, but instead makes everything that much muggier.

The dancers were lithe and flexible as they executed the canons and accumulations of the choreography. It was amazing how the dancers could all stay in time with the music – Summer by James Brown – as it didn’t have an obvious beat and structure. Yet they did move perfectly in time with each other. The tiniest gesture from one dancer seemed to spread like a cause and effect throughout the troupe. As the curtain lowered and the visual representations of heat intensified, the work appeared to make a startling comment on global warming and the survival of our species. The glowing hot curtain got lower and lower, forcing dancers to use middle and then only low levels until most were engulfed by the extreme weather.

Day After Daychoreographed by Dominic Wong followed next, featuring the EDC dancers and Bruce Wong. White transparent costumes and cold white lighting illuminated the dancers, making them look somewhat ethereal. Their movements were percussive, jerky, repetitive and futuristic. At times it seemed like they were AI robots suffering a malfunction. Bruce Wong appeared to represent the passage of time as he moved in super slow motion, walking from upstage left to right throughout the piece, to then come forward and embrace a large block of ice that was set on stage under a spotlight.

The dancers showed strength and limitless trust in each other. The work was commanding and touching. Such a profound expression of human relationships and the way people come and go from our lives, this piece brought tears to my eyes. It had such beauty and poignancy with which I was able to connect on a meaningful level.

The third and final work for the evening was mind-blowingly beautiful. The EDC and CCDC dancers joined forces under the choreography of Natalie Weir to present 4Seasons. This work had the men and women of both companies working in pas de deux, representing couples at different stages of their relationships and lives together. It was tied together with sections in which all dancers were on stage executing aesthetic motifs, canons and phrases. The use of space, deep emotional work and the shapes created by the choreography were magnificent and a real testament to Ms Weir’s skills.

While the dancers’ abilities were astounding throughout the whole show, it was this piece that really highlighted the amazing athleticism of the performers. The section in which all of the men were throwing themselves with abandon across the stage was as awe inspiring as a death-defying circus act. The women in the troupe were no less death-defying in their work, as they gracefully and powerfully thrust themselves into fearless leaps and lifts. The colour scheme for the costumes and clever lighting added to this performance’s beauty. It was so superb to see the trust, collaboration and rapport between the dancers from both companies too.

Upon completion, most of the rapt audience jumped to their feet to give 4Seasons a well-deserved standing ovation. This was meaningful choreography that not only demonstrated the skills and agility of the performers, but also the amazing imaginations of the choreographers and directors.

Kiesten McCauley 

Photographer: Cheung Chi Wai