Colossus

Colossus
By Stephanie Lake Company. Choreography by Stephanie Lake. Melbourne International Arts Festival, Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio. 3-6 October, 2019.

Colossus certainly lives up to its name. As a larger than life contemporary dance piece that involves no less than 50 dancers, it creates a monumental presence on stage. The dancers move with the swiftness and precision of a flock of birds or fish, as seen in the natural world. The troupe takes on the appearance of a singular entity with independent parts that are so finely tuned they seem almost connected by invisible threads. The effect is very striking and frequently mesmerising. 

The idea of moving with machine-like precision is sometimes emphasised through the use of sound; tapping hands or fingers, sighs and screams and clicking of fingers. This all serves to emphasise the vibrant and systematic rhythms and adds an unusual dimension to the performance.

The staging of this dance work is kept minimal with a strict colour scheme. All the dancers wear a black costume which is set against a large white backdrop. Lighting is used to sculpt the dancers and there is some clever use of shadows to accentuate the graceful and often complex movements.

The sequences also highlight individual dancers who emerge from the crowd sometimes dancing alone and sometimes interacting with one or more other individual dancers. Overall the choreography is dynamic and robust, and often explores the volatile nature of power and balance, especially the collective force of group behaviour. The incredible equilibrium that is exhibited by the troupe, both as a collective and as individuals, is often breathtaking. This is a performance that shows a deep reflection on human nature and a daring experimentation with form.

Patricia Di Risio

Photographer: Bryony Jackson

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